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Visiting Questions

cateyecateye
in D.C. Area Babies

Hello DC moms!  I was hoping for some advice.  I will be in DC for a wedding in a couple weeks with my 19 month old.  We plan to take the Metro from the airport to the hotel and are staying a block away from the wedding (reception and ceremony).  We will also do some site seeing while in the area, all accessible by the Metro.  Do we need to bring a car seat for any reason?  We are thinking of getting a small umbrella stroller for the trip, too.  How easy it is to get on and off the Metro with one?

 Thanks!

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Re: Visiting Questions

  • bbin09bbin09 member
    The Metro is very crowded during morning and evening rush hour on week days, so I would avoid it then if possible. Those times, people are packed in really tight, standing room only. Also, summer is peak tourist season so it will be more crowded than usual as well. An umbrella stroller is probably a good idea.
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  • AgrippaAgrippa

    You probably won't need a carseat if you're planning on taking the Metro everywhere.  It is very easy to get around the metro with an umbrella stroller, and lots of people do it.

    I recommend trying to get on either the front or very back cars of the train--they tend to be less crowded.

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  • AnnaBananaBelleAnnaBananaBelle

    If all of your site seeing is accesible by metro, I don't see any need for a carseat.  If you are not trying to get on the metro at rush hour, it will be quite easy to use an umbrella stroller.  If you are traveling during rush hour I'd bring a carrier, like the Ergo so he's strapped to you and you can just fold up and hold the small umbrella stroller.  There are elevators in the metro stations so you don't have to handle the escalators with the stroller.  We just went to the zoo last week with the stroller on the metro, no problems!  It was a little croweded coming home (we left the zoo at 6) but it worked out fine.  Just remember when the train says the doors are closing, they are serious.  Don't try to push the stroller in last minute. 

    Are you going to the zoo?  It's free and awesome, and very kid friendly! 

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  • JenGKJenGK
    Ditto everything PPs said.  If you plan to take elevators on the metro, be prepared to walk a little more.  Some stations )particularly those downtown) have multiple entrances, and not every entrance has an elevator.  And when you get inside, you sometimes need to go a roundabout way to get to the side of the platform that you need, if there are multiple lines coming in to the station.
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  • cateyecateye

    Thanks for all of the feedback!  I've flown to DC a few times for work, so I'm familiar with the Metro, but this was several years before my baby days and I never thought about navigating with a stroller, toddler, etc. 
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  • garden123garden123
    imageAnnaBananaBelle:

    Just remember when the train says the doors are closing, they are serious.  Don't try to push the stroller in last minute. 

    This is an excellent warning.  I got stuck in the door once many years ago and it was scary.  The door are NOT like elevator doors and will not automatically bounce back open. First and announcement is made that the doors are closing.  They close briefly, then open briefly (for people who got stuck the first time), then close for good (when I got stuck).

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  • irubyou2irubyou2
    If you're going to the zoo, here's a helpful hint:  The Woodley Park-Zoo station is 6 block walk uphill to get to the zoo.  If you get off on the Cleveland Park stop instead, it's still a 6 block walk, but it's downhill!  So if you're going to be pushing a stroller, it will be all downhill if you take the Clevleand Park stop when you get there and the Woodley Park-Zoo when you leave!
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  • ArtslvrArtslvr

    imageirubyou2:
    If you're going to the zoo, here's a helpful hint:  The Woodley Park-Zoo station is 6 block walk uphill to get to the zoo.  If you get off on the Cleveland Park stop instead, it's still a 6 block walk, but it's downhill!  So if you're going to be pushing a stroller, it will be all downhill if you take the Clevleand Park stop when you get there and the Woodley Park-Zoo when you leave!

    This is very good advice!!

    Wife, Musician, Fed, WW-er, and Mom of three little kids - not necessarily in that order.
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