Washington DC

M4RKM

Sooo, i have 6 days in NYC coming up, and i'm thinking of hopping over to DC for one of them..

probably going to fly, found that DCA is on the metro line there, so can easily get on that to get around.

who's got some ideas of where I can go for

1 - great photos
2 - lunch
3 - afternoon beers

So, as I've never been before, i'm asking for some help.

Cheers!!

Mark

omelette451

Don't fly, get the train. There's a surprisingly good service from Boston to DC via New York, frequent, not too expensive, and the stations in NY and DC are about as downtown as you can get. Go for the 'Northeast Regional' or a long-distance train ($70 e/w) rather than the business-class 'Acela Express' ($155 o/w). Unless you get a flight for next to nothing it's just not worth the hassle.

LesD

Hi Marky.

I'll ask DS and DIL...they both work there.

In the meantime, my thoughts...

Most touristy things are centred on the National Mall....not a shopping centre....a ginormous 'park'.

There are several tour buses that operate the usual hop-on-hop-off system. take your pick. Or you can do the Segway or Duck versions!

If you're only there for a day, you'll not have time to do any of the Smithsonian museums, otherwise I'd suggest the Space and Air one at Dulles Airport - Enola Gay, Concorde, Space Shuttle, etc!

We were there last month and had brunch at the Old Ebbitt Grill - just round the corner from the White House. Prices were much more reasonable than it looks!!!

Also, there's a range of food places in Union Station.

Otherwise, there are the usual US fast food culprits all over town.

M4RKM

omelette451 wrote: »

Don't fly, get the train. There's a surprisingly good service from Boston to DC via New York, frequent, not too expensive, and the stations in NY and DC are about as downtown as you can get. Go for the 'Northeast Regional' or a long-distance train ($70 e/w) rather than the business-class 'Acela Express' ($155 o/w). Unless you get a flight for next to nothing it's just not worth the hassle.

$122 (well £81 from delta) return is cheaper than the train. I have looked at both options, and also the plane takes 1H35M compared to about 3H on the train, and the peak journeys are a lot more expensive, so i wouldn't get into DC til 2pm whereas plane gets me in at 10.30am.

There really isn't a hassle when it comes to flying internally. Check in online, print off boarding passes, get to airport, straight through security, with only a small bag, with camera in it, get to gate with about 30 mins to spare and i'm sorted.

M4RKM

LesD wrote: »

Hi Marky.

I'll ask DS and DIL...they both work there.

In the meantime, my thoughts...

Most touristy things are centred on the National Mall....not a shopping centre....a ginormous 'park'.

There are several tour buses that operate the usual hop-on-hop-off system. take your pick. Or you can do the Segway or Duck versions!

If you're only there for a day, you'll not have time to do any of the Smithsonian museums, otherwise I'd suggest the Space and Air one at Dulles Airport - Enola Gay, Concorde, Space Shuttle, etc!

We were there last month and had brunch at the Old Ebbitt Grill - just round the corner from the White House. Prices were much more reasonable than it looks!!!

Also, there's a range of food places in Union Station.

Otherwise, there are the usual US fast food culprits all over town.

oooh... you had me excited at the word Segway!!!!! haha... that'd be awesome.... though i'd probably fall off in George W Bush stylee! (i've looked at the tours, and i'm not in town long enough, 10am or 2pm, 3 hour tours! oh well.. i'm more for one seeing stuff on my own!)

Thanks for this, not flying into Dulles, going to DCA, as it is nearer, and the metro links, (and cheaper), so that's a fair trek out of the city.

I'll get the airport at 10.35, no luggage, so straight out, and on the metro, aiming to get to the "centre", well near the white house metro stop by 11.15am.

i'd have to get back to the airport, well, the flight is 6pm, so 20 mins to airport, 20 mins through security, and 20 mins to gate, as i don't know the airport, so get on the subway at about 4.30ish...

so 5 hours to do the white house, the monument, and anything else i can cram in, is my aim.. food and beer is a must though!

M

omelette451

markymoo wrote: »

$122 (well £81 from delta) return is cheaper than the train. I have looked at both options, and also the plane takes 1H35M compared to about 3H on the train, and the peak journeys are a lot more expensive, so i wouldn't get into DC til 2pm whereas plane gets me in at 10.30am.

The flight may be an hour and a half, but adding 20 mins each end for transfers and 30 mins at the departure airport easily makes it nearly three hours. The fares usually only increase for departures between 7 and 8 am, but I'll take your word for it. I didn't mean to suggest that you hadn't done your research, merely that if it were me I'd take the easy (and green) option. Have a nice time! And I second the Smithsonian suggestion.

M4RKM

i prefer flying to sitting on a train, might as well be wandering around the city and enjoying it, than sitting on a train bored out of my skull..

as for the greener option, hmm, maybe so, but i'd have basically half the amount of time in the city via train, so i'd rush, and not see as much...

iatmyhome

i agree with markymoo i prefer flying to sitting on a train,cause it's fast and safe!and you can view the beautiful scene too...

Alan_Bowen

I love flying too but the days of getting in and out of airports, particularly in the north east of the US are gone. I used to love flying for day trips on Southwest or similar but now it is too much hassle. La Guardia, the airport closest to New York city has the longest average delays of any airport in the US, you can add 30-45 minutes minimum to the flight time just sitting on the ground. Granted the transfer in Washingto on the metro is easy but the subway in New York doesn't go to La Guardia at all and to JFK you have to allow at least one hour each way.

I did a day trip to New York from Boston years ago on the train, arrived 'downtown ' at 1000 and caught the train back at 1900. I would seriously rethink your day as it will actually take a lot longer than you think, and finally Amtrak has just started a sale on trains from NY to Washington!

M4RKM

Alan_Bowen wrote: »

Granted the transfer in Washingto on the metro is easy but the subway in New York doesn't go to La Guardia at all and to JFK you have to allow at least one hour each way.

I did a day trip to New York from Boston years ago on the train, arrived 'downtown ' at 1000 and caught the train back at 1900. I would seriously rethink your day as it will actually take a lot longer than you think, and finally Amtrak has just started a sale on trains from NY to Washington!

Hmm... depends on what route you take on the subway. I've been to NYC plenty of times, and i know what the subway is like... it takes 34 minutes to get to the station that links to the airtrain, and then at the most 10 minutes..

obviously if there are delays then i'm delayed, but PLEASE stick to the question I ask.

What can i do in DC, not how to get there, as it is CHEAPEST currently to fly, and i'm not going to consider the train at all

LesD

markymoo wrote: »

........ as it is CHEAPEST currently to fly, and i'm not going to consider the train at all

Or even the bus? 4hours each way for $30-40 round trip.

Leave NY at 8, get there for 12 - leave DC at 6, back by 10!

MUCH more legroom and free WiFi to boot!