Quick stop at DC
 

Hi everyone,

I will have a short connexion in Washington and I was wondering what was the best solution for me. I will Land at Dca around 5pm and leave the next morning. I was thinking of renting a car to quickly see the main monuments. I think Dca is close to everything, would you recommend it or will the public transportation / taxi is a better option ?

Thanks in advance

Thanks

If you're landing at 5 PM then having a car just means you get stuck in rush hour traffic. The Metro is by far the easiest way to do what you need to do; it has a stop at DCA and can take you straight to the Mall. By the time you get there it will be close to 6 PM, so depending on when you're traveling (i.e. how much light you will have), you may want to plan out in advance what you want to see. There could be a fair amount of walking involved; you may want to consider how much luggage will you be hauling around with you, and go to your hotel first to dump it.

Assuming your intent is drive-by exterior viewing of the landmarks, the rental car will allow you to see the most. Also gives easier access to areas not convenient to Metro. Gives more options for dinner, either in DC or on the Virginia side.

I suppose that you could drive around and just see things from the outside, but DC rush hour is a nightmare and can run as late as 8:30 - 9:00 PM and you've then got the reverse in the AM.

You will have missed the Smithsonians, but there are plenty of evening things in DC. Why not pick one thing you want, such as the Washington Monument, stay somewhere walking distance such as the JW Marriott on Pennsylvania Avenue, Uber from DCA to the hotel, walk to the monument and back and relax. Uber to DCA in the AM. Tons of great restaurants and you could have an Uber simply take you up to the Capitol to let you wander around (outdoors) if you wanted to do that as well.

Car rental will be expensive and parking either impossible or eye-poppingly expensive.

Without knowing details like how much luggage you'll have and where you're staying overnight, it's a little tricky to say. Personally, I would take Metro, as some have advocated. It's the easiest and quickest way off the airport property and into downtown D.C. Now, if you have significant luggage and nowhere to store it, I would probably opt for a rental car, though that just adds time and money and some complication to the equation.

I think it would help to know what you want to accomplish, how much luggage you'll have, and where you're spending the night. Also, when are you doing all this? Some museums (maybe all of them) have extended hours in the summer. For instance, the Air & Space Museum is open from 10 am to 6:30 pm from 5/27 to 9/5. If you land at 5 pm and have little or no luggage, you might stand a chance to get 30-45 minutes there, for example.

Obviously just seeing the monuments can be done at all hours, though I believe Park Police shoo people away in the overnight hours. As far as seeing the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial, and the Capitol, you can do all of that on foot, though probably not all of them "up close and personal" unless you're really committed to walking. You can see them by car, too, but only in "drive by" fashion, as parking and getting out and walking will be prohibitive, other than later in the evening.

Thank you all for your advice.
I wasn't aware of the traffic at that time. My plan was to take an hotel at DCA airport (my flight is at 7.30 am the next morning) leave my luggage and then take a car to see the Capitol / White House / Jefferson and Washington Monuments from the outside. Car rental quotes around 40 USD (which is ok for where I am from :) ) but if I can't park easily I guess there is no use. Do you think thoses places are safe at night ?

I did the Air & Space Museum 4 years ago and I loved it, unfortunately I don't think my GF will find it the same way :D

Given all of your answers, I think I'll try the Metro or Uber if it's more conveniant
Thanks again for your help

The areas are definitely safe at night. If you're getting a DCA-area hotel and rental car prices are only $40, I can see the appeal. Don't overlook the cost of overnight parking, though, unless that's included in your room rate. Personally, I find the "hassle factor" with the rental car not worthwhile in this case. Uber may be a better compromise between the rental car and Metro, especially if you're going from DCA to the hotel to drop your belongings and then heading out again. That said, if you're seeing those sights later in the evening (> 8 pm, for instance), you'll have a better chance of finding on-street parking, especially between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument and heading out on foot. Be mindful that the distance from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol is about 2 miles, so it's not a short walk round-trip.

Keep us posted on the details about where you're staying and when, as that information will help everyone give you the best advice about how to get around. D.C. traffic is very dependent on where you're going, the time of day, the day of the week, and the month of the year, so the answers you get might vary with more details.

Parking is going to be a major pain no matter what. If you're willing to spend $40 for a rental car, spend less and take an Uber, depending on how close/far your hotel is from a Metro stop. Seeing the various things you want to see will still involve a bunch of walking, as it doesn't make a lot of sense to drive among them. Map out a route before you go that will let you walk without backtracking, then take a car/Metro to one end and leave from the other.

As to safety, there will not be an issue. That whole area is probably the best-surveilled neighborhood on Earth.

While I generally agree with taking Uber, in my experience, parking in the area around the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and Vietnam Veterans' Memorial is not too bad late in the evening. There are lots of metered spots between the US Institute of Peace on 23rd and the Federal Reserve on 20th, all off Constitution. From there, the OP could hit several prominent sights and then drive along Constitution to the Capitol and head back to the DCA hotel by way of the Jefferson Memorial which should have ample adjacent parking at that hour.

Again, Uber might be the best option here, but getting a rental car and parking could be viable, depending on the actual time, day of the week, and month.

Your last sentence makes me realize how stupid I am :D. I will be in DC on a Saturday. There should no trafic that day I am right ? Regarding the period I ll be there in Dec the 10th. One reason not to book a car if the weather sqeeze my stopover.
I originaly thought an hotel close to the airport will be more convenient to drop our stuff and go to the Jefferson monuments and then move towards the inner City. But those areas seem close on Google map I wasnt sure an Uber would pick me up at the airport for the Jefferson monument. But if you think that would not be an issue I may then take a room in the center.
Thanks again for your help

There are some highways in Northern Virginia (including some that are pretty close to DCA) that are carpool only all the time. Driving in the district is easy in that the lettered and numbered streets make it easy to locate any address (paying attention to NW, SE, etc.) but the diagonal streets named after states and the traffic circles can be very disorienting.

Be aware of the Metro track work plans and resulting disruptions to service. Other than this, I would have unambiguously suggested Metro unless you have lots of luggage.

OK, so now we're getting somewhere! So you'll be in D.C. on a Saturday evening, departing from DCA on Sunday AM? If so, while I won't go so far as to say "there should be no traffic that day", it should be manageable. I STILL advocate Uber, but you CAN drive and, probably, park, though that could actually be a little MORE challenging on a Saturday night than on a weeknight. When is this trip? If it's in the next month, and hopefully the sooner, the better, that makes things a little easier as you'll be here before the full onslaught of tourist season. Once schools start letting out for the summer, D.C. becomes a bit of a zoo, like most other destination cities.

I would still stick with your plan of getting a hotel near DCA given the early departure. Most airport hotels have shuttle vans that can pick you up @ DCA and take you there the next AM. The more I think about this, the more I would skip the rental car and take Uber. You should find plenty of cars available. I would have one take you from the hotel to the Jefferson Memorial, wait for you there if they allow that, and then take you over in the vicinity of the Washington Monument/Lincoln Memorial/Vietnam Veterans' Memorial and then start walking around. You can pick up another Uber (or taxi) and go east to the Capitol building and do a drive by or get out and walk a bit. Then head back to your hotel or grab some food somewhere in D.C.

Sorry for the mess of the info. As I updated I will be there in December.
But your plan seems perfect I will take it from A to Z.
I remember when I was in college in the US that was a week before the finals so I guess there would be no one outside :D
Again a lot thanks for you and everyone else for the help and the time you took

So December changes things only due to potential weather. You are much more likely to find parking, though it still depends on how close to Christmas you'll be in town (I see you'll be here 12/10, so tourism shouldn't be a big factor, but there will be some traffic due to holiday parties, etc.)

I still think Uber is the way to go for what you're trying to accomplish. Depending on the weather, drive-by sightseeing might be preferable anyway.

You'll have no problems finding parking in December on a Saturday. In fact, it may be quite empty.

Only concerns could be that 1) it could be pretty cool (not likely to be snow, but it does happen in december), and 2) its going to be getting dark by 5:00 pm. By the time you get in your car (assuming an on-time arrival) its going to be 5:30 pm which means close to pitch black...

And since we're talking a Saturday night, I would strongly advise against Metro because with the system being as f**ked as it is now, its only going to be worse on a Saturday. Indeed, from 12/6 to 12/24, Metro is going to be SHUT down on the Blue line from Pentagon to Rosslyn - meaning your access to any Mall monuments is going to be quite circuitous.