Our Trip to DC (And a Few Ways to Save)

From October 12 to October 17 our family took a trip to Washington, DC. I thought I'd share with you what we did, the financial impact of the trip, and a few savings tips we picked up along the way.

Background

Both my wife and I lived in the DC area (before we knew each other -- she worked in Virginia just out of college and I lived in the heart of DC one summer in college when I interned for the federal government. FYI, I am old. Reagan was president then.) So we were both somewhat familiar with the city, surrounding area, and the various sites to see. We both have fond memories of our time there so DC has always been a place we wanted to show our kids.

This past summer our kids (who are homeschooled) had classes on American history and government, and a trip to DC seemed like the perfect wrap up. So we picked a time, I took vacation days, and we got to planning.

Spending Philosophy

I've noted that I'm a believer in moderate and selective frugality. These principles especially apply while on vacation. Specifically, I'm willing to make some sacrifices to save money as long as they aren't too big from both time and "hassle factor" standpoint. My point of view is that we're on vacation and I don't want to kill the mood because we wanted to save $3.

Case in point: did we want to drive or fly?

Google Maps says that it's 652 miles (11 hours and 18 minutes) from our house to DC. So roundtrip costs at 55.5 cents per mile (the rate my employer reimburses me -- which is supposed to cover all expenses associated with driving my vehicle  -- FYI, parking and tolls would NOT be covered in this amount) would cost us $724. But much of this cost is hidden. Really, the only visible costs would be gas, parking, and tolls. So maybe it would cost us $250 or so at most.

On the other hand the best flights (from Lansing, MI, an hour away from our house) would cost $850 for the four of us (direct flight.) Obviously this would require more out-of-pocket costs than driving. But it would also save us over 22 hours of driving -- a HUGE hassle/energy suck. Plus if we drove we would likely need at least one additional hotel room night either in DC or on the road.

So we went with flying.

Case in point #2: what hotel should we stay in?

I do not want to spend my vacation in a bed bug-infested rat trap that's 50 miles away from the action just because it's $50 a night. But I don't need to stay in the $400 a night place next to the White House either. So we picked a Hampton Inn close to a metro stop for an average of $170 a night. More on this later.

Planning the Trip

Now that you know our general approach to spending on vacation, here's what we planned to do:

• Our flight left at 9 am on October 12 which meant we needed to be up and out of the house by 7am and at the airport at 8 am.


• We booked the hotel with no problem. It had a pool for the kids, was close to the metro, and had the standard free breakfast Hampton offers. For those interested, here's where we stayed.


• My wife did some research on the metro and we decided to purchase SmarTrip cards, a plastic version of the paper fare cards. More on these later.


• We took some food with us, but we knew our hotel had a CVS nearby for snacks, plus we knew we could get apples, etc. from breakfast and store them in the room if we needed food.


• We planned to see the "key" attractions, some that were set at fixed times (like the White House tour), and had a rough estimate of what we would see on what day.

The Trip

Our flight left without a hitch and we were at our hotel (took shuttle from airport) shortly after 11 am. Our room was ready so we settled in, then hit the city to see the sights. Over the next five days we saw the following (FYI, we never took a cab -- all of this was walking and the metro):

• Arlington Cemetery
• Botanic Gardens
• Bureau of Engraving and Printing
• Capitol (got a personal tour from a member of our Congressman's staff including getting on the House floor)
• Ford's Theatre
• Holocaust Museum
• Jefferson Memorial
• Library of Congress
• Lincoln Memorial
• National Air and Space Museum
• National Archives (Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights)
• National Gallery of Art West (older art)
• National Gallery of Art East (modern art)
• National Mall
• National Museum of American History
• National Museum of the American Indian
• National Museum of Natural History
• National Zoo
• Old Post Office
• Peterson House (where they took Lincoln after he was shot)
• Smithsonian Castle
• Supreme Court
• Vietnam War Memorial
• Washington Monument
• White House (got on the grounds into the gardens on Saturday)
• WW II Memorial

As you might imagine, we walked for many miles each day. We were usually out of the hotel by 9 am or so and back around 4 pm, totally exhausted but having had a great day (BTW, the weather was in the 60 to 75 degree range during all the days we were there and it only rained part of one day).

The Final Budget

Here's what we spent:

• Flights: $850
• Hotel: $850
• Metro: $104
• Food and misc: $281
• Parking at Airport: $42

• Total cost: $2,127

A Few Tips and Thoughts

What would an FMF post be without some tips and thoughts from me? :)

Anyway, here are some random takeaways:

• We went at a great time. Weather was good, there were no crowds, and costs were reasonable. We saved money because we were flexible.


• We saved because of the days we picked. Our hotel was $123 on weekend days (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) but was $228 on weekdays. We had three days at the first price and only two at the second.


• The points I got from the stay (and by using my Hilton credit card) put me over the 80,000-point mark. I now have two free nights set for the pre-cruise trip we're planning in early 2013.


• The SmarTrip cards saved each of us $1 per trip ($4 per trip for the group.) So at 3 or so trips a day, it was a no brainer to get them. Our cost was $10 each for the cards at CVS. This came with $5 of ride credit as well as $3 each that got rebated back, so the true cost was only $2 each.


• CVS was a lifesaver. We used our frequent buyer card there to save on a case of water (something like $3), ice cream (on sale, a treat), and a few supplies. If we hadn't had our card, prices would have been much higher (and actually we didn't need the card at all -- just our phone number that's tied to the card).


• Our meals went as follows: LARGE breakfast in the morning (which was free at the hotel -- the value of this perk alone was $30 or so a day), took a few snacks with us to munch on (we did stop a couple times at McDonald's or Subway when we were really hungry, but just for a snack), then ate an early (and usually very good) dinner around 3-4 pm. This eliminated the costs of lunches. We also had snacks in the room as needed.


• Admission was free everywhere we went. Absolutely no admission costs.


• We got "free" luggage as follows: the airline wanted to charge us $20 per bag each way to check luggage. Carry-ons were free. But we only had two carry-on bags that were the right size. So we bought two more at $40 each and carried them on for free. We avoided the $40 round-trip costs per bag and still have the bags to use as we want!


• Food was a bit higher because we usually ate at a nice place for dinner. After all, we were on vacation! Oh, and we had several treats as well. :)

Overall, it was a very good trip. The kids would have rather gone on a cruise or to Disney, but even they found things to enjoy about seeing history and the government.

Pictures

As you might imagine, I'm leaving out a lot of details. If I didn't, this post would be 25 pages long. So since a picture is worth a thousand words, here are a few pics that fill in some of the holes. Click any of them if you want to see a larger version.

Various bills at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

Turtle "biting" my son's finger at the National Zoo.

Taken from the gardens at the White House.

Beautiful day at the Washington Monument.

Part of the Berlin Wall (can't remember the museum where we saw this).

Picture from top of the Old Post Office (great views up here.)

Comments

[PJinNC]

FYI- The piece of the Berlin wall is at the Newseum.

[Matt]

Cool.

All good tips.

[Kristy Willis]

WOW, that is some trip! I might do this trip as well, but maybe not the whole itinerary. I like how you budget well your trip. Approximating your budget takes skills, great job!

[mdb]

For other people planning a trip, August is a great time to visit DC - if you don't care about congress being in recess. There are significantly less people in DC in August, hotels are cheaper, and there are no lines for museums. The hotels are very cheap - and it is one of few times I use priceline to travel, as you can get hotels for $50 a night on the subway lines - last time we stayed in Crystal city Marriott, the time before an independent hotel with a view of the Whitehouse both $50 a night. Great time to visit and once you get there all the attractions are free.

[retirebyforty]

Sounds like a great trip. I want to visit DC and NY when our son is a bit older. I haven't been to the East coast much. My wife loves DC too. Maybe we'll tag along the next time she has a business trip.

[Lance@MoneyLife&More]

The old post office is a great secret. It is the second highest location in DC and is completely free and requires no scheduling. Sounds like you guys had a great time with perfect weather. I used to live in Falls Church VA for a year so I too am familiar with DC.

[Cherleen @ My Personal Finance Journey]

Great itinerary! This may be one of the best, if not the best, trips I have seen. You made a great itinerary. I am sure the sights you visited did not only provided fun and enjoyment but also educated you and your group in one way or the other. I hope to visit DC next year.

[mc]

Wow, how fun! I love DC.

I must disagree with the advice to visit DC in August....because I have visited twice at that time. DC is unbearably hot and muggy in August....it is in the south and built on a swamp, remember. walking everywhere in 100+ degree weather to see the sights is terrible for adults and actually dangerous for small kids. Also, many older buildings you would want to visit such as the smithsonian lack or have only limited air conditioning, and the heat combined with the crowds is awful.

[Jim]

Sounds like a good trip. Theres a lot of great sites at DC and I think everyone should try and get there. I especially love how all the museums and sites are free. At some sites you do have to get reservations or tickets in advance so you can get in on the day of the visit as they book up fast in advance.

[FMF]

Jim --

Ford's Theatre and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing were both like this. Admission was free, but you needed a ticket (free too). Since crowds were low, we walked up, got tickets, and went in right away. But with heavier crowds, you will need to plan a bit in advance.

[Jason]

Oh man if I knew you were going to stay in Crystal City I would have made sure you went to Kabob Palace (right next to CVS) for dinner one night. Hands down the best food IN THE WORLD; boneless chicken kabob with rice and chickpeas. Impossible to be let down.

Also, I agree with both mdb (DC is way cheaper in August) and mc (it's also absurdly hot). Choose your poison!

[JayB]

Sounds like an awesome trip, I went on a similar one in 2008 but we only had 2 days. Getting nearly free flights for working at American Airlines helped us a ton! I like how you make the most of vacation and actually do stuff, too many people I know want to go lay on a beach, I prefer to wear myself out on vacation. I'll rest up when I'm back to the daily grind.

[FMF]

Jason --

We walked right by there several times!!! Kinda looked like a dive if I recall correctly. :)

We found a place in the mall that served GREAT BBQ -- and ate there a couple times.

[Kay]

You didn't check out the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum?!!?!?

I think it cost us like $10 to park (not on a subway line - it's way outside town), but was free to walk around in... Totally worth the money. They have a SR-71 Blackbird, a Concorde, a space shuttle, and the Enola Gay.

Didn't think I was a real air/space fan till I went there... sitting underneath the airplane that dropped an atomic bomb was more moving than I thought it would be.

[FMF]

Kay --

We didn't check out anything that we couldn't walk to or Metro to -- or anything that cost anything to see.

[Kay]

I understand - I was trying to point out that DC is a great place to see, and for the price of $2.50 per family member, you could have seen an extension of the National Air and Space museum that they literally can't fit in the mall - just because it's not 100% free doesn't mean it's not worthwhile :)

[futchica]

Not kidding, that really is an amazing kabob place in Crystal City -- their chickpeas always made the trip from Rosslyn worth it.

It sounds like a great trip! Your timing was great; DC is packed to the gills with tourists in the summer, so early spring (before cherry blossoms) or early fall are better times if you can swing them. I think all citizens should visit DC at least once to appreciate all the monuments and museums -- they belong to all of us, that's why they're "free".

[Melissa]

Thank you so much for this very helpful post! I think I will plan this trip!

[FMF]

FYI, the Berlin Wall segment was seen at the Smithsonian -- Museum of American History. You can see the same pic near the bottom of this page:

http://www.naviquan.com/page/american-history/4/

If you read the pic there, you'll see that it's an "authentic reproduction" of the Berlin Wall. What a rip!

That said, we did see part of the actual wall when it was at the Grand Rapids museum a couple years ago or so.

[MelMoitzen]

The Newseum does have an actual piece of the Berlin Wall. It costs to get in--but it's well worth it. Any number of promotional discounts are available online and their tickets are good for two days of admission. If you're serious about the news, you could fill two full days.

Newseum and the Spy Museum are two of the museums that charge in DC. I'm calling them out only because (IMHO) they're the only ones in DC worth the admission charge.

[Mark]

Once I learned the Washington Monument was built based on occult symbolism, it now seems very creepy to me. Otherwise, great pictures.

[MelMoitzen]

Also, the Circulator bus is a more cost-effective transit option than Metro if you can take advantage of their limited routes. Their routes cover the Mall and other commonly-visited tourist sections of the city. The fare is $1/ride and (using a SmarTrip card) you can make unlimited transfers/stopovers within two hours for that dollar. http://www.dccirculator.com

Bureau of Engraving & Printing is a great tour, and you only need free tickets March-August. The rest of the year you just walk right in.

[FMF]

Mark --

Yikes!

Mel --

We needed tickets -- and went in October. Then again, perhaps the tickets were only a formality since we got them and walked right in. But we did "need" them to take the tour (they took them as we entered the printing area).

[MelMoitzen]

BEP tickets are just a formality September-February. March-August they are tough to get, with queues starting as early as 6 a.m.
http://www.bep.gov/tours/washingtondctours.html

Another tip for travel planning to DC--especially during peak tourist season--is to enlist the help of your congressman or senator's office. In addition to the congressional tours listed, they may be able to hook you up at other public times.
http://www.thecapitol.net/VisitingDC/whatsthedeal.htm#Tours

[Alex]

I recommend the Circulator as an alternate to the Metro. $1/ride/person, and it lets you go places that the Metro doesn't (e.g. Georgetown).

http://www.dccirculator.com/

[Luis]

A great place to stay when visiting DC is in National Harbor, MD. It is off the Potomac River, close to DC, and you can take a water taxi downtown. What makes it attractive is that it is really safe, secured by forest from the rest of DC/Arlington, it has an awesome mini-grocery store, and you can find some real bargain hotels or FSBO's. I recommend FSBO's for large families, during low peak season owner's are really trying to get their units occupied and rates compete well with hotels. Hotel bargains can be found if you are willing to wait until a week or two before reservation.

[Johnny@ Easy Financial Tips]

Great call on the flying versus driving. Many people get sticker shock when considering a flight for multiple people. But if you are really trying to have a vacation you must consider the effort you have to put into it. The drive back can challenging. Great article!

[Angela Adlich]

How long were you guys gone and if you could please, the list of sites you visited are in alphabetical order....could you please put them in a format of what you visited on what days? Thank you so very much!!!

[Stephen]

Great post. Washington DC is one of my favorite cities to visit. I agree with Johnny's post on flying vs driving. October is one of the best months to visit DC - weather is nice, less crowds, and hotels are reasonably priced.

For hotels, I bid on priceline in DC's downtown and capital hill zones. I have been able to stay at 4 star hotels near the attractions and subway for less than $100/night through my priceline bids.

[Beth]

The only thing I'd add is to check betterbidding.com, and use Priceline or Hotwire for the hotel. We stayed in DC a couple of years ago in a really pricy hotel for somewhere around $65 a night. That said, there was no breakfast, and you're right, the free breakfast can really save some cash.

[Rachel]

Would love to see your list of places in the order you saw them!

[FMF]

Angela/Rachel --

I didn't keep the list that way. But we did batch them and visited places grouped by nearness to each other.