Gettibg Around DC, helpful hints, please

[ancientone51]

Daughter and I are going to New York in a few days and we are taking a side day trip to DC. Yes, I know, too little time.

But I want to see the Wall, I knew too many, and other monuments.

That said, what do I need to plan to get from the train station to the monument area and then back to the train station?

I know I can Google maps, but want some input as to what I need to look for.

Any input from locals with good tips, or those who have traveled around the area appreciated. We are doing this on a Monday, which I now realize many things may be closed.

Thanks for any and all info.

 

[Lindley]

Metro will get you to most of the places you'll want to see. Just figure out beforehand which stops to use. (Smithsonian is the station on the national mall.)

 

[the 4th hanson bro]

To maximize your potential, think about a bus tour. They run a route and you can get off and on at various points around the city. If you don't feel like getting out, you can at least see the sight.

There's also an option to go to Arlington.

The route starts at Union Station and buses run every 15-30 minutes.

 

[ancientone51]

Thanks. We will look into the Metro and the possibility of the Bus tour. I took some of those sorts of things as a kid and they were great. Do you have a name of a tour company?

 

[Tora Ziyal]

Ancientone51, follow the link ("bus tour") in The 4th's message above -- it takes you directly to the company that provides the tours he was describing. I wish you could spend more than a day in DC. There's so much to see and do there! Of course, NYC is exciting, too.

 

[ancientone51]

We thought about more time but it would have meant more money to fly out of DC than round trip. And a night in DC would have been required while we kept the NYC room.

It got complicated.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

Yeah, that does sound complicated!

 

[nevermore]

That said, what do I need to plan to get from the train station to the monument area and then back to the train station?

Walk. The train station is basically right across the street from the Mall and that's where the monuments are. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is at the far end of the Mall, which is about 3 miles end-to-end. Personally, rather than a bus tour, I'd walk it, stopping into museums and such on the way, then metro back.

If you aren't able to walk it, the Smithsonian metro stop dumps you off at about the mid-point, right near the Washington Monument (pick up the Red Line toward Shady Grove at Union Station, 3 stops, transfer at Metro Center to the Blue toward Largo or Orange toward New Carrollton, whichever shows up first, two stops to Smithsonian).

You could also just grab a cab - it's not far.

Monday shouldn't be a problem, as the Smithsonian institutions are open every day except xmas day, and the monuments are outside, so they're always "open". You might have issues with dining, though, as lots of restaurants will be closed on a Monday.

 

[ancientone51]

Thanks, this is all great info. Daughter made a face at ""three miles" but she'll have her legs after time in NYC LOL

 

[nevermore]

^And like I said, you shouldn't walk it straight through, or you'll miss everything. The museums are free. Go in for a break, and a little AC.

 

[ancientone51]

Will do! Since you mentioned food earlier, are there places near that are sort of quick and reasonable...or should we eat on the train/ bring stuff along?

 

[Trekker4747]

Between the buses, the subway and just how close everything is to each other D.C. is probably one of the easiest cities in the world to get around in.

 

[Davros]

All I know about getting around DC I learned in Fallout 3, so it will not be of much use.

 

[nevermore]

Between the buses, the subway and just how close everything is to each other D.C. is probably one of the easiest cities in the world to get around in.

Never driven there, have you?

Will do! Since you mentioned food earlier, are there places near that are sort of quick and reasonable...or should we eat on the train/ bring stuff along?

The Monday issue is generally going to affect finer dining establishments. If you're looking for something more casual, the train station itself has a wide range of options available; lots of Hill rats, big and small, eat there for lunch. There are several nicer restaurants on the upper floors, and a whole mall-like but higher-quality food court downstairs if you just want to grab a quick bite for lunch and do some people watching. All, or most, should be open.

Obviously, the Mall area is rife with restaurants, pubs, carry-outs, and food trucks as well. Someone has to feed all those workers.

Also, note that the DC Metro payment system is different than NYC. The cost of a trip varies depending on where you're starting from and where you're going, and when you're going. Before buying your fare card, you have to check the cost of your trip - at each station, there is a chart showing on-peak and off-peak rates from that stop to each other stop; you will put your card through the turnstile reader going in as well as going out (not at each transfer, just start and end), and it will automatically deduct the cost of the trip taken, and print out the remainder on the card. It's not as complicated as it sounds.

 

[TheBrew]

Will do! Since you mentioned food earlier, are there places near that are sort of quick and reasonable...or should we eat on the train/ bring stuff along?

There isn't much in the way of cheap eats unless you do one of the hot dogs stands.

I would bring two bottles of water to refill at the museums.

 

[ancientone51]

All good info. Many thanks.

 

[Trekker4747]

Between the buses, the subway and just how close everything is to each other D.C. is probably one of the easiest cities in the world to get around in.

Never driven there, have you?

Well, never said it was easy to drive in.

 

[RoJoHen]

Between the buses, the subway and just how close everything is to each other D.C. is probably one of the easiest cities in the world to get around in.

Never driven there, have you?

Well, never said it was easy to drive in.

Driving in DC is terrible, which is why I would never do it. Walking around DC is super easy, though. Everything really is very close.

 

[Squiggy]

All I know about getting around DC I learned in Fallout 3, so it will not be of much use.

The Mall is tiny in the game. Also, not enough Mutants in the game.

Just do what nevermore said. It's good advice from someone who lives outside the beltway.

 

[Trekker4747]

On the food-front I'm going to toss out a word for Five Guys.