I’m really excited to interview Mike Ferraco of Your Travel Mentors about Washington D.C. Mike’s tips for the best things to do in Washington DC are awesome because he moved to D.C. in 2014 for work and fell in love with the city. While there are numerous museums and monuments to explore, the opportunities for outdoor activities are endless.
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A summertime sunset at the Lincoln Memorial. Photo by Casey Horner on Unsplash.
Washington D.C.
Mike’s list of favorite foodies spots and hidden gems are also a must-see when visiting D.C. We share a lot of resources and local suggestions in today’s podcast, but you should also check out Washington D.C., the local visitor’s bureau. They are a wealth of information and can help you plan an itinerary based on your time, budget, and interests.
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A short drive from DC is Shenandoah National Park, one of Mike’s favorite places to hike.
Getting around Washington D.C.
The local airport is Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), which is about a 15-minute drive to downtown. Use our Expedia tool below to find flight, hotel, and rental car options.
Mike says that, if you’re staying in the city, there’s no need to rent a car. The best option is to walk or use the DC Metro system, which is a great way to get around the city. Uber and Lyft are also excellent ways to get around.
If you decide to explore Shenandoah National Park or other attractions outside the city center, you’ll need to rent a car. For the best rental car offers, visit Avis, Budget, or Hertz.
When you only need a car for a couple of hours, you can rent by the hour with Zipcar. Join now to get $25 loaded into your account.
A view of the National Mall from Lincoln Memorial steps. Photo by Jacob Creswick on Unsplash.
Places we talked about on the podcast
Here is a map of all of the places we talked about on the podcast episode with Mike Ferraco about Washington D.C. You can zoom into the map and click on each dot to explore the city.
- Red dots = best places to eat in Washington D.C.
- Green dots = best things to do in Washington D.C.
- Yellow dots = best places to stay in Washington D.C.
Who is Mike Ferraco?
Mike Ferraco is the founder and author of Your Travel Mentors, a newsletter highlighting stories and advice from experienced travelers. Twice each month he interviews someone who has made traveling their lifestyle and sends their tips to your inbox.
He has traveled to 13 countries and 26 states. He has camped under the stars, road-tripped in a conversion van, and lived by the beach. He collects credit card rewards points that have greatly discounted his travel and provided him with countless free flights and hotel stays. In 2019, he and his wife spent two months backpacking Southeast Asia visiting Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. His favorite travel destination is Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
Check out some posts from his website below:
- An itinerary for your trip to Cambodia
- An epic national parks road trip
- The ultimate weekend in Washington D.C.
You can connect with Mike on his website and on Twitter.
Click here to download our one-page guide of Mike’s tips for Washington D.C.
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Hike to the waterfalls at Great Falls Park.
Stay tuned for our next episode
Listen to the next episode when Javier Garcia Colomo of Cool Tour Spain shares the best things to do in Madrid, Spain. In this episode, Javier and I talk about Plaza Mayor, the Prado Museum, and Madrid Art Week. We hope you’ll join us when We Travel There.
What’s your favorite part of Washington D.C? Send us a Tweet, let us know in the comment section below, or continue the discussion in our Facebook group!
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To see which cities we’ve interviewed and scheduled, please visit WeTravelThere.com/map. If you’d like to be a guest on the show, please submit an application at WeTravelThere.com/guest.
Related episodes
Learn more about the Washington, D.C., area by listening to our other interviews:
