kennedy center, dc - help and advice please

[scampsweep]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 10:22am

Have never been to Washington before and need some advice on my trip to the Kennedy Center. Have looked at maps and everything, but is the Kennedy Center easy to get to ? I am staying in midtown (is that the correct term for the central area of Washington...I'm not from the US, so a bit uncertain of terms to use?) and am looking to get there by taxi (or by walking??)

Is the Kennedy Center within walking diatnce of midtown or is it too far ? Or are taxis plentiful from the Kennedy center after the show and how much will it cost to get back to midtown ? Any advice would be greatly appreciated...many thanks.

PS Have also posted this on the Washington board, but there seems to be very few replies on there for anything, so am posting here in the hope that I may get more response. Thanks.

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 10:44am

I, also, have never actually been to the Kennedy Center, but correct me if I'm wrong, it's definitely in walking distance of midtown, but if need be you can just call a cab

Posted: 12/27/10 at 10:46am

DC has an excellent transportation system- you will have NO PROBLEM getting to Kennedy Center by train, bus or cab.

[CandiceElyse]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 10:48am

Where exactly in DC are you staying, I live just outside DC, I can probably tell you if it is walking distance or not. The easiest thing to do if its not walkable is take the Metro to Foggy Bottom... just outside the station the Kennedy Center runs a free shuttle to and from the station every 15 minutes.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 11:28am

What is the best way to get to DC from NYC, and then to the theater? Planning my FOLLIES trip...

[Dollypop]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 11:33am

Hook, the airports are out in the boondocks. I would book one of the Bolt Buses. They'll take you to the heart of town. You might actually get one of their one dollar rides.

An alternate would be by train.

[CandiceElyse]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 11:33am

Megabus, definitely. its so easy and cheap.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 11:35am

BTW: The Bolt buses are comfortable and are equipped with Wi-Fi. That means everyone on the bus is occupied with their 'puters and you have a very quiet trip. I travel Bolt to Boston frequently.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 11:36am

What's your budget? There are Bolt Buses that run from New York to DC that seems to run ~$15-20 each way. Or you could take Amtrak for as low as $49 each way.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 11:38am

I don't know how long the bus ride to DC is, but it's only 4 hrs to Boston--non-stop.

The earlier you book Bolt, the cheaper the fare.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 11:40am

It's about 4-5 hours, depending on traffic. I would definitely recommend the Bolt Bus. I've taken it to and from DC many times. It's also really easy to get directly from where the bus lets you off to the KC.

[jessica0414]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 11:41am

When I lived in D.C. my roommates and I usually did what Candice said and took the Metro to the Foggy Bottom station and then took the Kennedy Center's shuttle to get there. Cabs would also probably not be very expensive, and I have never walked there (being under the impression that it's just a little bit out of the way for walking).

[CandiceElyse]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 11:44am

Ive never taken Bolt, I usually take Megabus which is essentially the same thing, I believe even the same drop off spot, but I know that whenever I get off the bus there are always cab drivers hovering around hoping to get riders, so that would make it even easier to get right over to the kennedy center.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 11:47am

A very cheap place to stay is the Hotel Allen Lee. It's a shor walk from the Kennedy Center. Clean but threadbare.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 11:48am

I've only taken Bolt Bus to Boston once (Greyhound more times than I can count), but if you can afford it, I would seriously recommend taking the train. I don't know if traffic between New York and DC is as bad as the traffic between New York and Boston is, but on a bus you can wind up stuck in standstill traffic for hours. Even with Wifi, you'll want to kill yourself, your seat mate and the driver.

Updated On: 12/27/10 at 11:48 AM

[jacobtsf]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 11:55am

I usually take Megabus as I find it is usually cheaper than Bolt Bus when booked far in advance. I usually walk to Kennedy Center from wherever I am, but I definitely suggest having a map with you as the roads near there can be confusing.

[CandiceElyse]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 11:56am

for what its worth, I've taken the bus probably around 10 roundtrips to/from NYC/DC and I've never hit any major traffic though I'm sure there are traffic nightmares on I-95 at any given moment, I've been extremely lucky to avoid them.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 11:57am

I've done the walk from the Foggy Bottom station to the KC. It's long, but pleasant if the weather is nice.

[alliez92092]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 1:32pm

The walk from the metro stop to the Kennedy Center really isn't bad, but the shuttles are an added bonus. When you're trying to get back to the metro after the show though, tons of people are waiting for the shuttle so you have to wait a bit.

I don't know much about traveling to DC from New York, but honestly, once you're there just use the metro. It's so convenient and pretty straightforward, plus it's so much cheaper than a cab.

[LondonNow]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 1:49pm

If you walk relatively quickly, it's a 10 minute or so walk between the Kennedy Center and Foggy Bottom metro. The free shuttles run frequently. Even after a performance, I've never had to wait long to get a shuttle back.
I always take Amtrak between DC and NYC, so I can't speak to the various bus options. But once you're in DC, there's no need to take a cab. The metro is fine.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 2:15pm

Where exactly are you staying? What I consider to be "Midtown" is Metro Center. That's a very, very long walk across town to the Kennedy Center. Take the Blue/Orange Metro line to Foggy Bottom. Cabs are not the best option. Not too expensive, but hard to track down.

Amtrak is hit or miss, IMO. Sometimes you find $49 trains when you buy months in advance. More often, it's $80-$120, each way. Trains are 3-4 hours, bus is 4.5 hours. I'm up and back from New York on Bolt Bus probably once a month and only on one occasion have I encountered traffic so bad that I felt it would have been worth the extra money to take the train.

CapnHook- Take Bolt/Megabus to the 10th & H St. stop. Metro Center is 2 blocks away and you can take the Blue/Orange line to Foggy Bottom, as others have mentioned. It's just 3 stops from Metro Center.

[Mamie]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 2:36pm

I live in the DC area and I always choose Amtrak first for commuting to NY and back - as long as I can afford it. But I've taken many of the so-called "Chinatown busses" and all of them let you off in DC somewhere very close to a Metro station. By far the easiest and most hassle-free way of getting to the KC is by Metro, utilizing the KC "Show Shuttle" when you arrive at the Foggy Bottom Metro stop. The shuttle is free and makes the loop between the KC and the Metro station every 15 minutes. You don't even have to rush when the show is over - the shuttle will continue running until quite late.

[shrekster224]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 7:27pm

NYC to DC's trip is essentially the same with a train and bus. I did both in one trip and the train took longer, but it all depends on traffic. Bus took 3 hours and 45 mins, train took about 4 and 15 mins.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 7:58pm

Avoid DC cabs at all costs. They have all these stupid surcharges and are way more pricey than NYC ones. Metro is the best bet, but leave plenty of time for delays. I like to worst-case scenario it before shows and plan for 20 minutes between trains... which happens... all too frequently, especially at night.

[hockeynut2]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 11:18pm

There is a free shuttle from Foggy Bottom Metro on the blue and Orange Metro Lines to the Kennedy Center. I travel from DC to NYC and back a lot and take DC2NY and Megabus and Tripper Bus. They are the cheapest and have the best service. If you go to wmata.com you can get metro directions. DC Theatre Scene.com has FIND A SHOW which has all the local performance times, discounts, nearby restaurants and directions to theatres. Check the link below.