Washington D.C. (including Baltimore) - BWI to DC on July 4th plus fireworks

Hello-

1. Transport question
We are 2 adults and 2 kids arriving on July 4. What is the best way to get to DC from BWI? Our hotel is in the Foggy Bottom area.
The MARC won't be operating that day. Amtrak was priced at $33 for all 4 of us one way. But then we'll need to get from Union Station to our hotel. We're use to taking the BART from SFO to embarcadero but not sure how complicated taking the train is from BWI to DC with 2 small kids in tow.
Are other shuttle services you recommend? Should we just take a taxi?

2. Fireworks question
We are planning to catch the fireworks after checking into our hotel. Any advice on where a good place to see it and how to get to and from would be appreciated. Our hotel is one mile from the Lincoln memorial.
We weren't planning on bringing our strollers but maybe we should if we'll be doing lots of walking...

Thank you in advance!

Amtrak from BWI would land you at Union Station where you will find a MetroRail station. If your hotel is close to a MetroRail station you should have an easy time.

That's a peak weekend for hotels here, fwiw.

With four, a taxi may not be a bad idea, but if the kids like trains Amtrak is pretty simple -- shuttle from terminal to rail, then either a taxi or the Georgetown Circulator bus from Union Station to the hotel. (The Circulator is more direct than Metro to most points in Foggy Bottom or West End, unless the hotel is further north and thus close to Dupont Circle.)

Anywhere closer to the river will have a great view of the fireworks.

With kids for a holiday, splurge for car service. Driver meets you by the escalator at BWI, drops you at hotel. Spend your time having fun, not traveling.

a lot of dc is closed on the 4th. hotel restaurants are about the only ones open. the mall is packed with people, they arrive early. the place is a zoo. takes 2 hrs to drive back out. call the embassy row hilton hilton TEL 202.265.1600 and ask if they will have a special and the roof open for fireworks. it is plenty close enough.

plan to walk back from wherever, as i would guess there will be a million people there........maybe two million

also try the lenfant and a few others in the area with tall and particularly a rooftop pool. we did the hay adams a couple times until it got so pricy, even we quit going. price got to $1000, and we even had friends at the hotel.

Sounds like taxi or car service is the way to go. If we are doing lots of walking we might have to bring our strollers. I had thought that taking the train could be part of the adventure (my boys love trains) but worried about being able to get a taxi from union station to our hotel on the 4th.
good to know about hotel rooftops. I will look into that. That solves a lot of the usual problems when we are out with the kids. there'll be food and bathrooms available at hotels. Thanks!
Question: if everyone is at the mall how is traffic particularly on the roads from BWI-DC on the 4th in the afternoon? our flight arrives around 3 pm.

Also, does anyone have a car service to recommend? It looks like super shuttle has private cars according to their website.

Sounds like taxi or car service is the way to go. If we are doing lots of walking we might have to bring our strollers. I had thought that taking the train could be part of the adventure (my boys love trains) but worried about being able to get a taxi from union station to our hotel on the 4th.
good to know about hotel rooftops. I will look into that. That solves a lot of the usual problems when we are out with the kids. there'll be food and bathrooms available at hotels. Thanks!
Question: if everyone is at the mall how is traffic particularly on the roads from BWI-DC on the 4th in the afternoon? our flight arrives around 3 pm.

Also, does anyone have a car service to recommend? It looks like super shuttle has private cars according to their website.
1. Red Top Sedan (not Taxi) - 703-522-3300. About $110 + Tip. Super Shuttle is the pits.
2. Traffic at 4 PM in downtown DC should not be bad, but ask the driver to avoid the Mall area in any event. Red Top drivers tend to be pretty informed about traffic issues, but it doesn't hurt to make the point.

a lot of streets are blocked off(for block parties.) there is no place to street park. you will have to park in a lot which will probably be $25+. i really mean it at 1-2 million people. the count is not too accurate., because there a so many people, anacostia and virginia and the potomac river have a lot of people.

BWI to DC:
search the DC forum for the bus from BWI to greenbelt (it should be a sticky near the top). you then take the green line to l'enfant plaza, transfer to the blue or orange line to franconia or vienna, and get off at foggy bottom.

fireworks:
walk to the mall (or take the blue/orange line to smithsonian), and bring the stroller(s). definitely walk back as any attempt to take metro will result in your being smooshed.

a lot of dc is closed on the 4th. hotel restaurants are about the only ones open.

Absolutely not the case. Many retail stores will be closed for the holiday but just about every restaurant in town will be open and happy to take your $$$ or swipe your credit card. The restaurants that may close on the 4th of July are the small cafes and sandwich shops located in the business districts that cater primarily to the lunch crowds on workdays.

As for the OP's question, if arriving earlier in the day (pre-1 PM) I would take the Amtrak to Union Station and then a taxi. For the fireworks, use the strollers to go from your hotel to any place that has a clear vantage point of the "airspace" around the Washington Monument and you'll be fine. You do not need to be close... I've watched them from as far away as the south end of DCA and enjoyed them. Expect more crowds than you think...

I defer to others on the trip (though I would take a cab/car if it were me) but you can watch the fireworks from almost anyplace in the District area if you can see the Washington Monument. We watch from the roof of my apartment building well up the hill from the Mall and you get a pretty good view, not just of DC fireworks but also of fireworks in nearby communities. So ask if your hotel has a roof deck or if they can recommend some other place to go.

Check the Beacon Hotel on 16th and Rhode Island NW. They take reservations for tables in their rooftop lounge on the 4th even if you're not staying there. It's a little ways from the Mall but great view from the roof, and a fraction of the crowds.

And most restaurants will indeed be open, except those that cater exclusively to an office worker type crowd.

Getting a taxi from Union Station to Foggy Bottom will be no problem. Taxi from BWI will be very expensive though. Car service to/from the airport pops up on Groupon about twice a month.

Absolutely not the case. Many retail stores will be closed for the holiday but just about every restaurant in town will be open and happy to take your $$$ or swipe your credit card. The restaurants that may close on the 4th of July are the small cafes and sandwich shops located in the business districts that cater primarily to the lunch crowds on workdays.


Confirming this--I don't know any major restaurants that close for the 4th. It's prime business season; why would they?

BWI to DC:
search the DC forum for the bus from BWI to greenbelt (it should be a sticky near the top). you then take the green line to l'enfant plaza, transfer to the blue or orange line to franconia or vienna, and get off at foggy bottom.



With two small kids, baggage and strollers, the last thing I would recommend is a MetroBus.

Amtrak is one step above last in this case, but certainly a better option than a bus.