I might have a trip to DC in the next few months. I’ll be driving, and would prefer not to take my car into DC. I’d rather park it at a Metro station (probably one of the southern stations), and just use the Metro for my stay.
Any advice on this? Do the Metro parking lots fill up with any frequency? Crime?
There’s only three Metro parking lots where overnight parking is permitted. They are: Greenbelt, Huntington, and Franconia-Springfield. You can leave your car up to 10 days. However, there’s ony 15-17 spots delegated to “multi-day parking” in each lot.
http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/daily-parking.cfm
Another option is to leave your car in Long-Term Parking at National Airport. You can pick up the Metro from there, its $9/day. I’ve done that and its not too bad. They usually have space except on major national holiday weekends.
Metro parking lots are either metered (which wouldn’t be convenient for long-term parking) or must be paid with SmarTrip cards. I’m not sure if overnight parking is allowed and couldn’t figure it out from the website. Safety, of course, depends on which station. Most garages, especially in VA, fill up early.
I think it would make more sense to use long term parking at National or Dulles. Economy parking at National is $12 a day and convenient to the Metro. Dulles is $10 per day, but then you have to take a bus to the Metro.
How long of a trip are you talking about?
Probably five nights.
Check with your hotel to see if they run a shuttle bus to Metro. Then you can keep your car at your hotel.
There are private parking garages around Ballston Metro that run $8/day, I think.
If it’s a D.C. hotel, chances are they’re going to charge you $20-$30 a night for parking.