Do we need four or five days?

Traveling in mid April with our two children, 13 and 12. They like museums, sightseeing and hanging out at the hotel pool.

Not sure if we need four or five days...we probably won%26#39;t rent a car so we%26#39;ll be stuck with public transportation and staying in the DC area.

Also...any suggestions on ';must do%26#39;s';?

Do we need four or five days?

Definitely, do NOT rent a car! Try to stay in the District. If you can%26#39;t find a hotel in your price range there, then look at Arlington, VA or Alexandria, VA for a hotel that is near a Metro station or has a free shuttle to one. Just note that April is one of the most expensive times to travel to DC in terms of hotel rates. However, I do understand that when traveling with school-aged kids you are limited to when you can travel. Not all hotels in the area offer pools--so keep that in mind when searching hotels.

As to what to see and how long to spend in DC--it depends on what you want to see and how leisurely a pace you want to do it in. Check out the Smithsonian%26#39;s website (www.si.edu)--kids like the Natural History Museum and the Air %26amp; Space museum. Your kids may like the Spy Museum. If that interests you, you can get tickets in advance (www.spymuseum.org/plan/plan_ticketing.asp). Many people like to visit the Washington Monument. For advance tickets--http://reservations.nps.gov Take a look at the Zoo%26#39;s website (http://nationalzoo.si.edu)--perhaps you%26#39;d like to visit that. Definitely take a walk along the Mall and see the monuments and memorials. Finally, if your family is interested in a tour of the White House and/ or Capitol, contact your representative or one of your senators%26#39; offices well in advance (some posters recommend 6 months in advance) for tour arrangements.

Once you figure out what you all want to see and at what pace, then you can figure out how much time you will need. I recommend that you search this forum--many families have posted trip reports. Read through some of them for ideas.

Do we need four or five days?

We just returned from two days in DC with two children age 14 and 10. We were able to do so much in two days, I think four days is probably enough, maybe add the fifth if you want a down day to recover inbetween the sightseeing.

We did Fords Theatre, Old Town Trolley Monuments by Moonlight tour, had a tour of the Capitol and the White House, did two Smithsonian museums, went up into the Washington Monument and lastly did the Holocaust Museum.

Getting around on the Metro was very easy.. and convenient to all the sights.... you do not need a car.

I ordered my passes for the Holocaust Museum and the Washington Monument online before I went... highly recommend doing that wherever possible.

Overall had a great trip... hope this helps..

I would go for the 5 days personally. We spent 7 days in the DC area and still didn%26#39;t get through everything we wanted to! You can certainly see alot in 4 days, but there is more than enough to keep you busy for 5 days too. I always make my vacations as long as I possibly can.....

I spent five days in DC last April and there were only two of us, but we still felt there was lots left to do. In fact I am coming back in October with my children aged 13 and 16.

The weather was quite good so we were able to sit around outside and explore parks and gardens.

You should go to the Space Museum and the zoo, also the Museum of American history. Alexandria was a great day out, with a good tour of the historic houses. Any of those could take a day.

Do not even try to take a car, we met several desperate groups of people unable to park anywhere. If you are not used to the Metro it%26#39;s fun and in any case it%26#39;s easy and cheap.

I also agree to take 5 days. We spent 4 days in DC, 2 adults and an 11 year old. We didn%26#39;t get to see everything we wanted and did feel a little rushed to get in what we did. Enjoy your trip!

I too endorse the idea of a 5-day trip. There really is soooo much to see %26amp; do in DC in addition to the ';bare essentials.'; And a less tightly-regimented trip, in my experience, makes for a more fun vacation with young adolescents who aren%26#39;t known for their eagerness to embrace a day full of have-to%26#39;s :-)