Tour reccomendations / safety

I know this question has been asked many times before, but I recall reading a trip report of someone%26#39;s who said they did an all day tour of the city and Arlington Cemetary which picked them up at their hotel. We only have a short time in DC so this type of tour would suit us. Also, some friends have warned us about safety in DC, we are staying at the Fairmont and believe this is in a nice safe area, and of course we would take the usual %26#39;big city precautions%26#39;. I guess I am just looking for some reassurance from the locals about our safety as our friends have us a little worried!

Tour reccomendations / safety

I guess my questions would be'; What type of safety issues did your friends have in Washington, and what have they warned you about?';

It%26#39;s hard to respond without knowing the issue. Yes, Washington is a big city, but if you%26#39;re already prepared to take ';big city precautions'; then hopefully you won%26#39;t be the victim of a crime.

There are tours that will pick you up at your hotel. But if your time is limited, this might actually work against you. If the tour is stopping at YOUR hotel, they%26#39;re stoppnig at others. You could spend some of your time going from hotel to hotel, both coming and going.

You might be better served just taking a taxi or Metro to the Mall and picking up a Tourmobile tour there.

Tour reccomendations / safety

Hi:

The tourist areas are safe, if, as you said, you take big city precautions. Don%26#39;t walk around with wads of cash in your hand and don%26#39;t venture into any neighborhoods that aren%26#39;t recommended after dark. (There%26#39;s really no reason you should be there anyway.) The area around your hotel is certainly safe at night. Just be aware of your surroundings.

As for the tours, I agree with Irishfan - get your tickets in advance for either Tourmobile or Old Town Trolley, then just head to any one of the tour stops and pick it up there. Enjoy your stay!

I guess our friends concerns were sparked by the recent summer crime spree in DC, they live in a small town where nobody locks their doors! Anyway we plan to do the tour mobile starting at Union Station on a sunday so we will either take the bus or metro to Union Station, and we plan to use taxis at night. Thanks for your help.

Just an FYI, Old Town Trolley makes it possible to purchase %26amp; print out tickets on your own computer ahead of time so you don%26#39;t have to go to a ticket booth... you can start your tour with them at any one of their stops. A convenience which Tourmobile regrettably does not yet offer :-(