As part of booking roundtrip flights which depart from US airports, Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on US Airways, which operates a daily non-stop flight from Amsterdam, Netherlands (AMS) to Washington (IAD) regularly scheduled to depart at 12:20pm and arrive at 2:53pm. Usually a Boeing 777 is flown for this route. Generally, a movie is offered on this route. The average travel time from Amsterdam, Netherlands to Washington, DC is 8 hours and 33 minutes.

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Regularly Scheduled Flights to Washington (IAD) from Amsterdam, Netherlands (AMS)
				Daily Non-Stops		Select Non-Stop		Earliest Flight		Last Flight
	US Airways			1		-		12:20pm		12:20pm
	KLM Royal Dutch Airlines			1		-		1:20pm		1:20pm
	Lufthansa			1		-		12:20pm		12:20pm
	LOT - Polish Airlines			1		-		12:20pm		12:20pm
	Northwest Airlines			1		-		1:20pm		1:20pm
	SAS			1		-		12:20pm		12:20pm
	TAP - Air Portugal			1		-		12:20pm		12:20pm
	United Airlines			1		-		12:20pm		12:20pm

During your Washington vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:

Smithsonian Information Center (the "Castle")
Make this your first stop, and enter through the Enid A. Haupt Garden (see description further along, in the "Parks & Gardens" section), for a pleasurable experience. Built in 1855, this Norman-style red-sandstone building, popularly known as the "Castle," is the oldest building on the Mall, yet it holds the impressively high-tech and comprehensive Smithsonian Information Center.The main information area here is the Great Hall, where a 24-minute video overview of the institution runs throughout the day in two theaters. There are two large schematic models of the Mall (as well as a third in Braille), and two large electronic maps of Washington allow visitors to locate nearly 100 popular attractions and Metro and Tourmobile stops. Interactive videos, some at children's heights, offer extensive information about the Smithsonian and other capital attractions and transportation (the menus seem infinite).The entire facility is accessible to persons with disabilities and information is available in a number of foreign languages. Daily Smithsonian events appear on monitors; in addition, the information desk's volunteer staff can answer questions and help you plan a Smithsonian sightseeing itinerary. Most of the museums are within easy walking distance of the facility.While you're here, notice the charming vestibule, which has been restored to its turn-of-the-20th-century appearance. It was originally designed to display exhibits at a child's eye level. The gold-trimmed ceiling is decorated to represent a grape arbor with brightly plumed birds and blue sky peeking through the trellis. This is also where the Seattle's Best Coffee kiosk is located, so why not grab a cuppa and a muffin and your guidebook and maps and settle yourself outside on a bench in the Enid A. Haupt Garden and plan your day.On Sundays, the Castle serves an extensive brunch in its Commons room, from 11am to 2pm, for $33 per adult, $16 for children 12 and under; call tel. 202/371-1083 to make a reservation.

The Capitol
The Capitol is as majestic up close at it is from afar. For 135 years it sheltered not only both houses of Congress, but also the Supreme Court and, for 97 years, the Library of Congress as well. When you tour the Capitol, you'll learn about America's history as you admire the place in which it unfolded. Classical architecture, interior embellishments, and hundreds of paintings, sculptures, and other artworks are integral elements of the Capitol.On the massive bronze doors leading to the Rotunda are portrayals of events in the life of Columbus. The Rotunda -- a huge 96-foot-wide circular hall capped by a 180-foot-high dome -- is the hub of the Capitol. The dome was completed, at Lincoln's direction, while the Civil War was being fought. Ten presidents have lain in state here, with former President Ronald Reagan being the most recent; when Kennedy's casket was displayed, the line of mourners stretched 40 blocks. On the walls are eight immense oil paintings of events in American history, such as the presentation of the Declaration of Independence and the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. In the dome is an allegorical fresco masterpiece by Constantino Brumidi, Apotheosis of Washington, a symbolic portrayal of George Washington surrounded by Roman gods and goddesses watching over the progress of the nation. Brumidi was known as the "Michelangelo of the Capitol" for the many works he created throughout the building. (Take another look at the dome and find the woman directly below Washington; the triumphant Armed Freedom figure is said to be modeled after Lola Germon, a beautiful young actress with whom the 60-year-old Brumidi had a child.) Beneath the dome is a trompe l'oeil frieze depicting important events in American history. Also in the Rotunda is the sculpture of suffragists Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Lucretia Mott. For a long time, the monument had been relegated to the Crypt, one level directly below the Rotunda. Women's groups successfully lobbied for its more prominent position in the Rotunda.The National Statuary Hall was originally the chamber of the House of Representatives. In 1864, it became Statuary Hall, and the states were invited to send two statues each of native sons and daughters to the hall. There are 97 statues in all, since three states, Nevada, New Mexico, and North Dakota, have sent only one. Many of the statues honor individuals who played important roles in American history, such as Henry Clay, Ethan Allen, Daniel Webster, and seven women, including Jeannette Rankin, the first woman to serve in Congress.You will not see them on your tour, but the south and north wings of the Capitol hold the House and Senate chambers, respectively. The House of Representatives chamber is the largest legislative chamber in the world, and the setting for the president's annual State of the Union addresses. (See information further along about watching Senate and House activity.) The Capitol also houses the Old Supreme Court Chamber, which has been restored to its mid-19th-century appearance. The Old Supreme Court Chamber is where Chief Justice John Marshall established the foundations of American constitutional law. Allow at least an hour for touring, longer if you plan to attend a session of Congress. Remember to allow time for waiting in line.At this time, self-guided tours and "VIP" tours (tours reserved in advance by individuals through their congressional offices) have been suspended, for the foreseeable future. The only way now to tour the Capitol Building is in groups of 40. A Capitol Guide Service guide conducts each tour, which is free and lasts about 30 minutes.You have two options: If you are part of an organized bunch, say a school class on a field trip, you may arrange a tour in advance, putting together groups of no more than 40 each, by contacting your congressional office at least 1 month ahead, and following the procedures that office outlines for you. If you are on your own, or with family or friends, you will want to get to the Capitol early, by 7:30am, to stand in line for one of a limited number of timed tickets the Capitol distributes daily, starting at 9am. Head to the ticket kiosk at the southwest corner of the Capitol grounds, near the intersection of 1st Street and Independence Avenue SW, across 1st Street from the U.S. Botanic Gardens. It's a first-come, first-served system, with only one ticket given to each person, and each person, including children of any age, must have a ticket. The good news is that once you receive your ticket, you are free to go somewhere nearby to get a bite to eat, or to sightsee, while you wait for your turn to tour the Capitol. The bad news is that all of you, even 1-year-old baby Louie, have to rise early and get to the Capitol by about 7:30am and then stand in line for another hour or more to be sure of touring the Capitol that day. Still, I think this is an improvement over the old touring procedure, which required all of you to stay in the queue until you entered the Capitol -- if you left the line, you lost your place. Definitely call the recorded information line (tel. 202/225-6827) on the morning of your visit to confirm exactly where and how to obtain your ticket.Now, if you wish to visit either or both the House and Senate galleries, you follow a different procedure. The Senate Gallery is open to visitors only when it is in session, while the House Gallery is open to visitors whether or not it is in session. Try to visit when both the Senate and House are in session [STSTST]. Either way, in session or not, you must have a pass to visit each gallery. (Children under 6 are not allowed in the Senate gallery.) Once obtained, the passes are good through the remainder of the Congress. To obtain visitor passes in advance, contact your representative for a House gallery pass, or your senator for a Senate gallery pass; District of Columbia and Puerto Rico residents should contact their delegate to Congress. If you don't receive visitor passes in the mail, they're obtainable at your senator's office on the Constitution Avenue, or north side, of the building or your representative's or delegate's office on the Independence Avenue, or south side, of the building. (Visitors who are not citizens can obtain a gallery pass by presenting a passport at the Senate or House appointments desk, located on the first floor of the Capitol.) Call the Capitol switchboard at tel. 202/224-3121 to contact the office of your senator or congressperson. Your congressional office will issue you a pass. You'll know the House and/or the Senate is in session if you see flags flying over their respective wings of the Capitol (House: south side, Senate: north side), or you can check the weekday "Today in Congress" column in the Washington Post for details on times of the House and Senate sessions and committee hearings. This column also tells you which sessions are open to the public. Or you can access the Capitol's webpage, www.aoc.gov. Vastly improved in the past year, the website provides lots of good information about the history, art, and construction of the Capitol building; an in-depth education on the legislative process; and schedules of bill debates in the House and Senate, committee markups and meetings, and lots of other good stuff. The aoc.gov (aoc stands for "architect of the capitol") page has links to the individual Senate, www.senate.gov, and House, www.house.gov, pages, or you can go directly to those sites, to connect to your senate or house representative's page.

National Museum of the American Indian
Though this museum had not opened at the time of my research, I knew I must include mention of it, for it promises to be a staggeringly handsome and supremely fascinating museum. Consider its exterior: Its burnt sand-colored exterior of kasota limestone wraps around the undulating walls of the museum, making the five-story building a standout among the many white-stone structures on the National Mall. Its interior design incorporates themes of nature and astronomy. For instance, the Potomac (a Piscataway word meaning "where the goods are brought in") is a rotunda that serves as the museum's main gathering place; it is also "the heart of the museum, the sun of its universe" (as noted in the museum's literature). Measuring 120 feet in diameter, with an atrium rising 120 feet to the top of the dome overhead, the Potomac is the central entryway into the museum, a venue for performances, and a hall filled with celestial references, from the equinoxes and solstices mapped on the floor beneath your feet to the sights of sky visible through the oculus in the dome above your head.The National Museum of the American Indian is very much a "living" museum then, with performances, events, and exhibits that aim at giving Native peoples the chance to tell their own stories. Exhibits explore Native life and history and specific themes, and showcase works of individual artists. Most importantly, the museum is a giant display case for a collection of precious objects representing 1,000 Native communities. A wealthy New Yorker named George Gustav Heyer (1874-1957) assembled the collection of these 800,000 pieces, including wood and stone carvings, masks, pottery, feather bonnets, and so on; the museum displays about 8,000 of these at any given time.Anticipating that many people will want to visit this museum, the Smithsonian Institution established a same day/timed pass admission procedure. You should arrive no later than 10am to stand in line to obtain a pass, which will be printed with the time you will be able to enter the museum. Your pass is free, but if you want to order yours in advance you can call tel. 866/400-6624, or go online to www.tickets.com, to order tickets (the ticket agency, and not the museum, charges you a nominal fee for the service). The National Museum of the American Indian officially opened on September 21, 2004, taking 5 years and $219 million to construct. The museum has two gift shops and a restaurant."

Make your reservations for discount hotel rooms in the Washington area, including:

St. Gregory Luxury Hotel and Suites
The St. Gregory, open since June 2000, is an affordable luxury property, with marble floors and chandeliers. The hotel is well situated at the corner of 21st and M streets, not far from Georgetown, Dupont Circle, Foggy Bottom, and the White House, and with many good restaurants within a literal stone's throw.Most of the guest rooms are one-bedroom suites, with a separate living room and bedroom, and with a pullout sofa in the living room. For privacy and views, choose one of the 16 "sky" suites on the ninth floor, each with terrace and city overlooks. Of the 100 suites, 85 have fully appointed kitchens, including microwaves, ovens, and full-size refrigerators (the other 15 suites have no kitchens). In the remaining 54 units are either king or two double beds. Decor throughout the hotel is an attractive mélange of olive green and gold, with un-hotel-like lamps, mirror frames, and fabrics. Three whole floors of the hotel are reserved for club-level rooms. The St. Gregory offers special rates to long-term and government guests, and to those from the diplomatic community. If you don't fall into one of those categories, check the hotel's website for great deals like the often available "One Dollar Clearance Sale": You pay a set price -- this can fluctuate, sometimes $159, sometimes $209 -- the first night and only $1 for the second night, for Friday and Saturday, or Saturday and Sunday stays. To book this discount, you must call the hotel's 800 number.Facilities: Restaurant and coffee bar (American) with sidewalk seating seasonally; state-of-the-art fitness center, as well as access (for $20 fee) to the nearby and larger Sports Club/LA; concierge; tour desk; business center; room service (6:30am-10:30pm); massage; babysitting; coin-op laundry room; same-day laundry/dry cleaning; concierge-level rooms; 6 rooms for those w/limited mobility, 2 with roll-in showers.

Jurys Washington Hotel
This hotel gets high marks for convenience (it's located right on Dupont Circle), service, and comfort. Open since 2000, the hotel is favored by business groups especially, who like its reasonable rates. Each of the large rooms is furnished with two double beds with firm mattresses, an armoire with TV, a desk, a wet-bar alcove, and a tiny but attractive bathroom. Decor is Art Deco-ish, with lots of light-wood furniture. All guest rooms offer free, high-speed Internet access. Despite its prime location in a sometimes raucous neighborhood, the hotel's rooms are insulated from the noise. Rooms on higher floors offer the best views of the city and of Dupont Circle. An Irish management company owns this hotel (along with two other properties in Washington, D.C.), and the comfortable and attractive hotel pub, Biddy Mulligan's, proudly features a bar imported from the Emerald Isle. Its American restaurant, Dupont Grille, opened in spring 2003, and a welcome addition it is to the hotel and the neighborhood (see review, chapter 6). Check the hotel's website for guaranteed lowest rates.

Washington Terrace Hotel
For all intents and purposes, this is a new hotel, the 2002 transformation of the former Doubletree property being so utterly complete. Beautifully landscaped terraces front and back help create a buffer for this urban hotel. The flow of the public spaces leading back to the garden courtyard, and abundant use of earth tones and sandstone in decor, accentuate the hotel's theme of "bringing the outdoors in." This theme resonates in the guest rooms -- the light golden wall coverings feature an abstract botanical pattern, and the windows are larger than the hotel norm, delivering lots of natural light. Ask for a room at the front of the hotel for a view of Scott Circle, the park across the street, and the city; request a room at the back for a view of the garden terrace. Best rooms are the spacious suites, which come with a small wet bar, a dining table, sleeper sofa, and larger bathroom. Sixth through eighth floor suites offer executive level privileges, such as high-speed Internet access ($14 per 24 hr.). Added to all guest rooms in 2004 were tempurpedic mattresses, the kind that form to your body. Be sure to dine at the hotel's excellent restaurant, 15 Ria (for full review, see chapter 6).Although the Washington Terrace calls itself an "upscale boutique hotel," I think its large size and its practical amenities, like ergonomic chairs in the guest rooms and extensive conference and party facilities, disqualify it. Still, the guest rooms do have a boutiquey feel, thanks to imaginative touches such as granite-topped desks, circular nightstands, and a blueberry-toned wall behind the bed (the suites feature other colors: aubergine, nectar, and sienna), contrasting with the light toned coverings on the other walls.