Travel Relic – FREE Itinerary, Travel Planners and Travel Advice

Looking for free things to see and do in DC? It’s a stunning city in the US and more planned out than any other. If you’re short on cash, DC is a great place to visit – most monuments and buildings are free to the public. Here are our top choices for saving cash without sacrificing fun.

1. Cheap Transportation – the Chinatown bus. For those who have travelled the world with a backpack on their shoulders, this seems to be a relic from another country. As the cheapeast way to get around the northeastern seaboard, you can use the Chinatown buses to get from DC to New York, Boston and most major northeastern cities for a price lower than any other means of transport. Many companies exist, but here’s a good start: Find your Chinatown bus>>

2. Stick to the National Mall – the large green strip running through the center of the city, this is the center of EVERYTHING. Take the metro to the capital building and make your way west. Here are a few of the places worth seeing on the national mall:

• Capitol building (may have to wait a while)
• Library of Congress (behind the capitol)
• National Art Museum
• National History Museum
• Air and Space Museum
• Washington Monument
• White House
• World War 2 Memorial
• Lincoln Memorial (at far west end)
• Jefferson Memorial (the only monument not directly on the Mall)

3. Where to eat – food courts abound under a lot of the government buildings and are inexpensive to eat at (comparatively). Avoid the many nice restaurants that dot the mall itself, and swerve off a block or two to find budget eats. More than likely (if the weather’s right), you’ll also find hot dog vendors on the mall itself or near one of the metro exits selling food for cheap. And if you’re REALLY lucky, you’ll arrive during one of the cultural festivals on the mall. During the Asia festival in July 2008, for example, every country from eastern Asia set up food pavilions selling culturally-accurate food for the masses. Delicious!

4. Arlington Cemetary – as the final resting place of America’s soldiers, it’s an amazing place to visit and take in.

5. Union Station – for a backpacker going by train, this will be your introduction to the city. Worth a quick view if you’re near the capitol building, it’s America’s most intriguing rail station.

6. Where to stay: hostels aren’t as plentiful in the US as elsewhere, and choices are limited. If you stay in the city, the HI Hostel in downtown is an option. Another good option for the US is the use of priceline.com.  If you’re traveling in a party of 2 or more, it is a GREAT way to get a room for discount prices. A general rule of thumb is only pick hotels in the area where you are comfortable with and start bidding at 40% of the market rate. If you don’t get it, no problem – try again the next day.

What NOT to see: There’s not a lot in DC that is should be avoided, but here’s a short list:

• National Aquarium – located in a relatively small basement and costing decent cash to enter, this isn’t worth your time
• Ford Theatre – this has been closed for what seems like forever. Located a 20 minute walk from the mall, it’s not worth the time
• American Indian Museum – amazingly stunning from the outside, the museum fails to send a cohesive message or give exhibits of comparable grandiose to those nearby.

Want to see some photos of DC? Check out our Washington DC Free Photo Gallery>>