by Megan Worley

Created on: November 23, 2008   Last Updated: January 08, 2009

Attempting to find parking in Washington D.C., as with many metropolitan areas, can be a complete waste of time and wasting time is not what you want to do in a city of historical sites and outstanding monuments and museums. Washington DC is a huge city, often full of tourists, which can lead to slow drivers who are looking at landmarks or lost, adding to the problem of finding a parking spot by consuming even more time. With that in mind there are a few options aside from driving and if having a car is a priority there are several options.

Tips for Parking around Washington DC

Be careful about where you are parking and make sure you read the signs and note the time limits.

Have change ready to pay parking meters.

Don't park anywhere you are supposed to, you will probably be towed. A good rule is that if there aren't any other cars parked there, you probably shouldn't be either.

If you are going to park in a garage make sure to do your research first, know their hours and how you have to pay to have payment ready. Also note that most parking in garages is fairly expensive.

Parking on the weekends is often free and much easier so if possible plan trips to downtown to be on the weekends.

Not driving at all

Free parking is difficult to find and paid parking is expensive. Parking police are on patrol and traffic, difficult at the best times, is horrid during peak times. To avoid all of this the best option is to take the Metro Rail which runs anywhere travelers would want to go and is inexpensive enough to compensate for the hassle of not having a vehicle. To use the Metro simply purchase a Farecard, located in a vending machine at each rail stop. The card is very simple to use. Just insert it into a turnstile when both entering and exiting and the cost of the trip are deducted. The Metrobus is another option, although unless you have a tourist pass, you will have to have exact change. Another option is to take a taxi, which is not a bad idea for tourists visiting the downtown area. Although walking will probably be involved with this option, as with the other non-driving options.

Walking or Bicycling

There is a lot to see in Washington DC and so walking may be the best option. However, if walking a lot does not sound like fun then renting a bicycle is another great option. When choosing either of these options be sure to take a map, wear really comfortable shoes and have a plan of where you are going.

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