Washington DC-- Has anyone toured this city with their bus?

3girlstravel · 04-11-2018, 10:46 AM

Hello my friends---

Can anyone offer ideas on visiting this city with their bus? Where do you park it? how to do you visit the city? and go to the different sites--- This info might work for any city really.

See you on the road!

dan-fox · 04-11-2018, 11:11 AM

I don't have a bus, but I'm a DC native so I'll try to give an opinion. Not too bus-friendly unless you have a cutaway or something short enough to parallel park. No large-vehicle parking at any of the Metro stops that I know about. There is one RV park in College Park MD that either has convenient Metrobus service to the CP Metro stop, or a dedicated shuttle. It's on Cherry Hill Rd and I think has "Cherry Hill" in the name of the place.

You'll have as much luck, good or bad, as anywhere else if you intend to stealth camp in a van-style vehicle. The Metro itself is a good way to get into/out of center city if you can figure out getting to/from your camping place to a station.

PNW_Steve · 04-11-2018, 05:20 PM

I have.

I was driving a converted Eagle 10.

I stopped and asked a cop if he could point me to a place to park. He directed me to where tour buses park at Union Station. I spent 4days parked there. Walking my dog was a bit of a stealth op.

I got away with it. I wouldn't count on it happening again.

Best follow Dan-Fox's suggestion and find a spot outside of town and take the metro in to see the sights.

john61ct · 04-11-2018, 06:36 PM

Actually, assuming you and your rig present well, and your intuition is accurate about asking a nice cop, that's a great idea for any city that gets lots of tourists.

Odds are it can't hurt anyway.

3girlstravel · 04-12-2018, 07:02 AM

Thanks for the info--- This is great info...

Something else I thought of yesterday was to check for school bus parking--- call ahead and ask if there was room in their lot... That might work!

john61ct · 04-12-2018, 08:03 AM

Private owners are shy of liability.

Maybe post a Wanted on CL offer to pay.

Or park at / near a train station not too far out of town.

dan-fox · 04-12-2018, 02:12 PM

Both MD and VA have commuter train systems in addition to Metro. MD is called MARC and VA is called VRE. It might be a thing to park at one of their stations and ride a train into town. It'll cost $8-15 each way each day and take an hour each way, and the schedules might not be conducive to staying in town for the evening; do your homework.

Most of those trains stop at one or more Metro stations on their way in; damn near all of them end up at Union Station. That's a good location to tourist from; right on the Mall, right at one end of Smithsonian Museum Row.

This Just In: I stand corrected! There is a park run by the National Park Service right on the beltway in Greenbelt. It's called (duh!) Greenbelt Park, and the picture on the homepage shows a great honking RV so it's worth looking into.

From their FAQ page:
"How close is the nearest Metro station? College Park Metro is about two miles away. They have built a brand new five story parking garage located right next to the station. There is also a parking area to the left of the station if your vehicle is too large for the parking garage. No RV's are allowed in either lot. There are directions at the ranger station.

Can I park my RV at a Metro Station? Yes RV's can park at the Greenbelt Metro Station. It is somewhat difficult to get to. It is ONLY accessible from I-95 Southbound past Route 1. It is an oversized parking area on the south side of the parking lot. To get to the RV lot, Take I-95 North to Route 1 College Park/ Laurel exit. Take Route 1 South (College Park) to the I-95 South exit (right there at the I-95 and Route 1 interchange). Take I-95 South to the Greenbelt Metro Station exit. Follow the signs to the oversized lot. This lot is not accessible from Cherrywood Lane."

Greenbelt Metro is a shorter hike from the park than College Park Metro, but I'm guessing that you'd be taking your life in your hands trying to get there.

Sweetpea rambling · 04-12-2018, 10:12 PM

I’m agree with Dan-fox, would definitely take some kind of public transport. I don’t even take my car in unless absolutely necessary. Parking is a challenge.

A lot will depend which direction you are coming in from and where you are staying, and how far into traffic you want to drive.

There’s been what looks like a mid conversion skoolie parked at the Centreville , VA park and ride every time I go by for at least a couple weeks. Metro bus for commuters from there to Vienna metro station every day. That’s not far from bull run regional park if you were willing to pay their fees for campsite...

dan-fox · 04-13-2018, 09:58 AM

You sound like a local, SweetPea.

I actually was born, raised, and currently live 11 miles N of the DC line, and I don't think I get into town twice a year anymore. It's just too much hassle. For instance, I went to the Kennedy Center a couple of years ago to see a Broadway show (Sweeney Todd?). I clocked the drive in at 22 miles and 75 minutes. I had to pay $25 for parking since the $15 parking across the street was full.

Are you sure you want to come to DC?

dan-fox · 04-13-2018, 09:59 AM

Hey! My 1000th post! I'm a kiloposter!

john61ct · 04-13-2018, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dan-fox

I had to pay $25 for parking since the $15 parking across the street was full.

Is that really considered expensive? I'm used to more like $80+ if you're talking 24hrs.

dan-fox · 04-13-2018, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by john61ct

Is that really considered expensive? I'm used to more like $80+ if you're talking 24hrs.

No, this is just for going out for the evening. As long as the entertainment lasts, say 7:30 - 10:30. Add that to 2x$80 for the tix, and whatever you just paid to take your wife out to dinner, and the fact that you had to start out at 5 pm and get home 11:30 to midnight for dinner and a play, and it begins to look very nice to go to a regional theater 20 minutes away for $25-30.

Where are you? NYC?

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