Washington DC

We flew out with British Airways on the new A380 which was fabulous.

We stayed at the J W Marriott which was in a perfect spot. The hotel in on Pennsylvania Avenue and a five minute walk from the Whitehouse and walking distance to many of the places on our 'to do list' like the Smithsonian Museums, the Monument and Ford's Theatre (where Abraham Lincoln was shot). Our room was lovely and spacious and the hotel has a great swimming pool.

We were only there for three nights so we decided to try the Old Town Trolley bus tour. They have different routes but I can recommend doing all three which will take round all the major monuments and buildings as well as Arlington Cemetery and Uptown to the National Cathedral and you can hop on and hop off throughout the tour. I would highly recommend this tour. Not only did it take us everywhere we wanted to visit but the drivers narrate the tour making each trip slightly different and entertaining with the opportunity to ask questions as you go along.

I loved Union Station and think it's well worth a visit to look around and there's some great shops and restaurants there too. From there we walked over to look at the Capitol Building. Another highlight was the tour around Ford's Theatre where Abraham Lincoln was shot. It was a really informative tour and included a visit to the house across the road where he was taken to die and - like a lot of the museums in Washington - entry is free.

Washington has a wonderful choice of fabulous restaurants and bars and the cocktail list at the Capitol Grille is definitely worth trying out.

I took the time to look at some other hotels which we were there and there’s a great choice to suit all budgets. One favourite was the W Hotel. I love the design elements of the hotel and the views from the fabulous roof top bar are stunning.

There is so much to see and do that we could easily have stayed a few more days…but at least we have a reason to go back!

If you’re planning a trip to Washington or just want a little more information, please get in touch as I would love to help!