I doubt you need a car. There's a comfort inn suites on Van Dorn in Alexandria for $99/night. It's closest to the last metro stop with free shuttle service to and from the metro station. Freebie breakfast typical (not great but not awful and quite edible). You're about 1/2 hour from all the DC main attractions. But it's so affordable.

I went to school and lived there for two years pre-911. We went back with 2 kids (3 and 8) last year. We stayed in Maryland at a hotel with a pool for the same price as one downtown but no pool. I figured we'd be driving a ton based on my experience in college. Not so. Parking was a pain in the ass and we ended up doing a ton of walking anyway. If I did it again, I'd pay more to stay downtown and use the metro. I'd do Air/ Space, Natural History, Formal Capital Tour, Monuments -- FDR (my favorite), MLK, Lincoln, Vietnam Wall, Washington, Jefferson, etc., Zoo and another museum or two. Again, no car needed, but strollers probably a must. Logistically, monuments can be all done in a day and I'd assume a half day per museum. Good luck, weather should be pretty good most of the time you are there with one or two cold days.

You don't need a car; the DC metro system is awesome. There's a hotel in Alexandria right across from the King Street Metro station. If you fly into Reagan, you can hop on the metro there, and down to the hotel in just a few minutes. Plus, there are a lot of great restaurants within walking distance down King Street. It's a tad pricey, but not bad, plus you'll be saving from not renting a car.

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Taco cat spelled backwards is....taco cat.

Not only do you not need a car, having one probably increases stress levels by an order of magnitude given the traffic, parking, and complexity of road network there.

I just stayed at the Pod Hotel in Chinatown (walking distance of the Mall). Kind of fun. Tiny little rooms, but otherwise nicely appointed. All I ever do in hotel rooms is sleep and shower, so it makes a lot of sense to me.

What everyone else said is correct. I'm in the area now, and so long as you find a place close to the metro, you really probably don't need a car at all, especially if you plan to mostly do stuff around the national mall. However, be aware that it's been pretty hot and muggy here the past few weeks (heat index over 100F). It has cooled off some, but it's still around 90F every day with about 60% humidity or more.

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Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)

Just wait until it's the weekend and/or safe-tracking, and you realize how useless the DC Metro is. Lots of single tracking even without safe track.

The places that people want to see is confined to a small area, so getting a cab (for 6 ppl) might not be a bad idea once you are dropped off and can just walk.

Only attraction not remotely close to downtown is the new Air & Space museum.

Realize that Metro charges by distance, so a trip from King Street downtown may run you $25 one way (for 6 ppl).

We were there with our Boy Scout Troop over Memorial Day Weekend (just happened to be Rolling Thunder Weekend too). While we camped out near Mason Neck State Park, we took the Metro from Newington to get into the Mall - it was easy that way with 15 scouts and five leaders. On Memorial Day we drove to Arlington with four cars and a van towing the troop trailer. I thought Capital Police wouldn't let us in with the trailer, but they were very accommodating and let the rest of us park close as well. I would check to see if there is a major event planned around that time you plan to travel to DC, as the Metro does get crowded.

Only get a car if you want to go to Dulles (Air & Space) or some of the nearby civil war battlefields (Antietam, Manassas, Spotsylvania are all not much further than an hour drive without traffic)

I was there last week. Forecast was 100 feeling like 107. At that point does it really matter what the heat index is?

I stayed in Silver Springs and drove down. Only problem with parking was finding the entrances to the places. Oh, and remembering where the hell it was I put the car when I left.

Someone else mentioned the pod hotel, I wish I would have read that before. I saw those but was kind of wary about trying it.

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

Factors to think about on where to stay:
- how much you feel comfortable spending on hotels
- how old your kids are, and how much time in transit they can tolerate
- what you want to do/see
- whether you're coming on a weekend or during the week (affects traffic and Metro timing).

All things considered, you might consider something near Metro Center - easy access to White House, Congress, Mall, monuments, Smithsonian, etc., by foot or short cab ride. Staying east of the White House rather than west makes for easier museum access, if that's appealing. The JW Marriott may be worth a look. If the zoo is a focus, you might want to be in Woodley Park. Dupont and Logan Circles can be lively but will require more time in transit for the kids. Georgetown is pleasant but out of the way for most major sites. Although there are inexpensive hotels to be found, I would not suggest staying in Southwest (very few amenities) or out New York Avenue (likewise, and far from attractions). VA or MD may be a bit cheaper, but you can end up spending a lot of time dealing with transportation. Staying in Rosslyn or Crystal City might be convenient for Arlington Nat'l Cemetery, however.
Unless you're in town for the weekend only, you probably will not want to do a lot of driving.
For services at Arlington, you can get there by Metro, but getting from the reception center to the grave site will likely require a car, especially with small kids.
Hope this is useful.

Thank you everyone!!

Lots to look at logistically - but I like that we won't need a car. Other family will be there with vehicles so we may be able to catch the occasional ride (like at the cemetery if necessary).

Probably have to deal with cold in November- but it won't be much different from Colorado at least!

Thanks again!

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Harry: "I expected the Rocky Mountains to be a little rockier than this."
Loyd: "I was thinking the same thing. That John Denver's full of shit, man."

Took my wife and two kids to DC for Spring Break this past Spring. We drove there but kept our car at the hotel garage the whole time we were there. We stayed at the Embassy Suites in DuPont Circle and found it to be really convenient. It's near a metro station, but we actually found it was cheaper to Uber most places than it was for 4 of us to ride the metro.

Hey there - sorry not to respond sooner. If you don't have your accommodations lined up, check out the Americana Motor Lodge in Arlington/Pentagon City - it's two metro stops from Arlington National and is pretty clean/cheap with a nice continental breakfast included in the cost. If you want to stay in the city, the Georgetown Inn in upper Georgetown is a great option, although not Metro convenient. There are a couple of good, relatively cheap hotels in the Foggy Bottom area around State Department, mostly catering to folks on government per diem - so pretty reasonable. Most have suites that might fit your needs as a family.

Metro is good....but be prepared to wait - especially on weekends. If there are maintenance issues, slowdowns, etc., be prepared to have time appear to literally stand still. That may be a non-starter with kids. I've never found parking terrible in DC - on weekends it's not too bad if you're willing to hunt a little. Get the ParkMobile App for your phone - that will save you a ton of frustration in getting quarters. As others have posted here, while ANC is metro accessible, the building where you will meet to attend the funeral is not - there's ample parking and given the kid situation, you may want to opt for a car.

You literally won't recognize the restaurant scene here since you left. Neighborhoods that were no-go areas back in the 90s are now the hippest parts of town with truly amazing food and fun things to do. By all means, don't feel limited to Georgetown, Dupont or Upper Northwest - check out Petworth, Logan Circle, NoMa, Penn Quarter. Grab a copy of the Washingtonian to get a sense of the restaurants you may want to try - you'll be surprised how many are kid friendly as well.

November is a great time of year...there still may be some colorful leaves on the trees, but the weather doesn't generally get terribly cold by then...walking along the Mall, seeing the White House, the Capitol, etc....all great experiences that sadly, too many of us DC wonks take for granted.