14 year old and his mom for 3 days in D.C.

I am planning a little getaway for my 8th grader and myself to Washington DC. Hubby can%26#39;t get away from work and is concerned about the 2 of us navigating our way around D.C.

Any suggestions on traveling around to the various sites? Is it confusing? Is the Metra our best bet?

How about hotel suggestions with easy access to the Metra or other way to get around.

We will be flying in from Chicago Oct. 18 - 21.

Thanks so much!

14 year old and his mom for 3 days in D.C.

Metro is safe and convenient and very easy to navigate. And if you every get confused with the maps that are color coded, ask one of the station managers they are supposed to assist and they are always helpful. Check out their website for the map (www.wmata.com) Most of the sites you will see are on the Smithsonian Metro Station Line (Orange and Blue) and/ or L%26#39;Enfant Plaza (Yellow, Orange, Blue)

-I do recommend that you stay in DC and not in say Arlington or Alexandria which are just outside of DC. You only have 3 days and you want the easiest and most convenient.

-Don%26#39;t worry about getting around. The mall area where the monuments and museums are is very east to navigate. Everything is basically up and down one street either to your left or right. And then just a few streets over.

Hotels: It all depends on your price range. You are coming next week and you could find some deals on websites like Expedia, Priceline, Travelocity, etc.etc.

Just to give you an idea, it%26#39;s very hard to find a nice hotel in DC for under $100.00. Average price range can be about $125.00-$150.00 or more per night. The few that do offer under $100.00 may or may not be convenient for you and the hotel may not be in the best location or the best place to stay.

Let us know your price range and someone will have something for you.

14 year old and his mom for 3 days in D.C.

I would like to spend around $100 a night for a hotel in the DC area. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Cheapest I am finding on various websites is

-L%26#39;Enfant Plaza Hotel for $169.00 p/night.

-Phoenix Park Hotel for $172 p/night

-Hotel Helix for $179.00 p/night.

Those are all nice hotels and in a good enough area for you. L%26#39;Enfant Plaza hotel is in a primarily government buiding area. Walking distance to the mall area. And the metro is right downstairs.

-Phoenix Park is nice it%26#39;s near Union Station. It%26#39;s across the street from the Postal Museum. 2 Irish Restaurants right downstairs.

-Hotel Helix is a Kimpton property. Nice and modern. It%26#39;s near 2 metro stations. Neighborhood is pretty good as well. Not walking distance to the mall area but a quick few stops away from the McPhereson Square station and you%26#39;re right there.

Has anyone else found any cheaper rates?

On such short notice, this isn%26#39;t going to be easy -- and those particular Wednesday %26amp; Thursday nights are priced much higher, at most establishments, than the weekend.

The best I%26#39;m seeing for you in close to your price range is the Beacon Hotel %26amp; Corporate Quarters for $397 for the 3 nights (not including hotel/sales taxes which aren%26#39;t cheap) on quikbook.com and the recently renovated Red Roof Inn (by the Convention Center) on Expedia for $415, again without taxes.

The L%26#39;Enfant Plaza has been past its prime for some time; according to travel industry reports, it%26#39;s under new ownership who are undertaking renovations with an eye to re-';brand';ing it (making it, e.g., a Marriott or something). But that hasn%26#39;t happened yet, and I%26#39;m not encouraging anyone to stay there just now.

As others have mentioned, that price will be tough at this time of year. If price is a big factor, I saw the Comfort Inn Ballston through Kayak.com for $119/night. It%26#39;s in a nice neighborhood of Arlington, VA, but it%26#39;s about 7-8 blocks walk to the metro with no shuttle. Then you%26#39;d have to take the metro about 10 stops to Smithsonian for the National Mall attractions. That would probably take about 30-45 minutes total (walking, waiting for metro, then the metro ride).

I didn%26#39;t see anything available in Crystal City, but check for places there as well. They%26#39;re a bit more conveniently located to the city (only 3 stops on the Yellow Line). The Americana Hotel is popular for budget travelers, but I think it%26#39;s sold out.

Good luck!

If you happen to have an Entertainment Book we%26#39;ve gotten pretty lucky with 50% off hotels, but was usually on the weekends. During the week is going to be tough. I was actually quite shocked looking up hotels for Wed/Thur for you as the rates are double-triple what they are on the weekends!

I would go to Marriott, Hilton, Holiday Inn, etc. and see what is available on those nights in areas that may be right outside the city but offer free metro service. Friday night seems to be half the price of Wednesday/Thursday. There is a Ramada in Rockville, but it%26#39;s not the best hotel, however is very close to the Twinbrook Metro. I know sometimes Marriott has decent rates Thursday-Friday.

Take care and best wishes!

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