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my family is planning a trip to washington dc the week before easter. we are driving. would like to stay in some smaller town in maryland or virginia outside the city. would like to be able to go in the city on marc or vre. i know you can take tours right from union station. probably take a trip to new york city on amtrak for a quick tour of nyc. looking for advice on what would be a good city to stay in outside dc? also can you get any tours outside penn station in new york? any advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks
train lady Member # 3920
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I can't make any suggestions about Maryland as we live in Va. I do suggest you consider staying in Arlington,Falls Church, or Alexandria near the metro station. If you want to stay in DC in the evening for any reason vre wouldn't be running late and you would need to be on it during rush hour. The tourmobile is a good bet for the district. You can get off and on at the most important places . It runs about every 5 minutes and once you buy your ticket you don't have to pay again. You don't say how long you plan to be here but I can suggest you contact AAA or your local Library for info on Motels, hotels. I know there are several that have small kitchens where you could prepare breakfast. You also don't mention the makeup of your family. ..children and ages etc. There are a lot of things for children in the district and surrounding areas. Since you have a car you may want to drive out to Mt Vernon, Washington's home. It is interesting. They also have a great restaurant just outside the gates. By the way the metro goes right to Union station, I would think AAA would also be able to give you advise and answer questions about NYC as well. Don't forget it's a good 4 hours to NY and you will probably get back late so you want to be staying where you can get "home" easily.I hope some of this is helpful. Have a great trip, this is a wonderful place.
sojourner Member # 3134
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In NYC, last time I checked, you could catch one of those double decker tour buses at the Empire State Building's 5th Avenue entrance (between W 33rd and 34th streets). This is about 2 longish blocks from Penn Station's 7th Avenue exit; you can walk down W 33rd Street but you might like going over to W 34th Street and walking down that one as it is wider and has shops like Macys on the other side of the street.
For more information on other tours etc, there is a tourist info booth in Penn Station (not to be confused with the larger train information booth). When you go upstairs from the tracks, put your back to wall of Amtrak ticket booths and walk forward along the right side of the large waiting area, and you should see it in the corner ahead; if you don't, just ask one of the police or National Guard or a Red Cap where it is.
If the trains are on time, it is usually 3 1/2 hours on a regional train from Washington DC to NYC. It is 3 hours on the more expensive Acela trains. In both cases, much faster than driving. But train or driving, it's somewhat tiring for a day trip, although you can leave very early--still, you might want to stay overnight for one night.
dcfan Member # 2311
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Look at hotels in Gaithersburg, MD near the intersection of I-370 and MD Rt 355. The Shady Grove metro station is nearby with easy access to Washington, DC on the subway. Comfort Inn, Summerfield Suites are closest. They also offer a shuttle service to the metro station. Marriott has several properties a bit farther away at the Washingtonian shopping center.
Depending on your sense of adventure in New York, you can do a lot on your own. On my last trip up there, my wife and I booked tickets round trip to Penn Station, but we got off at Newark and rode the Path subway train to World Trade Center. The station sits right in the big hole at Ground Zero. You can transfer from there to the New York subway system north to Penn Sation or south to the Staten Island Ferry terminal and the boats to Statue of Liberty. As sojourner says, it makes for a long trip in a single day. In the past we have gone to NYC in Amfleet coach and returned on Acela for the creature comforts.
Wesley
notelvis Member # 3071
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For the DC area you might want to consider the Olde Towne Inn in Manassas, VA. It's a 1960ish motor hotel (rooms about $70.00 a night....cheap for the DC area) that is about two very short blocks from the Manassas Amtrak/VRE station.
Another that comes to mind is a Red Roof Inn near the BWI airport. It's a little over a mile from the BWI Rail Station where you can get MARC into town.
Happy Travels,
irish1 Member # 222
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thank you for your suggestions i knew i could count on the good folks here for some ideas. mike
rresor Member # 128
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Let me second the Gaithersburg suggestion. I have stayed in both the Marriott and the Summerfield Suites, and recommend them both. Summerfield Suites has one- and two-bedroom apartments with kitchens, and weekend rates are usually discounted considerably. The Marriott is a nice hotel, and again, weekend rates are low. From Gaithersburg, you've actually got two transportation choices: Shady Grove Metro (about 45 minutes to Union Station) or MARC from Gaithersburg (about 30 minutes, but rush hours only).
irish1 Member # 222
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just wanted to thank you all again for the advice. ended up at the holiday inn in gaithersburg. took the metro into dc from shady grove everyday. had a great trip to nyc on amtrak. used guest rewards for the first time. very easy process. thanks again mike
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