who knows the dc area?

[wxl31]

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i scheduled a univ. of rochester interview for friday and a drexel interview for the next monday. as there's probabaly not much to do in rochester, i was thinking about flying to DC and doing some siteseeing over the weekend. i can take a bus from DC to philly on sunday.

is this doable? i don't know the dc area. can i get around the city without a car? i'd like to see the smithsonian and the big monuments.

 

[John Deere Gree]

i scheduled a univ. of rochester interview for friday and a drexel interview for the next monday. as there's probabaly not much to do in rochester, i was thinking about flying to DC and doing some siteseeing over the weekend. i can take a bus from DC to philly on sunday.

is this doable? i don't know the dc area. can i get around the city without a car? i'd like to see the smithsonian and the big monuments.

Is it doable? yes
How do you do it without a car? Grayhounnd, chinatown bus ( I dunno the exact name), or Amtrak.
Can you see DC without a car? As long as the Metro is running (yes it runs on weekends), you can see everything in DC without a car. For the monuments and smithsonians, get off at the Smithsonian stop (Orange or blue line), and follow the signs to "the Mall" exit. Once above ground you will have the US Capitol in front of you and the Washington monument behind you.

 

[wxl31]

thanks! do you think it's important to stay near a "site" or is the metro system expansive enough to take me most places? what's an easy way to get from the airport into the city area? heck, what airport should i fly into? sorry for being so clueless.

 

[njbmd]

thanks! do you think it's important to stay near a "site" or is the metro system expansive enough to take me most places? what's an easy way to get from the airport into the city area? heck, what airport should i fly into? sorry for being so clueless.

Hi there,
You should fly into National Airport (NAD). You can catch Metro Metro from the airport to the Crystal City. From there, you can walk to the Crystal City Marriott, Sheraton. You can also get a shuttle from the Crystal City Hyatt Regency. Most of the Crystal City Hotels have shuttles to and from the airport where you can catch Metro.

You can get an all day ticket from Metro that will take you to all of the sights. If you want to hang out in Georgetown, get off Metro at Foggy Bottom/GWU ; walk up to Washington Circle and catch the 32, 34 or 36 bus that says Friendship Heights. This bus will take you to the heart of Georgetown. Be sure to get a rail to bus transfer before you leave the station.

The Air and Space Museum is across the street from the L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station. You can catch a trolly from Union Station (also on the Metro line) that will take you to Mount Vernon and Arlington Hospital. There is a amphibious tour called DC Ducks that takes you on the Potomac River past all of the mall sights. The other Smithsonian museums are near the Smithsonian Metro stop and the Holocast Museum is also near the Smithsonian Metro stop.

You can get around very well using Metro. I totally recommend staying in Crystal City because of the underground walkways and shops along with all of the hotels. Enjoy!

njbmd 🙂

 

[John Deere Gree]

Hi there,
You should fly into National Airport (NAD). You can catch Metro Metro from the airport to the Crystal City. From there, you can walk to the Crystal City Marriott, Sheraton. You can also get a shuttle from the Crystal City Hyatt Regency. Most of the Crystal City Hotels have shuttles to and from the airport where you can catch Metro.

You can get an all day ticket from Metro that will take you to all of the sights. If you want to hang out in Georgetown, get off Metro at Foggy Bottom/GWU ; walk up to Washington Circle and catch the 32, 34 or 36 bus that says Friendship Heights. This bus will take you to the heart of Georgetown. Be sure to get a rail to bus transfer before you leave the station.

The Air and Space Museum is across the street from the L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station. You can catch a trolly from Union Station (also on the Metro line) that will take you to Mount Vernon and Arlington Hospital. There is a amphibious tour called DC Ducks that takes you on the Potomac River past all of the mall sights. The other Smithsonian museums are near the Smithsonian Metro stop and the Holocast Museum is also near the Smithsonian Metro stop.

You can get around very well using Metro. I totally recommend staying in Crystal City because of the underground walkways and shops along with all of the hotels. Enjoy!

njbmd 🙂

Reagan National is DCA for the airport code.

Agree with most of the above, but don't do the DC Ducks it's A) expensive and B) not all that.

Instead of taking the bus to Georgetown, walk it if the weather is good. There are tons of shops and trendy places along M street (I think it's M but could be totally wrong).

As far as where you stay. Crystal City or Pentagon City are where I'd recommend.

 

[John Deere Gree]

thanks! do you think it's important to stay near a "site" or is the metro system expansive enough to take me most places? what's an easy way to get from the airport into the city area? heck, what airport should i fly into? sorry for being so clueless.

You don't need to stay near a site, and if you stay anywher ein the actual DC area you will pay an arm and leg for the room (especially on a weekend). See above for recommendations.

The easiest way to get into the city from the airport is to take the Metro (the Blue line stops at Reagan National). The Blue line will put you into the heart of DC if you stay on it. In fact you could go from the airport to the Smithsonians.

As for airport..you MUST fly into Reagan National (DCA). DO NOT FLY INTO Baltimore/Washington! It can be a pain to get from BWI to DC on the weekends with the decreased train service. Also do not fly into Dulles unless you want to spend a ton on a taxi fare to take you into the city. Dulles is not on the Metro system (although it does have a cool air and space museum exhibit out there, but you can get tickets to ride the shuttle from the air and space museum).

Also, since you have two days. Get a guide book and look at what you want to do. I had my parents visit me, and I didn't plan nearly enough time in the Smithsonians. You could spend all day in one if you wanted. Plan your activities, and make a check lists of must sees. You'll be happy you did.

Lastly, don't be afraid to ask for directions. DC residents are use to tourists.

 

[wxl31]

so i type in crystal city into expedia and travelocity and i get back hotels in arlington, va...what gives? is crystal city an actual city or just a colloquial name for some dc suburb?