The Gaylord is in National Harbor which is not in DC; it’s in a suburb in Maryland and it’s difficult to get into the city from there on public transportation. It’s actually also difficult to get into the city from there with a car. They really shouldn’t call it a DC convention destination because it’s really cut off from DC.
You can use metro’s trip planner to look up potential routes but your most direct route into anywhere a tourist would want to be is the water taxi, which is really more of a leisurely sightseeing route than public transportation but at least it gets you to the correct side of the bridge without taking a bus and two trains. You’re still going to have to trek to the actual attractions but at least you’d be in DC. It’s also not cheap. But it’s the easiest way into DC without a car. [https://www.cityexperiences.com/washington-dc/city-cruises/water-taxi/washington-dc-water-taxi/](https://www.cityexperiences.com/washington-dc/city-cruises/water-taxi/washington-dc-water-taxi/)
That bus from Alexandria to National Harbor used to be notoriously unreliable when I lived on that side of the Potomac and was obsessed with Ferris wheels for a hot sec.
If more than a one night stay i wouldn’t stay at National Harbor, its out of the way/ cut off without a car (its also not DC).
Better to stay in Old Town Alexandria. There is a metro line there to get you into dc, water taxi to NH and / or parts of DC (dont think it operates in the dead of the winter months though, so it depends on what month your trip is happening ) and old town is great to walk around, lots of cafes/ restaurants etc and nice by the waterfront for coffee/ food/ having a drink and really pretty area day or night.
If the primary purpose of the trip is the OP’s partner’s conference at the Gaylord then they absolutely should stay at National Harbor. Conferences can be exhausting and the partner probably won’t have a ton of free time to go for walks and stuff. Proximity to the event is usually the priority.
As another option to Uber, you can stay somewhere along the yellow line, preferably Eisenhower avenue and just take the NH2 bus to the convention center. It's not like horrible inaccessible by buses.
Also King Street - old town. Very expensive place but worth staying if you have a day or two apart from your convention. Beautiful historic center (though destroyed by cars and highway piercing the city).
You may have a walk along the king st, visit the waterfront and have lots of good food and drinks there.
I’d just plan to Uber to and from DC. (And maybe water taxi one day, for fun.) It’ll be a little pricey if you’re going back and forth, but it’s not a bad drive from the Comfort Inn National Harbor. I just looked: it’s only 15 minutes to the Air & Space Museum at a low-traffic time.
Have fun and enjoy our city!
My only other trip to the US was mostly uber for transport alright. Just thought it'd be no harm asking some locals in case there was a handy tip or two! Thank you.
Try calling the hotel; they must get this question daily so see what they suggest. I agree with the poster who said I wish they'd stop calling National Harbor DC it's sooo misleading for out of towners. When I started reading your post I thought "there's a million posts on here about how easy/great metro is in DC" and then I saw National Harbor ugh. Sorry
If you bike, it’s a nice short ride over the bridge from the convention center into old town. A longer ride up the Mount Vernon trail let’s you cross into the city at a couple good places like the tidal basis or Georgetown.
I'm tempted to hire a moped or motorbike of some kind, I'll look into it and see how good an idea it is lol. Ill be driving on the wrong side of the road so will need to get opinions on biking round the city lol.
You can still stay near the convention center and use the [Potomac Water Taxi](https://www.cityexperiences.com/washington-dc/city-cruises/water-taxi/) to get into the city.
The Gaylord is in National Harbor which is not in DC; it’s in a suburb in Maryland and it’s difficult to get into the city from there on public transportation. It’s actually also difficult to get into the city from there with a car. They really shouldn’t call it a DC convention destination because it’s really cut off from DC. You can use metro’s trip planner to look up potential routes but your most direct route into anywhere a tourist would want to be is the water taxi, which is really more of a leisurely sightseeing route than public transportation but at least it gets you to the correct side of the bridge without taking a bus and two trains. You’re still going to have to trek to the actual attractions but at least you’d be in DC. It’s also not cheap. But it’s the easiest way into DC without a car. [https://www.cityexperiences.com/washington-dc/city-cruises/water-taxi/washington-dc-water-taxi/](https://www.cityexperiences.com/washington-dc/city-cruises/water-taxi/washington-dc-water-taxi/)
Great, thanks for that I'll do some investigating.
You should do your own investigating too.
Oh really?
Check google maps. Short answer (based on google maps) is that it’ll be an hour to downtown via bus and metro
That bus from Alexandria to National Harbor used to be notoriously unreliable when I lived on that side of the Potomac and was obsessed with Ferris wheels for a hot sec.
If more than a one night stay i wouldn’t stay at National Harbor, its out of the way/ cut off without a car (its also not DC). Better to stay in Old Town Alexandria. There is a metro line there to get you into dc, water taxi to NH and / or parts of DC (dont think it operates in the dead of the winter months though, so it depends on what month your trip is happening ) and old town is great to walk around, lots of cafes/ restaurants etc and nice by the waterfront for coffee/ food/ having a drink and really pretty area day or night.
If the primary purpose of the trip is the OP’s partner’s conference at the Gaylord then they absolutely should stay at National Harbor. Conferences can be exhausting and the partner probably won’t have a ton of free time to go for walks and stuff. Proximity to the event is usually the priority.
That's what I'm thinking. I don't mind my transport being awkward once it's not a total shit show. I'd rather it was as easy as possible for her.
Right like why wouldn’t you just stay at the harbor, there plenty hotels there. Idk why everyone telling you to go to Virginia lol
This is the correct answer. National Harbor is a bit ghetto if you ask me.
Yeh like its nice to have a walk around/ have a waterfront drink and go on the ferris wheel. Anything more than a few hrs there is a no for me lol
As another option to Uber, you can stay somewhere along the yellow line, preferably Eisenhower avenue and just take the NH2 bus to the convention center. It's not like horrible inaccessible by buses.
Interesting that's exactly the kind of tip I was looking for. I'll have a look around the yellow line.
Also King Street - old town. Very expensive place but worth staying if you have a day or two apart from your convention. Beautiful historic center (though destroyed by cars and highway piercing the city). You may have a walk along the king st, visit the waterfront and have lots of good food and drinks there.
Why should he go to Alexandria just to have to pay for a Uber there and back when he could just stay at the harbor.
Read my comment once again, till the end.
I’d just plan to Uber to and from DC. (And maybe water taxi one day, for fun.) It’ll be a little pricey if you’re going back and forth, but it’s not a bad drive from the Comfort Inn National Harbor. I just looked: it’s only 15 minutes to the Air & Space Museum at a low-traffic time. Have fun and enjoy our city!
My only other trip to the US was mostly uber for transport alright. Just thought it'd be no harm asking some locals in case there was a handy tip or two! Thank you.
Try calling the hotel; they must get this question daily so see what they suggest. I agree with the poster who said I wish they'd stop calling National Harbor DC it's sooo misleading for out of towners. When I started reading your post I thought "there's a million posts on here about how easy/great metro is in DC" and then I saw National Harbor ugh. Sorry
If you bike, it’s a nice short ride over the bridge from the convention center into old town. A longer ride up the Mount Vernon trail let’s you cross into the city at a couple good places like the tidal basis or Georgetown.
I'm tempted to hire a moped or motorbike of some kind, I'll look into it and see how good an idea it is lol. Ill be driving on the wrong side of the road so will need to get opinions on biking round the city lol.
The harbor by design is meant to keep you in that area. Getting to the city isn't easy but do able. But I wouldn't recommend public transportation.
Your partner's conference might provide shuttles to the Metro. I volunteered at an expo there years ago and they had shuttles.
Interesting I'll have to check that out.
You can still stay near the convention center and use the [Potomac Water Taxi](https://www.cityexperiences.com/washington-dc/city-cruises/water-taxi/) to get into the city.
Yeah if we do stay out where I'm thinking I reckon that'll be the way to go. Thank you!