Expert Guesstimation
 

Hi, looking for expert and / or local knowledge.

Family of 4 visiting DC tourist sites next week. We have a 1 AM arrival IAD, so I booked a room at Dulles Country Inn, but was recently notified of 11 AM White House tour that same morning. We're booked for the Willard later that day but not when our flight arrives as they're sold out. We can wake up, go straight there and drop our bags at least.

It looks like the main choices to get there would be airport taxi, uber, and metro. What would be your choice and what time would you suggest leaving the Country Inn that morning. I'm assuming rush hour goes to about 9 am? Would leaving then be cutting it to close? Is the metro, with all the construction and bus connections, going to be any better than sitting in rush hour traffic?

Your advice is much appreciated, thanks!

airport taxis are overpriced. do Uber. leaving at 9:30 should give you plenty of time. BUT, follow traffic on google maps. If it is showing all red at 9 am, move up your departure.

I would avoid metro at all costs. First, the rebuilding. Second, the cost. Third, it's not consistent even in normal times.

And according to several Congressional websites, if your WH tour starts at 11:00, you are expected to be in line no later than 10:45.

Traffic has been awful recently owing to folks bailing Metro to take to the roads. I would leave by 9 just to be totally safe. Grab breakfast near the White House.

Are people really suggesting that the OP and his party leave the Dulles area so late?

They need to get to the Willard, drop the bags, walk to the White House tour line staging area, and join the line no later than 10:45.

Or am I misreading something?

Hmmmm
 

Thanks for the advice IADCAflyer and Klevin99. I'll probably go with Uber then. NonNonRev,you are correct on both points. Should we leave earlier? I just mentioned 9 thinking the traffic would be less.

Uber. You aren't on airport, so no need to use an Dulles Taxi if you do decide to use a taxi (stick with Red Top).

There is absolutely no tolerance for being late for those tours, so better to be 30 minutes early than 1 minute late. Leave at 8:30 AM and wander across to the tour staging area.

Call the Willard the day of. Bet something opens up and you will just arrive more tired at 2:15 AM, but at least sleep in a bit later in the AM.

I would do Uber and leave at 8:30. I agree with Often1 that if you can get into the Willard, even at 2 AM you are going to better off. They are doing a lot of emergency track work on Metro, and it is making traffic a nightmare for folks in the area as they adjust to finding alternate ways into DC.

When the emergency track work started a few weeks ago, there were reports of the rush hour traffic extending the rush to 11:00. Here is the link so you can see the schedule. http://www.wmata.com/rail/trackwork.cfm

Best of Luck.

The problem with leaving earlier is that it may not save much time. I66 inside the beltway is the big problem, as is getting across the river. Once you're in the downtown zone, things are much easier, especially since their destination is so close to the river. Capitol Hill would be a different story.

If the Willard remains booked, another approach might be to book on Hotwire (unlike Priceline, HW lets you specify the total number in the room). Either in the District or even at DCA.

Depends on when you go. I did an experiment for about 3 months of commuting downtown with a neighbor. Gave it up.

If you leave before about 8:30 I-66 inside the Beltway is not bad. Main choke point is the merge of I-66 and the Dulles Access Road. This is often back up to at least Lee Highway and usually to Sycamore Street.

The backup starts in DC on the TR Bridge.

I've spent many day where it took longer to go the 2.5 miles from the DC border to my office than it does to dive the 14 miles from my home to the DC border.

Depending on where you are going, sometimes a mid point option for hotels might work. I know you've got the Dulles Country Inn booked, but you can often get much nice hotels in Reston or tysons booked for not a lot of money.

The Reston Heights Westin can often be had for $100.