Recreational & Family - Washington D.C. on Bike

If you are contemplating a vacation to Washington D.C., may I suggest renting a bike! Bike The Sites is a great little company, right downtown. Connected with Grayline Tours they offer very reasonable rates, a very good stable of bikes for all levels, good support and maps to easily get you around. My hotel was in Arlington, VA and the 6 mile commute into D.C. was a breeze.

Bike rentals come with tools, spare tire, pump and locks. I rented a bike for 48 hours and it was fabulous........so easy to get around, plenty of places to park/lock your bike. Security in D.C. is tight so fear of theft is minimal. Walking is just too slow and if you drive, good luck finding parking. Here's the number and web address. (202) 842-BIKE - www.bikethesites.com - info@bikethesites.com

I'd like to know if other folks have had a good experience renting in major cities. I hope to never rent another car again. My next trip is Boston this fall. Can anyone tell me a good place to rent a bike?

Bill

I cannot vouch for that company, but I do know that biking the monumnent area is the best way to get around. It gets a little crowded in the summer, but if you do a Fall vacation, you'll have more elbow room. Also, if you want a little more ride, you can take the bike path over to Virginia and check out Arlington Cemetery and even head down to Alexandria for lunch.

I second the bike around DC. Traffic is bad and parking is worse. If I have to go to the mall for something, 95% of the time we do it on our bikes. Rosslyn is a great place to start on the trail or the parking lot of Roosevelt Island. Over Memorial bridge and you are at the Lincoln Memorial. If you don't go on the bridge, it is a straight shot down to National Airport and you can sit and feel like the jets are landing on your head :).

You can also go out into Maryland by linking up the Cap. Cres. Trail from the Mt. Vernon trail. It goes right into the center of Bethesda and is a good place to visit.