Springfield (Virginia) Voyage Tips and guide

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Springfield is served by a metro station (Franconia-Springfield), a Greyhound stop, nearby Amtrak stops, and several city bus lines. It is also the home of the I-95/I-395/I-495 junction which makes trips to DC, Tysons and Alexandria very easy from Springfield.

The Franconia-Springfield metro station has a large park-and-ride parking facility, which is free on the weekends. This makes it an ideal location to park for a weekend visit to Washington DC. On weekdays, a SmartTrip card (Metro's fare card) must be presented to leave the facility.

Springfield is a car-oriented suburban city, and many of the distances between attractions may be too great to walk. Additionally, walking paths in the built-up areas may not be the most beautiful, but a day trip walking around Lake Accotink will help clear out the concrete blahs.

• Explore some of the otherwise run-down looking strip malls for awesome finds in Asian and middle-eastern foods and other goods. Some of the best cheap eats are found in the corners of these old plazas.
• Take a day trip into Washington DC via the metro's Blue Line or one of the city bus lines.

• Mike's American Grill, 6210 Backlick Rd. Seafood, ribs.
• Hunan Taste, 8088 Rolling Rd.
• Hard Times Cafe, 6362 Springfield Blvd. Bar food.
• Silver Diner, 6592 Springfield Mall. Old-timey.

• If you are looking for a new instrument, Music and Arts is a great place to buy some musical instruments.
• 38.7746-77.17461 Springfield Town Center (Springfield Mall), 6500 Springfield Mall (intersection of Interstate 95 and Route 644). Shopping mall whose major anchors are Macy's and JC Penney, and also contains stores such as Journey's, Target, American Eagle, and Sports Authority. (updated Dec 2018)

• Best Western Springfield, 6721 Commerce Street, ☏ +1 703-922-6100, fax: +1 703 922-0708. 
• Courtyard Springfield, 6710 Commerce Street, ☏ +1 703-924-7200, fax: +1 703 924-0505. 
• Holiday Inn Express, 6401 Brandon Avenue, ☏ +1 703-644-5555. 
• Residence Inn Springfield/Old Keene Mill. Amhearst Ave and Backlick Rd. 
• TownePlace Suites Springfield, 6245 Brandon Avenue, ☏ +1 703-569-8060, fax: +1 703 569-8061. 
• Residence Inn Springfield Old Keene Mill, 6412 Backlick Road, ☏ +1 703-644-0020. Adjacent to I-495 (The Capital Beltway), 3.5 miles from the main post at Fort Belvoir. 
• 38.7698-77.17891 Extend Stay America, 6800 Metropolitan Center Dr. (take exit 169A off I-95 and go north on Loisdale Rd., turn right on Metropolitan Center Dr.), ☏ +1 703-822-0992. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. This is one of the least expensive places to stay in the D.C. area that is also tolerable. While the floors could use new carpets, the rooms are otherwise in good shape. The rooms have a kitchenette. The continental breakfast that comes with a night's stay is very basic. The hotel is within walking distance of Springfield Mall and it is 0.8 miles from the D.C. Metro station, which is the furthest south on the Metro system. Still, using the Metro to get around D.C. makes this hotel one to seriously consider. About $85 a night. (updated Mar 2017)

• Lake Accotink, a park featuring a 55-acre lake, wetlands and streams
• Washington, DC is 10 miles away.

Greenbelt ← Alexandria ←	N  S	→ Lorton → Richmond
Washington, D.C. ← Alexandria ←	N  S	→ END
Bethesda ← Annandale ←	N  E	→ Alexandria → Greenbelt
East End ← Alexandria ←	N  S	→ END
Fredericksburg ← Lorton ←	SW  NE	→ Alexandria → Washington, D.C.
Bristow ← Burke ←	W  E	→ Alexandria → Washington, D.C.