Reply #8: You were in the wrong places! [View All]

[hedda_foil]

DC prices for regular people are about the same as in any big city, which is to say you can get water at 24/$5 at CVS (all over town) and there are lots of inexpensive/family restaurants. The key is staying in a hotel in the $90-$130 price range, where they know where to stock up and where to eat without paying 4-Star prices. You guys stayed at high end hotels, which are godawful expensive and recommend comparably high-end restaurants etc. Next time you're thinking of going to DC, post what you're looking for and what you want to spend here and DUers will give you a list of hotels that are nice, convenient, and reasonably priced. You might even get info on where the nearby food and drugstores are! Many of the hotels in the category I'm talking have food storage and cooking facilities right in the room, which can save you hugely when you're travelling with kids.

Sorry you got caught in the tourist trap.