What is the best hotel in Mombasa?

HELP! What is the best way to get from the airport to hotel and then hotel to another hotel in DC?

• We'll be landing in the evening and will have to get to Washington Court Hotel, and then later in the week we will have to transfer to Tyson's Corners. I'm a little nervous about taking a train or subway with luggage but I don't want to spend an arm and a leg....

• Answer:

  You don't say which airport. In a taxi, you're looking at something like $15-$20 (maybe more with luggage) from National ( http://www.metwashairports.com/reagan/parking_transportation_4/ground_transportation_2/taxi_rates ) and $50-$60 ( http://www.metwashairports.com/dulles/parking_transportation_3/ground_transportation/washington_flyer_taxi ) from Dulles. And although rental cars aren't that expensive, parking in the city is. (And street parking pretty much doesn't exist on Capitol Hill, except in two-hour increments with very efficient enforcement.) I recommend public transit. People take luggage on the subway all the time - just please keep it out of the aisle near the doorways as much as you can. From Washington National... take the subway. There's a blue line station right at the airport. It's often faster than a cab, particularly during rush hour. Take the blue line (toward Largo), get off the train and transfer to the red line at the Metro Center station (toward Silver Spring) and get off at Union Station. The hotel is two blocks away at 25 New Jersey Avenue, NW. You could walk that (someone will point you in the right direction) - particularly if your luggage has wheels or grab a cab from there. From Dulles Airport... take the Metro Shuttle to the West Falls Church station (its only destination). The shuttle leaves every half hour from outside the baggage claim area. The West Falls Church station is on the Orange Line. Head into the city (toward New Carrollton). (Take the stairs/elevator/escalator to your left after you go through the fare turnstiles.) Change trains at Metro Center to a red line train (toward Silver Spring or Glenmont) and exit at Union Station. (see above) To go to Tyson's Corner (in Virginia), take Metro from Union Station to West Falls Church and catch a cab at West Falls Church. (That is, red line toward Shady Grove - change at Metro Center to the Orange Line toward Vienna, exiting at West Falls Church) As you leave the turnstiles at the West Falls Church station, turn right to get to the taxi stand. You could get a bus at West Falls Church, but I wouldn't do it with luggage. (If you want to, though, ask the station attendant for guidance. Buses leave on both sides of the station.) The Washington Metro's Web site http://www.wmata.com/ , has detailed maps and a nifty "from here to there" trip planner http://www.wmata.com/tripplanner_d/tripplanner_form_solo.cfm . Enjoy your visit!