I participate in an online group that provides advice for first-time DC visitors. Not unexpectedly, we tend to get asked the same questions over and over again.
The following list of the most common Q&As is by no means comprehensive, but it *is* a great deal more succinct than reading a 200pg guide book, so there's that!
If you're reading this, you may also be interested in my blog entry titled 'Must See' DC Destinations
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10+ TIPS FOR FIRST-TIME VISITORS - PLANNING 1. Many destinations are free, but require
visitors to acquire timed tickets in advance: see “Sites & Ticketing
info” in FILES archive of this Facebook site. 2.
Competition for timed tickets can be
fierce; plan to request them online as soon as they become available 3.
White House tours can be arranged by
contacting your Congressperson 4.
Once you have acquired your tours &
timed tickets, plan the rest of your trip around these commitments 5.
Smithsonian museums: they’re much
bigger than you expect (allow 2hrs minimum) & close earlier than you may expect
(~5:30pm) 6.
Best time to avoid crowds: Oct-Mar. (However,
most attractions are designed to accommodate large crowds.) 7.
Consult a map & group your
destinations by geography to minimize travel time 8.
Confirm distances. Some attractions
associated with DC (ex: Mount Vernon, Alexandria, zoo) are located beyond
(sometimes well beyond) the downtown area, requiring additional travel time 9.
Hotels will usually be willing to store
your luggage if you arrive early or need to check out before an evening
flight 10.
Tourist areas of DC are safe, even at
night, as long as you exercise the usual precautions. (Good idea not to leave
valuables in car.) 11.
DC protests are usually small and
non-disruptive, but check in advance for large events/rallies that might
impact roads 12.
Food is likely to be (a lot) more
expensive than you’re expecting 13.
Popular restaurants are busy every day
of the week; reservations are recommended 14.
Resist the urge to overschedule; assume
that everything will take more time than you’re expecting (because it will) 15.
If you have limited time, focus on
unique DC experiences – don’t waste time on things you can do elsewhere (ex:
zoo) 16.
Consider booking a night-time monument
tour to maximize your time. (Also, monuments are lovely at night!) |
10+ TIPS FOR FIRST-TIME VISITORS - TRAVEL &
HOTELS 1. Most attractions are located on
National Mall, a walkable 2.5ml park anchored by Lincoln Memorial at one end,
Capital Building at the other. 2. Traffic is standard for a busy city,
but diagonal roads can create confusing intersections 3. Street parking is hard to find and
often strictly time-limited 4. There are traffic cameras EVERYWHERE 5. DC & DC suburbs are serviced by
Metro subway system (see 10+ TIPS FOR FIRST TIME VISITORS – USING DC
METRO) 6. Both airports (DCA, IAD) have on-site
metro stations 7. Hop-On/Hop-Off buses are great for orientation
& history but often not the best way to get around; buses can be crowded,
inconvenient & unreliable 8. DC Circulator bus service has been
discontinued 9. Most DC attractions don’t offer
dedicated parking; commercial parking garages are available but will cost $$
and are not necessarily convenient 10.
Best ways to get around DC: metro,
Uber/Lyft, bike/scooter-shares 11.
When pricing DC hotels, remember to
factor in overnight parking ($30-$60/night) 12.
Less expensive hotels are available in
DC suburbs & connected to DC by metro. (Some hotels even offer metro
shuttles) |
10+ TIPS FOR FIRST TIME VISITORS - USING DC METRO 1. Metro stations & trains are clean
and safe, even at night 2. Prices vary by distance but average
~$5/trip during rush hour, ~$2/trip on weekends 3. Some stations offer parking, some
(especially city stations) don’t. Parking at metro-owned lots is $5/day 4. Official app for trip planning (NOT
payment) = MetroPulse. 5. For tourists, easiest option is usually
to buy a physical fare card (vs. using apps). 6. There is no advantage to buying
farecards in advance; every station has multiple machines that can be used to
buy new farecards or add fare to existing cards 7. Every member of your party MUST HAVE
THEIR OWN SEPARATE CARD OR FARE ACCOUNT 8.
TIP: Buy only as much fare you’re sure
you’ll use. Unused fare can be refunded, but process is laborious 9.
Multi-day passes may not save $$
because people tend to use metro less often than they think they will 10.
Trains are named by color + the last
station in the direction they are headed (ex “This is a Green Line train to
Branch Ave”) 11.
There are no fixed train schedules;
trains arrive every ~10-20mins depending on time of day 12.
Basic rules: No food or drink, no pets,
stand to the right when using escalators so folks can pass on the left 13.
Stations do have public bathrooms for
emergencies, but you’ll need to ask a stationmaster for the key 14.
Tutorials are available on Youtube 15.
Stationmasters are friendly and happy
to help tourists navigate every step of the process |
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10+ TIPS FOR FIRST TIME VISITORS – ONCE HERE 1.
Forget fashion! Wear your most
comfortable shoes; you will walk miles every day 2.
Take a water bottle & use refill
stations 3.
Museums don’t have lockers, so plan to
carry whatever you bring 4.
Check attractions in advance for
special guidance re. security. (Some disallow certain items.) 5.
Pack backpacks/bags with multiple
security checkpoints in mind. (See-through bags can save time/trouble.) 6.
Many food trucks engage in exploitative
pricing: avoid trucks that don’t post prices & confirm prices BEFORE
ordering 7.
Public bathrooms are scarce; use
bathrooms at attractions you are visiting 8.
Roads have no shoulders – you will not
be able to “pull over” to take photos 9.
For attractions located on/near
National Mall, often faster to walk than use transportation 10.
Street vendors often offer the widest
& most affordable variety of DC souvenirs 11.
Take frequent breaks – DC is big and
exhausting 12.
Hotel concierges can be great resources
for info about food, tickets, & transportation; use them! |
10+ TIPS FOR FIRST TIME VISITORS WITH DISABILITIES 1.
Most DC attractions have made
significant efforts to accommodate visitors with disabilities 2.
Metro is wheelchair friendly/accessible 3.
Not all attractions offer parking &
handicapped spaces can fill up quickly. 4.
Many attractions loan/rent mobility
devices. Alternatively, mobility devices can be rented from local vendors who
will deliver to your hotel 5.
Some attractions offer special hours
and/or programs for neurodivergent visitors 6.
Many attractions offer audio tours
(headphones or streaming) 7.
Noise-cancelling headphones can help
prevent sensory overload, especially in large, echo-y buildings 8.
Some attractions offer “preview videos”
that can help reduce anxiety 9.
Most restaurants are able to
accommodate “common” food preferences & sensitivities (vegan, vegetarian,
gluten-free) 10.
Limited food options may make it
difficult to accommodate unusual food sensitivities; packing your own food
may be advisable (TIP: Services like Uber will deliver groceries to your
hotel) |
10+ “INSIDER TIPS” 1.
DC is not known for “hidden gems” –
most things worth seeing are easy to find 2.
City is known for its plethora of
international dining options, especially Ethiopian. 3.
“Hip” restaurants are ephemeral; if
you’re a foodie, be sure you’re accessing up-to-date info 4.
DC’s native music is go-go, a form of
free-flowing funk 5.
The city teams with free concerts,
lectures, and movies, especially during summer 6.
Consult resources like CityCast DC, Washingtonian
(calendar), and EventBrite for info about special activities, pop-ups, and
events 7.
Professional sporting events offer a
range of pre- and post-game activities 8.
Services like TodayTix and Goldstar
offer reduced-price tickets to shows 9.
Your hotel
concierge may be able to hook you up with unique opportunities |
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WEATHER TIPS FOR DC VISITORS WINTER ·
Metro will run in all but the most
extreme snow/ice storms ·
Theaters typically do not cancel shows
or issue refunds for weather events ·
Museums do not offer lockers, so
prepare to carry coats ·
Be aware of much higher pricing for
Uber/Lyft during extreme weather events SUMMER ·
High humidity can add 5-15o
to expected temperatures ·
Make a plan for staying safe in summer
heat: limit outdoor time, use umbrellas & cooling devices, drink water,
take frequent breaks ·
Pop-up thunderstorms are common in
summer: potentially violent but highly localized and usually quite short |
THINGS THAT CAN BE CHALLENGING TO FIND IN DOWNTOWN
DC ·
Regional cuisine (DC doesn’t have
one) ·
Natural attractions/farms (DC is a densely
developed urban region) ·
Playgrounds/swimming pools (facilities
tend to be located in neighborhoods rather than tourist areas) ·
Discount shopping/outlets (real
estate is too expensive) ·
Diners & dives (real estate is
too expensive) ·
Affordable hotels & food (high
demand, limited supply) ·
Hotels that don’t charge for parking |
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