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| *Travel Tips>>>Washington, D.C. Travel Tips |
What's the difference with visiting Washington DC on the weekend or weekday? |
Travel Info I want to visit the zoo and maybe a museum or 2. I was told I should plan to go on a weekday because it's less crowded. But that is going to be hard. Are the weekends really that bad? Should I just go on the weekend or is it best to wait for a weekday? Whats the differences, in detail? Travel Tips Weekdays are easier, and the museums are less crowded, but it depends on which museum and which weekend. If you are going when school is out of session (I.e. summer vacation) then you will find a couple of the museums very crowded. If you want, for example, to go to the Air and Space Museum of the National Museum of Natural HIstory, it will be tough. We were there a few weeks ago, and it took some waiting time to get at the gems and minerals exhibit (a popular one) in the Natural History museum. We actually had to wait and be a little insistent on not letting a lot of people cut in. That is much less of an issue on weekdays, especially in the mornings, when the museums can be relatively empty. Even with this, the museums are do-able, even on weekends, although with these two I'd make sure to get there a little before 10:00, when the museums open. But there are so many museums in Washington! If you want to go to the new and wonderful American Indian Museum, or to one of the Art Museums, well, you should have very little problem getting in any time. And some museums, notably the Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Spy Museum, have timed tickets you can reserve online, or pick up that morning. They control crowds, and you don't have a real problem. The zoo can be busy any day of the week. On weekends it is families visiting, but on weekdays often school groups are there, which can result in just as crowded conditions. Again, going when it opens helps, though with only two days I'd go to the museum early, then to the zoo later. Except for the gem exhibit, though, the museums are laid out so that the crowds move quickly - they are designed for lots of people. It's worse in the summer, when families visit, so if you can time your trip in May, or early June, you might not have any issue on the weekends. If you plan your trip for September or October, it's a breeze. We have relatively few fall visitors, and you should have no problem on a weekend. One weekend you should avoid if you hate crowds, or should consider if you love events, are the weekends flanking July 4th, when the Smithsonian's folklife festival is on the mall. The festival brings tons of crowds, but is a rich and wonderful experience, with lots of exhibits and culture from all over the world brought right here to washington. I hope that helps Source(s): www.washingtontravelcast.com Other Travel Tips less traffic on the week-end Honestly it really doesn't matter when you go because D.C. is always crowded in some way or another. If you go during the week you have to contend with commuter traffic but the museum and the zoo is a little less crowded. If you go on the weekend there's a little less traffic but then you may get lucky and there could be additional events going on. I recently moved from the D.C. area. You will have different crowds, school groups at the zoo during the week, but if you go after lunch the crowds will dissipate. Try and use the Metro, especially during the week.....you will not be able to park on some streets after 3pm due to commuting, and it is difficult to find parking anyway. Just find a Metro station outside the city and take the train in with no hassle, they are very easy and reliable, and a great park of the travel experience. If you go to the zoo on the weekend, I would recommend going early, during the morning instead of the afternoon. I've attached the zoo's webpage with their posted hours. For museums, it all depend on what you plan to see. Like many musuems, some exhibits have larger crowds then others and some can be really packed. My same advice holds true about early the better with most of the museums, crowds build as the day goes along. |
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