Yes, you can get to the National mall without driving! Parking is
available at $20 per day from the resort.
Donna F. answered Jul 30, 2022
Don't even think about driving into the District. Public transportation
(Metro rail and Metro bus) is not expensive and is relatively easy to
use. National Harbor has parking in a commercial garage across the street
for $20/day with unlimited in/out.
Thanksgiving Day is not restricted at National Harbor.
Jim's Vacation Rentals answered Apr 18, 2022
Update: Parking is now $24 per day. We spent a few days there in late
June.
Getting to National Harbor from Reagan National Airport can be done if
one is fearless when it comes to using public transportation -- a
combination of MetroRail and MetroBus. This might be somewhat daunting
for someone not familiar with the two systems. I know both systems well
and, to be honest, I would not try to schlepp luggage from National
Airport to National Harbor. I'd use Uber or a taxi, especially in view of
the following.
Major Blue and Yellow Line Construction
Sept. 10 - Oct. 22, 2022: No Metrorail service south of Ronald Reagan
Washington National Airport Station as crews build new tracks that "tie
in" the new Potomac Yard Station with the existing Metrorail system.
There will be no Yellow Line service, but Yellow Line stations north of
Reagan National Airport will be accessible via the Blue or Green lines.
Sept. 10, 2022 - May 2023: No Metrorail service between Pentagon and
L'Enfant Plaza stations as crews work on the Yellow Line tunnel and
bridge rehabilitation. Yellow Line stations will be served by the Blue or
Green lines.
Fall 2022: Rail service will resume south of Reagan National Airport on
October 23, and no stations will be closed. Potomac Yard Station will
open in fall of 2022.
May 2023: Yellow Line tunnel and bridge improvements completed and Yellow
Line service resumes.
This means that the way to get from NH into the District will be the NH-1
bus to Southern Avenue and the Green Line from there. Do a Google search
for "DC NH-1 bus schedule." The schedule is on moovitapp.com. Google
search "DC Metro map." To ride Metro rail or Metro buses, you need
SmartTrip cards, one per person. Find out how to get them here:
https://wmata.com/fares/Buy-SmarTrip.cfm
Touring in the District means walking. A lot of walking. Distances
between places on the Mall are a lot longer than they look on a map. Give
your feet a rest and if car-less, consider renting a car to go to Mount
Vernon (in Alexandria, a quick drive from NH), the Udvar-Hazy annex to
the National Air and Space Museum (out by Dulles Airport), the Marine
Corps Museum (south on I-95 at Quantico), perhaps day trips to Thomas
Jefferson's Monticello in Charlottesville and/or Colonial Williamsburg in
Wmsburg, VA (but NOT to drive into the District!). If you have history
buffs in the family, there is no place in the country to better learn
about colonial history than Williamsburg (and nearby Jamestown and
Yorktown).
Jim's Vacation Rentals answered Jul 30, 2022