SusanDK

My husband and I have to make a quick trip to Washington next week, flying into DCA and going to Fairfax, VA. We have a morning appointment at the USCIS Immigration office in Fairfax and will likely stay at a chain hotel within a few miles of the office.

The next day, we need to go into DC to the passport office and will likely do a little sightseeing.

I'm guessing that the days in the city it will be best to take the metro from Fairfax.

However, upon landing at DCA should we get a rental car or taxi to get to Fairfax to our hotel and then to the USCIS office the next morning?

Also, we have an option of arriving at DCA at 3.40 pm (my husband's preference) but I wondered if rush hour traffic would be bad at this time of day. Alternative flight would have us arriving at 12.15.

Thanks!

IADCAflyer

The USCIS office in Fairfax is right near Dunn Loring metro - less than 1/2 mile.

Dunn Loring area has "grown up" a lot recently and there is plenty to do there (Mosiac District).

Unless your hotel is a long ways away from there, I see little reason for a rental car on this short trip.

This one is screaming for Metro - to the hotel area, to Downtown, and to DCA.

FWIW, rental cars are going to be high this time of year - we are into the spring break season in DC. Quick price out is $100 a day.

SusanDK

Thanks so much for the great and timely advice! Sounds like a plan.

As we are currently at our second home in Orlando and have a rental car here that we would return if we fly to DCA, we are also considering driving to Fairfax (12 1/2 hours) and then returning to Orlando so we can take our scheduled flight home from MCO - CPH.

Crazy? FWIW we have a Cadillac CTS at $29 per day.

We would still use the metro for the day(s) we have to go into central DC to the passport office, and possibly even from the hotel to USCIS depending on the hotel we select.

IADCAflyer

You could always take the Auto Train up to DC...

SusanDK

Loved the train idea but we are too late to get a decent fare.

After further consideration, we've decided to fly to DCA because the 12 1/2 hour journey each way didn't sound that fun.

I was able to get a direct flight MCO-DCA with Southwest including free Companion Pass ticket for 17,300 points and $36 each for taxes and early bird check-in.

We will take the metro to the hotel and probably walk to USCIS, staying at the Homewood Suites a mile away.

We won't be going to the passport office in DC as it turns out because their first available appointment is 5 days after our USCIS appointment, so we'll make alternative arrangements.

Thanks, IADCAflyer, for the input - it helped!

JacobVB27

I just read this thread. Like IADDCAflyer said, it doesn't make any sense to rent a car. First of all welcome to the DC area. Second, buy a smart trip card when you get to the National Airport metro station. From there, take blue line towards Largo Town Center. You can either stop at Rosslyn and go one level to transfer to the Orange Line towards Vienna or Foggy Bottom-GWU and go on the other side of the platform for the Orange Line. You want to get off at Dunn Loring- Merrifield.

If you guys are staying at the Homewood Suites on Porter Road, it has a shuttle to Dunn Loring Station and 5 miles away. At least that is what it says on their website. I was shocked awhile back how that area has been built up.

Any other questions please don't hesitate and contact me.

SusanDK

Thanks so much, this is great info. I see we can buy a one-day card for unlimited metro transportation for $14.50.

We land at DCA at 12:15 (weekday) and have the afternoon free, will only have carry-ons (backpack, no rollers). If we want to do a quick sight-seeing afternoon to see the monuments, is there a good route to use the metro to do that?

I know most things are fairly close and we are fine with walking a fair amount. I've been to DC many years ago so have seen the major sites but my husband has not. We won't have time to do any 'interiors' (e.g. Smithsonian, or inside the Capitol, etc.) but I'd like to show him the exteriors of the White House, Capitol, and monuments/memorials (Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington, Vietnam, etc.).

Is that doable for a few hours in the afternoon before heading to the hotel?

Thanks!

JacobVB27

Does that one-day pass also include access to the buses? Also make it sure it doesn't expire at the end of that day. I wasn't completely clear, are you doing the interview out by Dunn Loring the same day or the next day? Plus you would still need to get from the hotel back to the airport. So if it indeed expires the end of the day and no bus access, I think the normal SmarTrip card is better. It would have access to the metro, metrobuses, DC Circulators etc plus it should never expire.

It is very easy to get to the National Mall from National Airport on the metro. You would have two options: taking the blue line towards Largo and then getting off the Smithsonian station or taking yellow line towards Fort Totten but getting off L'Enfant Plaza. The Smithsonian station is pretty much right smack in the middle of the national mall. The L'Enfant Plaza station is closer to the Capitol side. While there are two closer stations closer to the Capitol, but you don't have to wait for the metro and seems you guys are fine walking and is an fairly easy walk to the Capitol from there. It is close to 2 miles from the Capitol end to the Lincoln Memorial end of the Mall.

I would start by the Capitol and then work my way to the other side of the Mall which has majority of the monuments and then the White House before getting on the metro out to Dunn Loring. There is the DC Circulator bus that is on around the National Mall. http://www.dccirculator.com/explore/...national-mall/ Regardless where you finish, as long as you know how to get to Foggy Bottom, Farragut West, Federal Triangle or Smithsonian station, get on and then take the Orange Line towards Vienna but again off at Dunn Loring.

I have thought of something, would he be interested in seeing part of Arlington Cemetery before going to the monuments? I think all of that is doable in several hours but I would not want to rush going through the Memorials/ Monuments. Well except the White House part. I think it is a bit over hyped. The FDR Memorial is really worth seeing.

If none of this makes senses or any other questions, again don't hesitate and contact me.

SusanDK

Thank you, JacobVB27

Yes, it all makes sense. I had pulled together a couple of maps and walking tours yesterday and think a loop from one end of the National Mall to the other, would work well. Then a possible stop at the White House before heading to the hotel as you suggest.

The one-day card expires at the end of the day, but then becomes a 'normal' card that can be topped up. The interview at USCIS is the next day. I was thinking of using the one-day card for arrival day which will allow us to get on and off any metro as we tour around and then head to the hotel (not sure about buses, but looks like we wouldn't really need them if they aren't included). The following day after we are finished at USCIS we can simply add enough for the one-way trip back to the airport.

I had seen that Arlington was on the way from the airport to the hotel, and thought that could be a nice stop as well.

I don't recall the FDR memorial. I also have never seen the Vietnam memorial. My last trip to DC where I had time to see any monument was in the late 80's.

Now I just have to wait and see what hubby is in the mood for. We also don't know what time we will be free on interview day, so could have some time in the afternoon before heading back to the airport for our evening flight.

Cheers.

JacobVB27

Sorry if I am too late responding.

That is interesting about the one-day pass. Then yes it makes sense to buy it. The Circulator is a dollar a person each day but if you have no issue walking, it doesn't make a lot of sense to take it since you will either be near Dunn Loring metro, shuttle will be able to take you to some local restaurants or downtown walking around.

I would suggest doing the Arlington Cemetery before you go back to the airport if you have time and want to visit it.

FDR Memorial is pretty close to the Jefferson Memorial. I think it is extremely well done. Since the last time you came to DC in the 1980s, I am sure it was a surprise how things have changed on the Mall and area.

I am sure you had a great trip even if it was brief.

I absolutely love the DC area except for the traffic, humid summers and some of the attitudes of the people who live here.

SusanDK

I'm also late updating with our trip results!

When we arrived in DC, it was raining, cold and windy so my husband preferred to get to the hotel and study for his interview and test the next day; didn't think it was a good idea to run around town in the cold and rain and then have to be fresh for the morning interview.

Due to the the weather, we also grabbed an Uber to the Homewood Suites in Fairfax ($23). It was our first Uber experience and didn't realize the difference between UberX and 'standard' so ended up sharing with a young Asian student who was headed to Georgetown University which was very enjoyable as we passed the Pentagon and got a tour of the Georgetown campus area with both the student and the Uber driver pointing out things along the way, including the Kennedy Center, Watergate building and Arlington cemetery.

My husband had his citizenship interview the next morning, was approved as a new U.S. citizen and was scheduled for a same day oath at 1.30 in the afternoon (yeah!). Everyone in the area was so nice - the staff at Homewood were great. After the interview we walked back to the hotel (had also walked to USCIS for the interview) to check out and get our gear and accepted the free shuttle service back to USCIS for the oath.

From there we took the metro from Dunn Loring to Farragut West, started our walking tour with the White House, then to the Washington Monument / National Mall. We could see the Capitol in the distance covered in scaffolding, so headed to the Lincoln Memorial with a stop at the WWII memorial which I had never seen and was lovely. Then headed towards the Jefferson Memorial but took the wrong walking path to the far side rather than stay on the 'mall' side.

We had arrived in the city at 2.30 pm and had to be at DCA by 5 pm so barely had two hours to do a quick walking tour. When we had nearly reached the Jefferson, we looked up how long it would take us to walk to L'Enfant Plaza to catch the metro to the airport and I got a bit nervous about time, so we called another Uber (mistake!). Also didn't realize how small and easy DCA would be from arrival to gate (we have GE/TSAPre) so could have spent a bit more time in the city than we did.

We were super lucky with the afternoon weather for this quick trip. It was a beautiful afternoon in DC and my husband enjoyed it despite how little time we had. I also found it appropriate to take him on a tour of the nation's capitol on the day he became a U.S. citizen.

If we had it to do over, we probably would have added another day but once we'd made the reservations, the return flights the following day were considerably more expensive as was the extra night in the hotel (although I probably could have done the hotel with points). We could not get an appointment at the Washington Passport Agency the same week, so decided it was more prudent to get back to Orlando and use an expediting agency to get going on his passport application since we have to leave the country next week.

Thanks for all the advice - it was truly helpful.

Alpha Golf

Awesome! Congrats! And glad you enjoyed our city.

SusanDK

Thanks! Passport came two days ago. Tried to change his Global Entry from green card to passport but they were backed up at the airport and said we'd have to wait over an hour, so we'll do that another time. He did register to vote yesterday as well.

Homer15

Congrats.

Can you update GE online? (I know you can for passport renewals but not sure for green card to passport.)

SusanDK

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm researching this now.

Edited: Just found this, so unfortunately not.

Can I add/change my citizenship through my GOES account?
No, you must go into a trusted traveler enrollment center if you need to change your citizenship or add a citizenship in the case of dual citizens.

Can I update my passport/lawful permanent resident card information in GOES?
Yes, you can update any passport or U.S. lawful permanent resident card that is in GOES. If the document information is not already in GOES, you must go to a trusted traveler enrollment center to add that information.