Getting the Most Out of Washington DC

I have been dying to take my kids to Washington DC for a long time now. I was waiting for them to be at an age where they could really appreciate it. I loved touring Washington when I was a kid and I wanted to share that with my kids. The seat of our nation’s government with all of the history, museums, and monuments is something every family should experience once together.

I naively thought that with most of the attractions being free, Washington would be a cheap, family-friendly vacation. The last time I was in Washington was about 20 years ago, and things have changed a bit in that time, prices mainly. I was shocked at how expensive everything was. Luckily, we learn fast on our feet and we were able to make some easy adjustments and turn our vacation into a budget-friendly adventure.

Location, Location, Location

One of the most expensive parts of a vacation, apart from getting there, is your accommodations. Location is everything, especially in an unfamiliar city like Washington DC. It is easy to end up in an undesirable neighborhood or way off the beaten track. Some of the things we took into account were Metro Stations, although we never used the Metro, we wanted the ability to use an alternate form of transportation into the city if we needed to. We also wanted something that wasn’t right in Washington. Hotels in Washington are expensive and often charge an additional fee for parking or don’t offer parking at all. As we happened to be driving to DC, this wasn’t a good option for us.

Off-Season is better for the budget.

Since we were visiting Washington in what is typically considered “off Season,” we were able to snag a great deal on some truly excellent accommodations. We selected the Staybridge Suites in Herndon, Virginia. This placed was quite frankly amazing! For less than $100/night, we had a two-bedroom, 2 bath suite, with a full kitchen and living room. This might sound like more than you need but with most attractions closing around 5:30 pm, we had a lot of time on our hands in the evenings and a one-room hotel could get crowded. We were also able to cook dinner in our suite, rather than spend a lot of money eating out. Our family loved this hotel and the free breakfast was top-notch. They also offered a complimentary dinner during the week as well, which is something you never see at a hotel. This was truly one of the best hotels I’ve ever stayed at.

Don’t go in without an itinerary.

I spent a lot of time planning for this trip because there is literally so much to see. Even with all the pre-planning, I needed to do even more once we got there. Fitting everything in seems like it wouldn’t be that big of a deal. However, my epic plans needed serious revamping once we started touring. Washington is much larger than you can imagine once you get down to it. The museums are more vast than they appear. Each museum takes several hours, even if you don’t intend to see everything, there is a lot of ground to cover.

I can promise you that your feet will be hurting. Good sneakers are a must here. Be prepared to walk, a lot. Everything is a lot more spread out than it appears on the map. We were all exhausted by the end of the first day. We ended up cutting the day a little short because the kids were so tired. We didn’t get to see as many of the things as I had planned on the first day. I had to rework my plans for the rest of the trip.

Get an early start for fewer crowds and great photo opportunities.

If you plan to see as much as you possibly can, you will want to get up early. Really, really early. The crowds tend to build up later in the day, around noon. Getting into the city early allows for several things, finding good parking easily, the ability to tour with minimal crowds and getting more out of your day. Since the museums opened at 10, we would arrive downtown around 8 or 8:30 and visit a few of the memorials. Visiting at this time gives you the best photo opportunities with few crowds. We were able to get some great pictures right in front of the memorials without all sorts of photo-bombing from strangers.

Eating Without Letting It Eat a Hole in Your Wallet

Once you are in downtown Washington DC visiting the sites, you are more or less a captive audience. The food choices are not cheap, and you can easily drop $25 on just a few snacks. If you want a meal, be prepared to dig deeper. This is where you need to make some decisions and plan your days out thoroughly. After our first day of feeling the money burn through our wallet at a very rapid pace, we visited a grocery store near our hotel and bought food for lunches and dinners. This was the main reason we decided against riding the Metro into DC. The museums prohibit any and all outside food and beverages, if you ride the Metro, you are stuck buying food, whereas, driving, you have a place to store lunches and can return for jackets, and other things. We came back to our vehicle several times, to dump jackets, rest our feet, and eat our lunch.

Having bought food and already prepared lunches saved us not only money but time. We didn’t have to wait in line with everyone else trying to get their lunch. Not to mention, it was nice to be able to return at night and relax while we made an easy dinner, rather than hunt for someplace to eat. This left a lot more money to spend in other places.

Utilize your GPS.

Most people choose to ride the Metro rather than drive because DC can be difficult to navigate. However, GPS apps, such as Google Maps, makes getting around easy. There are a number of toll roads around the outskirts of the city. You can avoid these easily with your GPS (set your search to no tolls). GPS will also alert you to tricky spots where traffic tends to get backed up and suggest alternative routes.

Parking in DC

Although some parking can be expensive depending on the location, if you arrive early, you can have the pick from almost any parking garage or meter parking spot you’d like. As I mentioned before, this leaves you with a lot more options as to what you can bring with you and save you from being a pack mule. Also, the museums need to search bags before you enter.

When Taking the Metro Makes Sense

Cost wise, you will find the price doesn’t vary much between parking and using the Metro, especially if you avoid the toll roads. Although, I am a big advocate for parking versus riding. I will say that there is one place in Washington DC that riding the public transportation might be more advised and that is the Smithsonian Zoo. The cost of parking here is ridiculous, like $25 ridiculous.

Seeing the Attractions

It is a common assumption that all the attractions in Washington are free. While most of the attractions that people go to Washington to see are indeed free, there are quite a few that aren’t. There are a number of museums that aren’t part of the Smithsonian, such as the Newseum and the International Spy Museum, as well as some historical site such as Ford’s Theater, that charge admission. In addition, there are also exhibits within the Smithsonian, such as the butterfly exhibit in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, that charges an admission fee.

The best way to approach visiting DC is to prioritize what you really want to see and make sure to fit that in first. Viewing the monuments early in the morning, followed by the museums. The zoo opens earlier than the museums, and it is a good idea to visit that first thing in the morning. It is a popular destination and fills up quick. Also, the pandas seem to be more active in the morning and not having to compete for a spot to view them makes your time with them that more enjoyable.

Extra Side Excursions

There are some fun excursions outside of DC that are entertaining and will give those tired feet a chance to rest. A few days into our trip we took a break from DC and drove to Assateague National Seashore. This was a little far (about 3 hours) but absolutely worth it. It was nice to take a break from the crowded city. We were able to walk along the ocean, climb the sand dunes and best of all, see wild horses. Assateague National Seashore and its sister park Chincoteague are some of the few places in the United States where you can see wild horses roaming freely throughout the park.

Colonial Williamsburg is another excursion worth visiting. Williamsburg is the largest living history museum in the United States. There is a charge for admission to enter the buildings and see the demonstrations. If you are content to just walk around and view the town, you can do this for free. If you enjoy amusement parks, Busch Gardens Williamsburg is nearby and it a fun colonial themed vacation destination in itself.

If you are into history, a trip to Jamestown might be in order. This was the first successful English settlement in the United States. While there is a lot of history here, none of the original structures here, only the foundations. Other buildings are from recreations or from a later date. This is a unique National Historic Park for those who love history.

Washington DC is a great place to visit as a family and with some planning and ingenuity, it can be a budget-friendly vacation that your children will remember for years to come.