By Jill Leviticus
How to Take a Cheap Vacation to Washington for Christmas
Visiting Washington, DC, at Christmas time is a special treat. Miles of twinkling lights and elaborate Christmas decorations transform the city into a holiday lover's paradise. The high cost of hotels, transportation and holiday activities in the Washington area can make it difficult to stay within a tight budget. With some careful planning and creative penny pinching, however, you can reduce your costs and make the most of the Christmas holiday season in the nation's capital.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Things You'll Need:
- Metro system map
- Metro system map
Step 1
Stay in Virginia and save money on expensive hotels. Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia, are located across the Potomac River from Washington, DC, and both cities offer significantly lower hotel rates than you may find in Washington. You can find Arlington and Alexandria hotels on such travel websites as Travels.com, Expedia.com and Travelocity.com. Some hotels offer special holiday pricing or packages in December.
Step 2
Save money on taxi fares and take the Metro, Washington's subway system, to Christmas activities in the city. You can find a map of the Metro system at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority website.
Step 3
Watch the National Christmas Tree Program if you are in town that day. If you can't make the tree lighting program, you can still make a trip to see the tree, watch the model trains on display, and watch nightly performances by choirs and bands. The national Christmas tree is located at the Ellipse, south of the White House.
Step 4
Visit ZooLights at the National Zoo. Thousands of sparkling holiday lights, live entertainment, and special talks by zookeepers make this event worth seeing. ZooLights usually begins at the end of November and runs through mid-December on weekend nights. It becomes a nightly event about a week before Christmas through late December.
Step 5
Listen to the U.S. Army Orchestra and Chorus perform free holiday concerts at the DAR Constitution Hall. The concerts begin in mid-December and start at 8:00 p.m. for approximately 20 nights.
Step 6
Go ice skating at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Ice Rink. After taking a few turns around the rink, venture indoors for a cup of mulled cider or cocoa and a holiday sweet or two. Depending on when you visit, you may be able to attend a presentation on Christmas-themed artwork or listen to carolers in the West Building Rotunda.
Resources
About the Author:
Jill Leviticus has been a writer for 20 years. She writes business, health and travel articles for several online publications and worked as a writer for a hospital and a nonprofit research foundation. Leviticus has a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Lock Haven University and works as a public relations writer.
Photo Credits:
U.S. Government
