2009 Presidential Inauguration Travel Primer
President-elect Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America on Jan 20 2009, at the 56th Presidential Inauguration.
And there’s already a huge rush to make arrangements to get to Washington DC and attend the events and week long bash with the swearing in ceremony, the inaugural parade and the glitzy galas that follow.
So here are some tips and tools to help you get through the week. For starters, this is the official inaugural website - www.inaugural.senate.gov/. And here’s the inaugural page with helpful tips from Washington DC tourism. Photo by Kevglobal via flickr (creative commons).
Tickets to view the Inauguration must be obtained through your Congressional Office. 240,000 tickets have been printed and will be available for distribution in January, free of charge. The Inaugural Parade, however, won’t need tickets, although it might be even more difficult considering the enormous interest and the huge crowd expected.
Most important thing, though, is that you find a good place to stay well in advance, since most Washington DC hotels will be sold out in the next few days.
The Mayflower (remember horny Spitzer?) is offering special Presidential Inauguration Hotel Packages. One of the packages includes accommodations in a luxury suite with access to the exclusive Mayflower Club level—which offers several food and beverage presentations throughout the day as well as a dedicated concierge in beautiful surroundings including fireplace, cushy, comfortable furniture and uncompromising service. Each night of their stay, guests will receive a different commemorative 2009 Presidential Inaugural gift at turndown.
And here are some more hotels with special packages for the inauguration. They’re all a bit costly, though, so if that’s not an option for you, then Expedia is about to launch a dedicated page for as a travel resource for Washington DC vacations during the Inauguration.
According to a press release, visitors to the page will be able to search for and reserve hotels, airline tickets and admission to various activities and tours around the D.C. area. In addition to searching and booking tools, the page will feature tips to consider when shopping for a hotel, the D.C. Metro public transportation map, information about the three primary airports that service the area and purchase options for guided tours and other popular visitor activities.
If you’re a student (or teacher), then you might want to consider cobbling together a group and joining an educational tour coinciding with the inauguration, like the one from the Smithsonian, or if that one’s full up, then this one.
Posted on November 4th, 2008 by PLing
Filed under: Travel News, Travel Tips
I am so glad to be a part of history and I will be in Washington, DC for the Inaugural, and I need to know how to get tickets for the event for free. Thank God I am free and live to see this day. I am a teacher at Paul D. West Middle School in Atlanta, GA.
Janice, I think the best way for you to get tickets would be to contact your Congressman. If I’m not mistaken, that would be John Lewis. You’ll find more information here - http://johnlewis.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=29
I am an African-American female in my mid-twenties. I knew this day would come but not so soon in my lifetime. I am very fortunate to see this day: The day that Martin Luther King dreamed about and the day my ancestors never thought would come to pass when the first slave ship landed on the shores of America some Three hundred and ninety-nine years ago.
Sultania, black, white or brown, we’re all fortunate to have such an able and competent person as the next commander-in-chief.
I cannot find a room anywhere, any ideas where to search??????? Plane tickets are easy accommodations are the issue. I would definitely like to be a part of history, It is my husband’s birthday and what better waty to share this moment.
Well, there are links in the article to help you find a hotel room. If that’s not possible for you, there’s any number of motels, hostels and B&B’s. Just do a search for it - Like ‘Washington DC hostels’. You’ll find a lot of them listed here - http://www.hostels.com/us.dc.html
Just got an email from STA Travel. If you follow them on twitter - @statravelers, you could win a trip for two with round-trip airfare and lodging in Washington, DC. More details here - http://pitchengine.com/free-release.php?id=1140
I know a Maryland based charter company that can assist with transportation and accomodations. They will help you with accomodations even if you do not need transporation services. Their staff is extremely nice and professional and will go the extra mile to make your dreams a reality. Don’t miss the opportunity to witness the most historical event in American history. Vist their website at www.milesaway.biz to inquirer.
Update - Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) is asking sites like eBay, Craigslist and others not to allow the sale of inauguration tickets. Plus, the Senate might pass legislation to make scalping of inauguration tickets a federal crime.
So, in case you’re looking for the tickets, let me repeat - Only way to get them, for free, is from Congressional offices, and not before Jan 2009. Do Not buy tickets.
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If you don’t have tickets to the inauguration ceremony, will the Mall be open for people to gather and perhaps big screens for people without tickets to see?
The Inauguration committee, headed by Sen. Dianne Feinstein is making security arrangements for the area taking into consideraton the fact that the National Mall is expected to fill up with the overflow crowd, and yes, there will likely be big screens.
My wife and I are coming from a small town in northern Canada to celebrate this historic occasion. We don’t expect to get close to the inaugural ceremony or parade and not being US citizens we don’t have access to tickets but just being there will be enough.
Hope you and your wife enjoy it, Rick.
[…] the 4th of Nov 2008, we published an Inauguration Travel Primer, and got deluged by a torrent of queries and emails from people who wanted to be a part of the […]
A few tickets still available for Inaugural Gala.
Act now to be part of the Georgetown Inaugural
Gala at the Shops at Georgetown Park on
January 20. This exclusive, Black Tie Affair will
feature live jazz, complimentary hors-d’oeuvres,
and a full bar. A limited number of tickets,
starting at $125.00, are still available from the
official site,
www.georgetowninaugurationgala.com.
Be part of history at Washington’s hottest event!
The Prez won’t be there, will he? He’s only attending 10 official balls. Anyone hawking tickets for one of those balls?
[…] If you need help with your inauguration travel plans, Washington DC hotels or any other aspects of the inauguration, you’ll find all the info you need here and here. […]
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