Am going to Washington, D.C. for the first time. Any helpful pointers to make the trip go smoothly?

I am interested in touring the historical sites. Can someone recommend an economical tour package? Also, night spots, restaurants, etc. for the 30-somethings? Best (and worst) hotels? Areas to stay away from? Thanks.

Am going to Washington, D.C. for the first time. Any helpful pointers to make the trip go smoothly?
Tours... I only recommend two:





Monuments by Moonlight http://www.historictours.com/Washington/... because DC is just beautiful at night, plus the weather is much more comfortable if you'll be here before October





Heritage Walking tours:


http://www.culturaltourismdc.org/informa... These are self-guided and free and you really get to see the city up-close and personal, and absorb some history while you're at it. This link is for the downtown route but I also recommend the Adams Morgan and/or U Street because both go through the trendy/hip and happening neighborhoods. You'll have a lot of good restaurants and nightspots to wander into, although in Adams Morgan on a weekend evening you will want to stick to the lower end of the "strip" because the further up the hill you get, the younger the crowd (and the bigger the crowd) is.





Nightspots... for a "neighborhood dive" try the Big Hunt on Connecticut Ave, outstanding beer selection, great jukebox and great pub fare, and pool tables. For dressing up and dancing try Dragonfly, also on Connecticut Ave. For live music, the 9:30 Club (8th and V NW) is a world-class venue that gets some top-name acts and has an amazing sound system, or try the Black Cat on 14th and S NW for local bands and indie bands.





Hotels: Economy-minded, I'd recommend the Days Inn on Connecticut Ave NW near UDC as the neighborhood is very nice and safe, metro is 2 or 3 blocks, free parking, and a small but nice selection of restaurants nearby. Higher priced, I'd pick the Governor's House on 17th and Rhode Island NW for excellent service and great location, or the Embassy Suites on Massachusettes Ave NW (near I think 21st Street). Do not not not stay anywhere on New York Avenue NE (New York Ave NW higher than the 800 block or so is fine although very quiet at night). Do not stay on Bladensburg Road or in the "Capital Gateway" neighborhood of DC itself. I'd also recommend checking into some of the Arlington, VA hotels, particularly those on/near Wilson Blvd, or Clarendon Metro; there may be fewer posh amenities but the prices are lower and the location is awesome.





Restaurants... be sure to try Ethiopian while you are here, as DC has the largest Ethiopian community outside of Ethiopia itself and we have many fine restaurants to choose from. I recommed Dukem on U Street (around 9th or 10th); their food is pretty good and very affordable plus most nights they have a dinner show with traditional Ethiopian dance and music. If you have never had Ethiopian food, it's not the prettiest but it's very yummy and fun to eat; no forks! Pick it all up with your fingers on squishy "napkin bread."





Neighborhoods to stay out of: the city has changed a lot in the last few years and former "bad" neighborhoods are now fun. Steer clear of the neighborhoods that are mostly residential; Southwest DC is not overly dangerous but there's not a lot to do there. Parts of Southeast can be a little rough but if you stick close to Capitol Hill/Mass Ave/Penn Ave you'll be OK. No side-trips to the close-in Maryland suburbs; again, not a lot to do and some of the neighborhoods are kind of rough. Don't miss DuPont Circle--- lots of great restaurants, nightspots and fun stuff!





And before you check into your hotel, grab a City Paper--- it's the city free weekly, comes out on Thursdays and contains all the concert/nightlife listings, restaurant ads, reviews, etc.





Enjoy your trip!
Reply:You don't need a tour package. Decide the things you are interested in, and get a Metro map. It's quite easy to get around DC on the Metro. And there is so much to see! Some take the bus tours to get a feel of what there is to see, then return to the sights they are interested in on their own later. I got a lot of good info from the Frommers website last time I went-- http://www.frommers.com/destinations/was...


I went through the list of sites, picked the ones I was interested in, and made a note of the subway stops I needed to get off at. Worked out well for me.


Here is their list of tour groups:


http://www.frommers.com/destinations/was...


We are thinking of doing the Segway tour later this month when we go.


There are also lots of hotel recommendations on the Frommers site; Washington hotels are pretty pricey...


We are staying at a B%26amp;B, the Maison Orleans.
Reply:There are so many things to see there! Definately wear comfortable shoes! Another great way is to take a short cruise on the Potomic and see the monuments from the water! That was so much fun! Have a great time!
Reply:www.vrbo.com is your best cheapest bet for great lodging
Reply:I just visited there for the first time. My wife and I stayed at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. We did priceline for the hotel got the room for $70 regularly $189. Great location. Close to the National Zoo, gotta see the pandas. Very close subway stop. We used the trolley tour, you can get on and off at a number of the popular sites. Cost is $32 a day. Taxis are very plentiful. Had dinner at Harborfront near Georgetown. Number of very nice restaurants. Enjoy DC everyone should visit our capitol. Also, wear comfortable walking shoes you will need them.