Obama inauguration ticket info plus travel tips and links
Good morning, travelers! If attending the historical passage of our 44th president into office is all you can think about and the only trip you plan to take in 2009—here are some additional travel resources to help you plan your trip to Washington and witness President-elect Barack Obama take his oath of office.
When: Events begin on Jan. 15 and go through Jan. 20, the date that President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden will take their oaths of office.
Tickets: Los Angeles Times staff writer Mary Forgione cautions inauguration-ticket seekers about fake tickets and breaks down the process for getting real ones. Read: Barack Obama’s swearing-in ceremony: How to get inauguration tickets
Hotels: Expedia has an Inauguration travel tip page that suggests city and suburban hotels on the Metro line. Some of the areas include Alexandria, Bethesda, DuPont Circle and College Park. Do not be shocked to see hotel prices at $400 and above per night—if there are any still available. Expedia also has tips on things to do in D.C., such as attending the Inaugural parade, which is free and open to the public.
Luxe hotel options: What kind of packages are being offered by D.C. luxe hotels such as the Ritz Carlton, Mandarin Oriental and the Fairmont? Read on if you have more than $40,000 to spend. Well ok, there are a few cheaper options.
Budget options: CheapoAir has hotels in D.C. area during Jan. 15 - 21 for less than $200 a night.
Students can win a trip: Hey students, if you follow @statravelers on Twitter, you can try and score a trip for two to the inauguration.
Official Government Inaugural website: The official inaugural website offers information about inauguration events, historical facts, ticketing information and media resources.
Travel Tips & Where to hang out: Don’t miss Destination D.C.’s Inauguration page and Insider Tips. They have a section on political bars - great for those who can’t get into any of the events but want to experience the excitement with others.
> Boston.com’s Globetrotter is also pulling together inauguration travel resources. Read: Yes, we can: Start planning to hit inauguration
> Viator has some fun tours in Washington D.C. for first time visitors and attending the festivities. Check out the Washington D.C. Monuments Day Tour ($35.99), Washington D.C. TV and Movie Sites Tour ($27.99), Madame Tussauds Washington D.C. ($18.99) and other night tours, segway tours, dinner cruises and more.
– Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger
[Photo: Marc Hall / Getty Images]
17 Comments on “Obama inauguration ticket info plus travel tips and links”
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November 8th, 2008 at 11:25 am
pleas send free tickets to obama’s ball
November 8th, 2008 at 11:41 am
I would like a ticket to the Inagural? Please send me one. Please ask Mr. Obama to stop smoking. His wife, daughters and family need him here for a long time. Please!
November 10th, 2008 at 5:31 am
PLEASE SEND ME 2 TICKETS TO THE
INAUGURATION OR LET ME KNOW WHERE TO GET THEM. THANK YOU
[Editor's note: mailing address deleted]
November 10th, 2008 at 6:04 am
Congradulations and it is Great to be a part of history even in the time of sorrow. Thank You!
November 10th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
I am booking a stay to come on sat jan 17th and I would like to know what festivities are taking place each day of the Obama Inauguration from jan 15-20 please reply. thank you
November 10th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Hey all, i just found this site, it’s like a social network-ish site for
caravanning to inauguration day 2009.
http://inaugurationorbust.com/
Looks like it just got started, hope it’s be helpful to some of you.
[Ed.: Looks like the commenter is the "webmaster" for the site they mention. Please share your experience with the site here in our Comment section. A search in my home zip code(s) in LA yielded zero results.]
November 10th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
We have Charter buses available to the inauguration. We operate nationwide.
We also have hotel rooms available at reasonable “non-inauguration” rates.
Call Us Today:
BUSBABY.COM
http://www.busbaby.com
800-571-7636
November 11th, 2008 at 10:11 am
I’m listing available hotels & rates on my blog as I find them: http://resideorob.blogspot.com/2008/11/hotels-for-obama-inauguration-in-dc-are.html
The key is to stay at least 4 nights (as most hotels have strict minimum stay policies in effect) and to stay far out of town, drive to a Metro station and use the system. Here’s some example rates of what’s available right now:
Hilton Columbia Maryland: $203/night
Holiday Inn Springfield Virginia: $480/night
Legacy Hotel: $376/night
Kellogg Conference Hotel: $750/night
November 11th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
I checked 450 hotels on line and none were offering rooms online.
It’s best to cal the hotel directly, but expect to pay rack rates or higher and expect multi-day stay requirements.
For lots of grerat ideas of things to do in Washington, DC, along with inauguration information, check out The DC Traveler, at http://www.theDCtraveler.com.
November 14th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
I would like to get 4 tickets to the Inauguration 2009 this will be a life time experience for me
November 16th, 2008 at 6:32 am
Need a place? Take a look…
November 17th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Congratulations to President-Elect Obama. I would like to get four tickets to the inauguration on January 20th, please send me some information.
November 19th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
i need to know if a private chapter bus leaving from los angeles california to the inauguration anyone with info about caravan leaving please feel free to contact me
November 19th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
i want to follow someone from los angeles to washington dc or a caravan of people going the same way anyone with information please contact me shelmadine@sbcglobal.net
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:00 am
Please send me free tickets to the inauguration. The world is proud of Barak. This is History in making. The Bible is being fulfilled.
It is time for the healing of the nation. I would like to be there so I can tell my children, my children children and pass this legacy on for generations.
Yes, we can. We can achieve any and all things. Barak has opened the doors so our young men and women can follow. God Bless
January 12th, 2009 at 9:11 am
We have lots of clean, modern, comfortable hotel rooms and B & B’s in Romney, WV,26757, and surrounding area available starting at $75! We are only 41 miles west of Winchester,Va, on Route 50 and that is less than 1 hour from Dulles International Airport. Call our Visitor’s Bureau at 304 822-7477 or 304 671-2369 for more information. Patty Anderson, Pres, Convention & Visitor’s Bureau (Hampshire County WV) http://www.ComeToHampshire.com
January 16th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Here is another resource for finding landmarks and buildings in DC -
http://www.cccarto.com/dc_landmarks/index.html