Going to DC with my brother, age 13, on June 23-29, 2006. Is that too long a stay? Wondering which hotels are the best/coolest to stay at, especially a question of if the historical hotels are worth staying at. Price doesn't matter. I really like the Ritz-Carlton, because I like getting the Mercedes-Benz Key to Luxury Package because I don't have to go rent a crappy car and let me know if the Ritz-Carlton in DC is good/bad over other hotels.

Also great places for dining and any must see sights other than the usual memorials, monuments and museums. I just know he wants to see the Holocaust Museum really bad and so that's why we are going. Thanks for any posts!

relatively new Mandarin (maybe 2 years old) you might want to think about that is closer to museums, etc. Area its in is not as nice as Georgetown, but walking places is a lot better than driving in circles trying to park.

He would probably enjoy the Spy Museum and the zoo is always fun on a nice day.

How about the Hotel Monaco ? They give you a goldfish for the duration of your stay, something I would have found pretty cool at 13! One of the packages available includes tickets to the Spy Museum.

You probably won't need a car while you're there.

Oh, and welcome to Flyertalk!

Mandarin would be the closest to the Holocaust Museum. Great hotel, but the 'neighborhood' leaves a lot to be desired - not bad, just not much happening in SW (I work nearby). Once you got your fill of the Mall-based attractions (for which the hotel has a good location), you'd likely find yourself driving or taking a cab - especially for anything at night/weekend after hours.

Monaco is in a good location - a lot going on around there these days, closest to the Spy Museum, and a quick Metro ride up to the zoo. Not too far from the Mall museums, too.

Some off-the-beaten path ideas that might appeal to a 13-year-old: "The Awakening" statue at the tip of Hains Point, as well as a stop off at Gravelly Point, just north of National Airport off the GW Parkway - best place to watch planes landing right overhead. The National Museum of Health and Medicine at Walter Reed is supposed to be good - if you're not too squeemish - but haven't gotten there myself, so only going on second-hand recs. If you seem to have booked too much time, you can always explore the environs - stuff like hiking the Billy Goat Trail at Great Falls, day-tripping to Harpers Ferry or Gettysburg, or trekking up to Annapolis to take in the Naval Academy and pound some crabs.

Welcome to FT!

You might want to search in the luxury hotels forum for other info on hotels in the area. There is a lot to do and see in DC aside from the regular tourist things. Going through the Capital is interesting - sometimes your local representative can arrange special tours for you for the capital or other places. The rest will depend on yours and your brothers interests ... plants, government, air & space, history, animals, outdoor activities, etc.

You can spend a couple of days focused on DC, and then go out to Annapolis and maybe sail for a day or go west instead and go horsebackriding (I'd say tour the vineyards but 13 yo is a little young for that). You can also go North to Baltimore and spend time in the Inner harbor area or South to Fredricksburg (or West to Manassas) to see the battlefields, or maybe to WV (also west) to visit harpers ferry. Not sure about the event calendar, there might be a baseball game or a polo match or maybe rugby to see.

There is more than enough to keep you busy for that period of time. Enjoy the trip.

Above hotel and attraction suggestions look great. Makes it hard to add something super insightful with my 2 cents. Haven't been to the spy museum but have heard it is a bit juvenile, more meant to appeal to kids.

Not sure if a 13 year old is more sophisticated than the target audience. . .

Definitely peruse the Smithsonian website- can check out all their museums to help gauge if they'll be of interest to your brother.

Ahhh. Really can't decide what hotel to stay at. Also is it really hard to drive around DC? I guess I'll contact my representative about booking tours for the Capitol and such, thanks for that tidbit.

Don't drive in DC, it'll take you longer to find a parking space than to get to where you're heading. It's no big deal to drive to the places outside the city, but note that traffic in this area can be horrendous so ask about what direction you're travelling in and at what time of day (avoid rush hour) with the hotel staff before you take off. You'll have two people in the car so you will have access to HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lanes, if you happen to be driving in the appropriate direction at the right time of the day.

This thread may help some: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...4&page=1&pp=20

The DC Metro system is very safe, clean and easy to use. Don't try driving around town. It would be nothing but a lesson in frustration.

Definitely use metro within the city proper- I am a single female who has lived in the city for almost 5 years- I always take metro.

It is really safe, clean and tourist friendly. I would imagine any tourist attractions or dining, nightlife you are interested in would be in a safe area. If in doubt about something, ask us here. I probably tend to the paranoid about going places alone as a female at night perspective, but am fairly good at channeling my calmer friends to give their take on places.

Having been to DC over a dozen times, I agree with the other posters here that having a car during your whole wouldn't be a good idea....traffic is bad and parking is worse.

DC is a nice "walking" town for the most part. And yes, the Metro is a GREAT mode of transportation. Not only is it convenient and reliable....I absolutely love their architecture with their stations. Very nice in my opinion.

With regards to hotels, I've only stayed at the Ritz Downtown, Grand Hyatt, and Westin Embassy Row in Dupont Circle.

The Ritz is ok. They don't have a gym/or pool onsite. They do partner with a local club there.

I do prefer the Westin for it's location in Dupont Circle. More shops/restaurants etc.....just more convenient in my opinion.

I'm staying at the Westin Embassy Row the beginning of June and the Ritz for the last couple nights of my trip. (Only reason I stay at the Ritz is that my company pays for it.....but since I wanted to stay longer....I stay at the Westin for the rest of the time...)

Feel free to pvt me to see how my trip was Last time I was there was last August....so it's been a while. We'll see if anything has changed since then.

Good luck with your trip! A week is a good amount of time in DC.....you might not even get to see everything that you want to see in that short amount of time....

When I was in DC, I always like to stay at the Willard. Ritz is newer and nicer, but it is located in a mostly residential neighbourhood.

If you only plan to tour DC proper, forget the car. If you want to go to Alexandria, or the new Air and Space expansion in Dulles, you might need the car for a day or two. With a car you can also go to Baltimore and potentially Annapolis.

Use Metro! A car is like a big painful wart. For short rides taxis are cheaper than almost any other big city (if you don't cross zone lines....

Get a good pocket guide with maps!

All the museums on the Mall, especially the Air & Space, for a 13 year old, and given the time you'll be there a trip to the new Air & Space Annex out in the boonies is worth it. Missing either the Museums of Natural or American History would be silly, and the National Gallery has a large, eclectice and sort of "necessary viewing" collection. Do not miss the zoo.

Hotels? Like real estate, location, location, location, and honestly, your 13 year old might enjoy nothing better than the JWMarriott, right on Pennsylvania at 13th or so, convenient to all and only 1.5 blocks from Metro. Across the street, the Willard's "historic", but history and a big tip still don't equal convenience and access to ice creal bars, etc. The fanciest names and all the modern extras may appeal to you, but I suspect a really "big" hotel will be abetter base for the sort of trip and companion yoiu're undertaking.

For a 13 year old, the old Ebbit Grill will be a more memorable experience than most of the big names, and there is a soup, sandwich and breakfast place on 13th &F(?) right up the street form the JW which is perfect for diners of his age. If he eats spicy foods, a trip to one of the city's Ethiopean resturants will be a new experience. The Chinatown neighborhood is full of joints, bot Chinese and other, but keep in mind that at 13, his tastes are not really very exotic (in most cases) and really expensive dining will be absolutely wasted upon him.

DC resident here. Lots of good things in this thread. Couple of additions.

First, I don't think a car is nearly as much of a hassle as is made out. Parking is expensive, and can be a challenge on weekdays. But other than rush hour, it's much easier driving around the city than out in the suburbs!

I would add that the Nationals and DC United play at RFK stadium in the city. Great Falls is great for rock climbing/hiking. I prefer MD side. Canal/towpath are pretty interesting for a bike ride, with some working locks. You can rent a paddle boat by the Jefferson memorial, do some sailing on the Potomac (short drive down the GW parkway in VA), or go to Annapolis/Baltmore Inner Harbor for nautical stuff.

There's an IMAX in Air and Space and in the museum right across the Mall (Natural history I think). The Awakening statue at the very tip of Hains Point is pretty cool, and there's a public golf course, public tennis courts, and pool there as well. Kennedy Center has great (free) afternoon/evening concerts in the public spaces, sometimes even music 13 year olds like! ESPN Zone is downtown for light entertainment (and drinks for you), and there's a new yuppy bowling alley next to MCI Center. Going up the Washington Monument at night is pretty wild. The Smithsonian Folklife Festival should be going on the Mall then.

Out of town, the ocean is 2.5 hours, Williamsburg/Kings Dominion about 2 hours, Baltimore and Annapolis slightly less than an hour. Mount Vernon is about half an hour. Blue Ridge mountains/sky line drive are less than 2 hours.