Arrival:
Instead of flying in, we took the
train from New York. Single fares can be as low as $49 each way, you have a
choice of Acela Express in under 3 hours, or Northeast Regional which take 30
minutes longer but are cheaper. When you book in advance online at Amtrak you
save 25%, and tickets are easy to print at home.
The trains leave from Penn
Station on the West side of Manhattan.
Rather than wait on the concourse
and then join a mad rush for the escalator when the platform is announced,
follow the tips on this page:
For return trips from Union
Station in Washington, it’s worth noting that it has a very strange queuing
system, most unlike British stations. Lines are formed on the concourse, and
then a gate is announced (like an airport) and then everyone queues again. So
follow these tips to avoid it all:
Hotel:
Holiday Inn Express, Andrews AFB,
Washington
Take the Green Metro to the end
of the line (Branch Avenue station), and it’s only 10 minutes walk away along a
main road with lighting and safe sidewalks. You can also catch a shuttle to the
hotel if you let them know in advance.
Why stay here? Because hotels in
the city are ridiculously expensive, and for the cost of a Metro ride, you can get
a bargain night (<£60) in a perfectly nice hotel, with free breakfast.
There are no restaurants within
walking distance, but reception will order takeout for you. We’d recommend
House of Lee’s Chinese food, 301-899-8252.
Tourist Card:
If you are only in town for a
couple of days, you can walk between most attractions, but you can buy a 1-Day
MetroRail pass for $14 (each journey usually $3).
There are a variety of bus tour
companies, with day passes starting at $35, you can get off and on at many
stops around town, including a run up to Georgetown.
Food:
Capitol Visitor Center,
Restaurant
lots of different food stations, including “American Bounty” and
“Global Cuisine”, high quality and lots of seating
National Museum of the American
Indian, Mitsitam Café
reputedly the best museum café on the National Mall
Library of Congress, Madison Café
on the sixth floor, this café has vistas of the Potomac river
Union Station
before travelling home, dine in the basement food court – we recommend
the crepes and the pizza
Shopping:
Capitol Building
Library of Congress
National Archives
sadly they look nothing like the one in “National Treasure” that
Nicolas Cage steals the Declaration of Independence from, lots of souvenirs
both worthy and tacky
Sightseeing:
The Mall, South side
Smithsonian Institution Building – Information Center
Arts & Industries Building
Hirshhorn Museum
amazing modern art, circular building, and sculpture garden
National Air and Space Museum
National Museum of the American Indian
The Mall, North side
National Gallery of Art
Natural History Museum
American History Museum
West of the Mall
Washington Monument
Lincoln Memorial & Reflecting Pool
Memorials for WW2, Korean War, Vietnam War
Tidal Basin, South-West of the Mall
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
FDR & Eleanor Roosevelt Memorials
Jefferson Memorial
in spring, this area is surrounded by cherry blossom trees
North of the Mall
National Archives
home of Declaration of Independence & US Constitution
Old Post Office Pavilion
observation deck, food court, mall, antique bells
you get views of the FBI Building, an oft-used film location (e.g. Die
Hard 4.0), and the Federal Triangle
now to be converted into a luxury hotel by Donald Trump, see it while
you can!
Capitol Hill, East of the Mall
Library of Congress and Reading Room
exhibitions and tours
+ there is a not-so-secret underground walkway between the Library and
the Capitol
Capitol Building and Visitor’s Center
great exhibition, good restaurant, architecture and views
Out of town (take Blue Line Metro)
Arlington National Cemetery
graves and monuments, including JFK, and a good Visitors’ Center
Comments