Author Topic: Accommodations Needed in Washington D.C.  (Read 3881 times)

kkbmustang

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1285
Accommodations Needed in Washington D.C.
« on: January 07, 2013, 10:47:16 PM »
Hi Mustachians-

I am working on a project that requires some in-depth research in Washington D.C. I thought this research trip would be a good time to make it a combo work/vacation for the family. I think the kids (ages 8 and 10) could learn a lot in D.C. and it could be fun and educational for them. I can write off my own expenses, but will use the vacation budget to pay for the Hubs and kids.

That being said, we're looking for accommodations for the last week in March. We can be somewhat flexible as the kids are out of school from March 23rd through April 1st. We're looking at a 4 to 5 day trip.

Any suggestions? Thanks.

the fixer

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1029
  • Location: Seattle, WA
Re: Accommodations Needed in Washington D.C.
« Reply #1 on: January 16, 2013, 11:44:55 AM »
Check airbnb. If you haven't been to DC before, make sure you look for something that's close to a stop on the Metro system (see wmata.com for maps and other info). If you won't have a car, you can get around but you sometimes have to plan well, especially with where you'll be staying. Out in the suburbs, for instance, there are bus systems but many of them only run during commuting hours at infrequent intervals. Finding a place near downtown would make things easy but you can probably save some money by finding a place further out, but still a short walk to the Metro.

If you plan on riding Metro a lot while you're here, you might save a little bit of money buy getting SmartTrip cards. They have an upfront cost, but paper farecards are $1 more expensive per trip, I believe.

Our house is pretty full and we're looking to get out of the east coast, so we might not even be here in late March.

kkbmustang

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1285
Re: Accommodations Needed in Washington D.C.
« Reply #2 on: January 16, 2013, 11:51:09 AM »
Thanks! We decided to postpone our DC adventure until another time, but I'll check out airbnb when we decide to go.

Good luck on your exodus.

c

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 300
  • Location: NYC
Re: Accommodations Needed in Washington D.C.
« Reply #3 on: January 20, 2013, 06:52:38 PM »
We do couch surfing. I'm not sure how that is with kids, I'm sure it's harder to vet potential couches and couchees. We've stayed in places with kids and one family we stayed with wants to come and stay with us with us in the Spring (I'm not quite convinced that they understand how small our place is, they say they do, but we'll see).

kkbmustang

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1285
Re: Accommodations Needed in Washington D.C.
« Reply #4 on: January 20, 2013, 10:05:57 PM »
C- If you ever want to come to Dallas, you can surf our couch. :)

amicableskeptic

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 57
Re: Accommodations Needed in Washington D.C.
« Reply #5 on: February 21, 2013, 09:13:57 AM »
The Washington Seminar Center is a great space.  I planned a youth group conference in DC once and used it and came away with nothing but positive impressions.  If you have a big group you can book the whole thing out at $35/person/night and if you're a smaller group (say just a family or two) and willing to share with another group you can get even lower rates.  Sure you have to bring your own bedding/towels and do your own cleaning, but that seems like par for the course for Mustachians.  It's in the basement of a church and is clean, incredibly central to the monuments and political buildings in DC, has a huge kitchen you can use, and will help you book fulfilling and interesting activities for no additional cost (volunteering at a DC foodbank, visiting your rep in congress, etc.).  Highly recommended!

http://washingtonseminarcenter.org/