Washington DC and Philadelphia help

[smithlane]

I have booked return flights to Philadelphia for my DD and I for next April (seriously hoping we get there but will just postpone if we can't)

The original plan was 5 nights in DC but the flights to Philadelphia were a lot cheaper and it turns out only a couple of hours drive from Washington, who knew!

So BA had a great deal for direct flights from London to Philly, 2 nights in the Wyndham Historic District and 4 days car hire for £1400 in total in the Easter hols.
We arrive on the 8th April, first 2 nights in Philadelphia then on the 10th pick up the hire car and drive to DC for 4 nights before driving back to Philly for our flight home, thankfully on the late 10pm AA flight.

My slight predicament is for our time in DC. I want to stay fairly central as it's just DD and I BUT the big booboo I didn't take into account was the car parking charges at the hotel! I've booked (with free cancellation) the Club Quarters hotel which looks like it's in a fantastic location but I'll obviously have to pay for the car. Is it worth keeping this booking or staying somewhere further out of the city and getting the train in and out?
Is 4 nights enough in DC, 2 nights too many in Philly?
Any hints and tips for either city?

This trip is for my daughters 18th so want to make it as special as possible, the only thing I know for certain is visiting the King of Prussia Mall on our last day. Its the largest mall in the Eastern States so it's a must

[JoS]

Dont know how far out you are thinking. We stayed near Dupoint Circle, in the Omni Shoreham which was a great location, and the metro just minutes away. Parking was still about $40 pn. We just ditched the car. So dont know how far out you would need to stay to get free parking. I know Arlington gets mentioned a lot. Maybe google some hotels there and check. Hope some one can help you. Sounds like a fantastic trip.

[wdw-wanderer]

You might not need a car in Washington. I’ve stayed at the Omni Shoreham too & it certainly is convenient as the metro station is virtually next door. You can get to Tyson’s Corner shopping mall by public transport very easily and most of the tourist sites are close to other metro stations. When we stayed in Philadelphia (at the Hampton Inn) we didn’t hire a car and used public transport (direct bus, I think) to the King of Prussia. It’s a few years ago now, but I wasn’t that impressed with it to be honest.

[JoS]

Originally Posted by wdw-wanderer

You might not need a car in Washington. I’ve stayed at the Omni Shoreham too & it certainly is convenient as the metro station is virtually next door. You can get to Tyson’s Corner shopping mall by public transport very easily and most of the tourist sites are close to other metro stations. When we stayed in Philadelphia (at the Hampton Inn) we didn’t hire a car and used public transport (direct bus, I think) to the King of Prussia. It’s a few years ago now, but I wasn’t that impressed with it to be honest.

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I think the problem is OP will have the car anyway, as she is driving up from Philly, then back again for their flight home. I agree about not needing a car in Washington. We took the metro and walked. Was a great location for the zoo as well. Parking prices are super expensive in DC...like most major cities I guess

[wdw-wanderer]

Maybe OP could turn the car in for the days in Washington & collect another for the return to Philly? Not sure how that would work cost wise.

[JoS]

Originally Posted by wdw-wanderer

Maybe OP could turn the car in for the days in Washington & collect another for the return to Philly? Not sure how that would work cost wise.

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She would then only need car for a couple of hours for the drive, as she is not collecting it until the end of her stay in Philly. Then pick it up again for a couple of hours, just for the drive back to the airport. Do you think the car hire company would allow that? I dont know if she wants the car whilst in Washington.

[smithlane]

Thanks everyone for your replies.
I’m not sure I’ll be able to get rid of the car whilst we’re in DC as it’s booked as part of a package with BA. It’s a shame as I’m not planning on using it at all while we’re there. I think I’ll just have to stump up the car parking charges but might try and find a slightly cheaper hotel to offset the amount. I’ll take a look at the Omni Shoreham, thank you for the recommendation.

So with 3 full days in DC, is this enough time to see the main attractions? On the list are the memorials, the Capital Building tour, Pentagon tour, Arlington and the Washington Monument.
We’ll have one afternoon once we land then a full day in Philadelphia as we’ll be leaving first thing on the second day to pick up the car to drive to DC. I was thinking of just doing the hop on hop off bus for the day. Has anyone done this and is it worth it?

It’s a shame the King of Prussia mall isn’t that great. If we’ve had our fill of shopping beforehand (we plan on stopping at various places from Philly to DC) then I’ll have most of a day left free before our late evening flight.
I’m now thinking we could maybe go into Armish country for a look around? It’s not something I’ve looked into so unsure if it’s worth the drive. Has anyone been?

[cornishfrogboy]

I would catch the AMTRAC from Philly to D.C. and back, not bothering with a car at all. It’s comfortable, quick, cheap and solves all your problems.

You shouldn’t need a car in D.C.

I do not know where the shopping is because we don’t do shopping on vacation, but all of the rest are very central to the Mall, with Pentagon and Arlington just across the Potomac behind the Lincoln memorial.

[JoS]

Originally Posted by cornishfrogboy

I would catch the AMTRAC from Philly to D.C. and back, not bothering with a car at all. It’s comfortable, quick, cheap and solves all your problems.

You shouldn’t need a car in D.C.

I do not know where the shopping is because we don’t do shopping on vacation, but all of the rest are very central to the Mall, with Pentagon and Arlington just across the Potomac behind the Lincoln memorial.

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That would be my advice too. Think OP wants to go shopping on her way from Philly to DC though

[wdw-wanderer]

We found Philly quite a ‘gritty’ place, if you know what I mean but the Historical Park in the centre is well worth a visit (Liberty Bell etc) and might be worth considering before you move on to Washington. have you had a look at Potomac Mills outlet south west of Washington for shopping?