holiday weekend (+/-) -- parking for DC metro?

[bogart]

I'm considering traveling to DC over Labor Day weekend, staying in a hotel in the city but would prefer to park outside the city and take the Metro in.  I'll be coming in from the south via 95.  Not sure my exact days of travel (might arrive as early as Thursday, might leave as late as Tuesday).  Can anyone recommend a place at or near a Metro station that I can park and leave my car?  I'm happy to pay whatever the going rate is but would obviously prefer less expensive to more expensive.  The car itself is sufficiently Mustachian that it's not a high-risk target for vandalism, theft, etc., nor do I anticipate needing to get to or from the parking location at unusual hours -- might have a latish (9 pm?) arrival the first night, but shouldn't need to find myself wandering around at 2 in the morning either on arrival or departure.

Any recommendations?

[DCKatie09]

There's a good amount of free street parking near the Braddock Road metro in Alexandria (takes about 20 minutes into the city). Depending on what hotels you're looking at, the ones down near the King St metro (the next stop down from Braddock) can be substantially cheaper than in the city, and Alexandria's adorable. Highly recommend it.

[bogart]

Thanks!  I want to spend time in the city with my kids and am seeing rates of $120/night near the zoo at the Omni Shoreham (which I've stayed in before for work travel), which beats what I'm seeing in Alexandria (Labor Day weekend pricing's always odd).  I'm assuming I can't just park my car on the street in Alexandria for 3 nights, unsupervised, so other suggestions welcome...

[Carolina on My Mind]

There is also limited multiday parking in the garages at the Huntington (end of the yellow line) and Franconia-Springfield (end of the blue line) Metro stations.

http://www.wmata.com/rail/parking/parking_detail.cfm?station=50

Not sure whether those spaces tend to fill up -- maybe someone else on the forum knows? -- but if you can get one, it would be cheap because you only have to pay the daily rate to get out of the garage, so five bucks for your entire stay (or even free if you leave on Monday, because Metro parking is free on weekends and holidays).

[MissStache]

There's a large parking garage at Huntington (end of the yellow line) and another at Franconia-Springfield (end of the blue line), which both offer limited long-term parking:

http://www.wmata.com/rail/parking/parking_detail.cfm?station=50

http://www.wmata.com/rail/parking/parking_detail.cfm?station=95

I assume it is similar at other stations with garages (usually at the ends of the lines).  They are cheap and I assume reasonably safe.  You do have to pay with a SmartTrip card as they don't have manned booths as far as I can remember.  It's been a while since I used one!

I don't know what happens if you leave your car there multiple days, but I've definitely stayed overnight and not had a problem getting out the next day. 

Of course, there is also the daily parking at Regan National Airport, which is right on the Metro line.  Can't remember what the daily parking fee there is, but I don't think it is absolutely crazy, especially compared to some local parking garages.

[MissStache]

There is also limited multiday parking in the garages at the Huntington (end of the yellow line) and Franconia-Springfield (end of the blue line) Metro stations.

http://www.wmata.com/rail/parking/parking_detail.cfm?station=50

Not sure whether those spaces tend to fill up -- maybe someone else on the forum knows? -- but if you can get one, it would be cheap because you only have to pay the daily rate to get out of the garage, so five bucks for your entire stay (or even free if you leave on Monday, because Metro parking is free on weekends and holidays).

Woah!  That is some spooky same-time posting juju there!

[Meowkins]

Ditto what Carolina said. However, Huntington, Greenbelt, and Franconia are a bit far from the zoo, so heads up there.

I know that Takoma Park has free parking daily and is a straight shot to Woodley Park Zoo, but I have no idea if overnight is allowed there. Apparently, all metro parking lots are free on weekends and federal holidays? Who knew~

[mlejw6]

It looks like this lot is only $7/day:

https://www.parkme.com/lot/93509/hoffman-town-center-alexandria-va

It's right across the street from the Eisenhower Ave station on the yellow line  (next to last stop on yellow, before Huntington).

[DCKatie09]

Thanks!  I want to spend time in the city with my kids and am seeing rates of $120/night near the zoo at the Omni Shoreham (which I've stayed in before for work travel), which beats what I'm seeing in Alexandria (Labor Day weekend pricing's always odd).  I'm assuming I can't just park my car on the street in Alexandria for 3 nights, unsupervised, so other suggestions welcome...

That's a great rate in the city. But you actually can park your car for 3 days unmolested - just park it west of Commonwealth and north of Chapman and you're home free: http://www.alexandriava.gov/uploadedFiles/gis/info/ResParkingDistricts.pdf

[bogart]

Hi, all,

Thanks!  I do know the Franconia garage, have used it before, but not clear how likely long-term parking spaces are to be available.  Still, it would certainly work fine if they are (as non-urban dwellers, the kids find "riding the Metro" to be a key attraction of visiting DC, so a long ride in/out, once, is no problem!).  Would prefer that to Alexandria (or the city itself), actually, as it lets me reduce the total amount of driving I have to do (closest spot to our point of origin).  But anyway, looks like something here should work so I'll dig around a bit and figure out what will work best.  Appreciate the help!

[Carolina on My Mind]

There is also limited multiday parking in the garages at the Huntington (end of the yellow line) and Franconia-Springfield (end of the blue line) Metro stations.

http://www.wmata.com/rail/parking/parking_detail.cfm?station=50

Not sure whether those spaces tend to fill up -- maybe someone else on the forum knows? -- but if you can get one, it would be cheap because you only have to pay the daily rate to get out of the garage, so five bucks for your entire stay (or even free if you leave on Monday, because Metro parking is free on weekends and holidays).

Woah!  That is some spooky same-time posting juju there!

No kidding!  :)

By the way, I thought you needed a SmarTrip card to get out of Metro parking lots too, but the WMATA site suggests that they also take credit cards nowadays (at least at Huntington and Franconia, which are the ones I checked).