One of my favorite bloggers just posted about budgeting for her family’s trip to DC here. Take a look at the cost breakdown—especially if you want to use public transportation. Look at the list of attractions! Here is the website for admissions at the Smithsonian. N.B. the rules for admissions change frequently. Here is information about the MARC train. Here is the website for the DC Metro. Here is the website for the Fairfax Connector, with a map. Here is the site explaining how to get to the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum, which is outside DC, close to the Dulles Airport. (There are three airports near DC: Dulles, Reagan, and BWI. Reagan has direct Metro access. Here is advice about connecting between Dulles and Reagan. BTW, it’s a hassle.)
Our family lives outside DC. I like to visit the museums and take groups. Go during the day and stay near the Smithsonian museums and the monuments. Use the Metro during the day. We usually drive and park at Union Station’s underground parking lot. Both the trains and Metro connect through Union Station. The monuments, the Capitol, the White House and Smithsonian museums are about three miles from Union Station. When I take a big school group, we walk. Yes, this hike involves a great deal of griping.
Read the blog post. What a terrific trip!
