When you visit a big city, either for business or pleasure, you usually want to stay in right in the heart of it. However, when traveling to Washington DC, you may be better off staying somewhere other than downtown. Why?

• Washington is a nightmare to navigate in a car. There’s a street grid overlaid by circles with multiple diagonal roads radiating out from them. Even those familiar with the city can have a hard time getting from point A to point B because of all the odd streets, confusing intersections and one way traffic signs. When I lived in the Watergate neighbor, I knew one way in and out of town and if anything happened to detour me from that route, I quickly became lost. Sadly, I lived there for over a year and my navigation never improved.
• Parking, when possible, is expensive.
• The 2 airports in the area, Dulles International and Regan National are not convenient to the city center. In fact, Dulles is way out in Virginia and a cab ride from the airport into the city is pretty darn expensive.
• The Capital Beltway, aka I-495, encircles the District of Columbia through Northern Virginia and Maryland. It’s usually quickest to go around the city on the Beltway to line up with where you want to be before trying to join the congestion on the main arteries leading in and out of the District.
• The Metrorail, Washington’s train/subway system is quick, efficient and not at all scary. There are stations throughout the outlying metropolitan areas that make it a very pleasant and practical alternative to driving.

Many hotels have free shuttles to and from the airports and Metro stations. So, my recommendation for Washington DC lodging is to find a reasonably-priced hotel in a convenient location near the Metro and/or the Beltway and make that your headquarters when traveling to the Nation’s Capital. You’ll enjoy your trip much more if you leave the driving to someone else.

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