How many dollars to take?

Hi

My boyfriend and I are coming to Washington next Thursday for 4 nights, staying at the Donovan House. Just want to do touristy stuff really and eat out every night at reasonable restauraunts, nothing swanky but not dirt cheap.

I haven%26#39;t been to the States in ages and obviously now the pound is really quite weak against the dollar - I have no idea at all how much we should take each! I was thinking £150 which at the moment is about $216, for myself. What do people reckon? We won%26#39;t be shopping or anything, just enough to eat and travel. I%26#39;ve read most the tourist sites are free.

Cheers in advance!

How many dollars to take?

You will get the best rate if you bring a debit card and take money out of an ATM at a bank (I think you call them cash points?).

How many dollars to take?

You could have a decent full-service dinner for as little as $25 per person without alcohol. Lunch in the musuem cafeterias will run about $10. McDonald%26#39;s or a muffin and coffee for breakfast will run you about $5. A few bottles of water or soft drinks during the day might run you $3.

This is of course a sample eating itinerary and your dining habits may of course vary. But at a bare minimum including a full-service dinner, I%26#39;d figure on at least $45/day pp *not including alcohol*.

For transit, you can probably get by on three Metro or Circulator rides a day. That%26#39;s $5/day pp.

If you%26#39;re here for four days, you%26#39;ll probably find enough free things to do to fill your schedule. Admission at the major museums for which you need to pay (Newseum, Spy Museum) is around $20.

Pretty much every business takes credit/debit cards. With a VISA or MasterCard, your need for actual currency is minimal.

Souvenirs and other shopping--entirely up to you.

One other expense I forgot that%26#39;s popular among tourists is some sort of guided vehicular tour. Tourmobile is probably the most popular servicing the Mall, museums and monument areas. $27 pp for all-day access, you can hop on and hop off at your leisure. Lots of other tours available, again this is just a sample.