Info on Commuter lot parking for the Metro?

Question

On Tue Dec 26th, on our way to North Carolina, I want to take my 9 year old son to Union Station to see the train exhibit. I think he will also get a kick out of a ride on the Metro. My question is where would be my BEST station to board as far as safety, cost and parking convenience, etc?
The ideal station would be on or close to 95 or 495 (no preference) and have a minimum amount of transfers to/from Union Station. Thanks

Answer 1

Wouldn't it just be easier to drive directly to Union Station and park there? You could take a short Metro ride to lunch in Dupont or somewhere if you want to ride the train.

Between buying a SmartTrip card to pay for parking, taking the train in and back, plus the time spent at the station, it seems sort of inconvenient to me.

Union Station isn't far from 395, which is easy to access from 495 and 95.

Answer 2

If you want to take the Metro, I it would be most convenient to exit I 95 at Telegraph Road and park at the Huntington Station. It's the end point of the Yellow Line. Take the Yellow Line train to Gallery Place and transfer to the Red Line to Union Station.

Here's the catch, and it's a big one: The cost of parking at the metro station is $3.75, which isn't bad. However, the only way to pay for parking is by using a Smartrip card, and I think the minimum amount you can put on a Smartrip card is $25.

Another option is to take the exit for Springfield Mall (Exit 169 A). Proceed straight ahead; the mall is on the right. Park in Parking Deck A, take the shuttle to the Metro station (it's only 25 cents each way). This will put you on the Blue Line. You'll have a longer metro ride to Metro Center, where you transfer to the Red Line to Union Station. For a quicker trip, you can transfer to the Yellow Line at National Airport, King Street, Braddock Road, or the Pentagon, take the Yellow Line to Gallery Place, and transfer to the Red Line to Union Station.

Then again, you can forget the Metro and park at Union Station!

Good Luck.

Answer 3

You can park at Grosvenor which is on 355 North of 495 in Bethesda, MD, and take the Red Line direct to Union Station. No transfers. The poster above who mentioned that SmartTrip cards are required to get out of the parking lot is correct but the minimum purchase on SmartTrip is $10. Buy it when you arrive at Grosvenor, use it for your fare to Union Station (get a regular Farecard for your son) and after the round trip you'll be able to cover the parking with a dollar or two left over.

The traffic on 12/26 won't be like the usual DC workday traffic as lots of Federal employees take the day off of work so you may want to just drive to Union Station. There is a huge parking garage right behind it and they offer 2 hour validation with a stamp from any of the merchants inside.