Staying at the Courtyard Arlington Rosslyn was a good decision. The metro is in walking distance (they even have a shuttle that would take us anywhere within a mile in Arlington, but we didn’t bother. Except for heavy rain we wouldn’t have needed it, that’s nowhere near European traveling habits…). If it’s not included in your room rate, you can get breakfast in the little café they host, at the Starbucks down the hill or at Panera Bread adjacent to Rosslyn metro station. We usually have a quick breakfast in order not to waste any more time after sleeping in – we’re on vacation, after all!

If you’re into shopping, there’s a Simon mall two stops away from the hotel. It’s also close to Arlington National Cemetary.

Buying a metro pass is pretty easy. Just go to any ticket machine and look for SmarTrip passes. They will charge you two dollars for the plastic card and with the initial charge of ten dollars, you’ll then have eight dollars remaining to spend on future trips. Cash and credit cards are accepted to pay. Topping up your card is equally simple, just tap your own card at one of the ticket machines and select the amount you wish to top it up with. Easy.

There are different fares for on- and off-peak, which usually differ at around a quarter or half a dollar. We never paid more than three dollars per ride to go anywhere and do sightseeing from Arlington.

Transferring between metro and buses usually doesn’t cost anything. There’s more information to that on every bus.

We didn’t bother to check out the tourist options for a (multiple) day pass – the city is really lovely to walk above the earth and to take a stroll, especially when you stick to the main sightseeing areas like The Mall, Federal Triangle or Georgetown. All in all, for two days, we spend about 37 dollars for the both of us, going here and there, without restricting ourselves to anything. This also includes the Uber rides mentioned in the following.

Should you have a data plan (which usually isn’t the case when travelling from Europe) or make use of one of the free wi-fi’s around (Starbucks and other restaurants and cafés are usually a good option) be sure to check out Uber instead of going by public transport, especially when you’re not travelling alone. Uber Pool (Express) turned out to be really useful, as well. It spared us the walking time to the closest metro station or bus stop, was at least equally fast and sometimes even cheaper than a metro ride for two. Just give it a try!

// stay overnight in Arlington: Courtyard Marriott Arlington Rosslyn

// get around easily with the Metro: use a SmarTrip pass

// visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and JFK: Arlington Cemetary

// spend a day at the shopping mall: Pentagon City Mall