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Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: SE Wisconsin
Posts: 1,852
Bikes: Lemond '01 Maillot Jaune, Lemond '02 Victoire, Lemond '03 Poprad, Lemond '03 Wayzata DB conv(Poprad), '79 AcerMex Windsor Carrera Professional(pur new), '88 GT Tequesta(pur new), '01 Bianchi Grizzly, 1993 Trek 970 DB conv, Trek 8900 DB conv
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Regarding the return trip, if doing the GAP and C&O, we found it the easiest to rent a one-way minivan at Reagan National. I think it was around $130. Easy to ride to the airport from The Mall, all trails. We did reserve the van, which puts a hard-date at the end, although the rental car company said they'd swap days no problem..if they had a van available the next day. We reserved the van in the spring sometime for pickup in late September. By the time we did the tour(September last year), one way rental vans were not an option to reserve due to upsets in the new-vehicle supply from the car makers. Best to inquire early. We dropped the van off at the Pittsburgh Airport (after picking our truck up at the Homestead hotel) and kept driving west toward home.
Some folks reserve vans on multiple days and cancel what they don't need...we didn't care for that approach. Another option..schedule a couple days in Washington DC at the end to give some arrival flexibility**..example..book a van for Friday and plan to arrive in DC on Tuesday or Wednesday. There's PLENTY of good biking in the Wash DC area & much easier to get around than using a car if seeing the sights. We stayed at the Holiday Inn National Mall (across the street from the Dept of Education. Good rates, clean, good location and they had no issues with bikes in the room, elevator....
**I'd advise having a plan B for the C&O in case of weather. We rode the last day on the GAP in rain, all day. By the time we reached Cumberland it was a downpour. You can only get so wet & it was warm enough so it wasn't an issue. We were riding in two inches of water on the trail(flash flood) and my girlfriend was yelling at the clouds.."..this all you got?!" It was sort of fun. BUT..most of the C&O got 1.5-2+ inches of rain that day and were were to start the C&O the next day, Thursday. Having no desire to slog through the mud, we called an audible and booked the train to DC. Fortunately there were bike slots open. We spent a few days in DC and had a great time. Overall it was a great vacation.
Fenders on your bikes are your friends.