Travel tips, DC area locals best mall etc.

[mousefan73]

End of October I’ll be traveling to DC for 4 to 5 days with my group of German girlfriends. I’ve been to DC before, so I’m OK with the city itself but my friends want to do outlet shopping and we’re thinking of getting a car heading out to Mount Vernon.

I did some googling and there seems to be many malls, but which one is good? And within an Uber distance because we want to avoid getting a car just for the mall. We will probably get one for Mount Vernon thought it be honest I’m looking at the math, an Uber might be cheaper in the long run.

They’re looking for an outlet mall to get name brands discounted and also any other ideas for the surrounding area within one hour or so to give them a taste “ americana”. Something more scenic. Thanks.!

 

[NotUrsula]

I'm not local, but I do know the biggest outlet mall in the region is Potomac Mills, which is in the farthest south reaches of the area, about 25 miles south of Arlington near I-95. It's well south of Mount Vernon.

Probably the best way to handle it with a rental car would be to rent the car in the afternoon, go to the mall in the evening, and then do Mount Vernon the next morning; since car rental "days" are priced per 24 hours.

You could also take the Blue Line Metro to the end of the line at Franconia and then Uber from there if you prefer, which would let you bypass DC traffic delays at least on the way there.

 

[Christine]

I live about 5 minutes from Potomac Mills outlet mall. I go there frequently. Since COVID, it's really taken a big hit. Lots of vacancies and the stores that filled in the vacancies are independent stores that you'd never want to shop in for what you're looking for. I don't think it's worth the visit and this place used to be "the" destination on the east coast for outlet shoppting.

If you want to hit something with a little more selection, while I don't care for the setup and feel of the place, the Leesburg Premium Outlets seem to have not suffered as much, less vacancies, and the stores have a better stock of merchandise. It is about an hour outside of DC though and it's quite a hike. You will be able to get an Uber but, again, quite a drive so Ubers might not be as plentiful.

The other option is the outlet mall at the National Harbor. Smaller than Potomac Mills, not sure the status of the stores, but very accessible to DC. https://www.tanger.com/nationalharbor/stores

I'd advise looking at each website: Leesburg Premium, Potomac Mills, and National Harbor to see what might be the best bet for you.

Also note that these stores are no longer really "outlets" in the true sense. They are just stores that either sell a different line of merchandise. An example is Ann Taylor regular store versus the Ann Taylor factory outlet. Ann Taylor regular merchandise is not at the factory outlet. But they do have stores like Underarmor that sell a limited selection of their regular merchandise and it is a little cheaper.

Again, Leesburg is going to have the most variety of stores that you're looking for.

 

[eticketplease]

They built a new outlet maybe 10 years ago in National Harbor which is much closer to Alexandria (where Mt. Vernon is).

I believe the Huntington station, last on the yellow line would be closer to Mount Vernon. There are two different exits at that station and I forget which one you should come out of for that.

https://www.wmata.com/schedules/trip-planner/

https://www.tanger.com/nationalharbor

 

[mousefan73]

I'm not local, but I do know the biggest outlet mall in the region is Potomac Mills, which is in the farthest south reaches of the area, about 25 miles south of Arlington near I-95. It's well south of Mount Vernon.

Probably the best way to handle it with a rental car would be to rent the car in the afternoon, go to the mall in the evening, and then do Mount Vernon the next morning; since car rental "days" are priced per 24 hours.

You could also take the Blue Line Metro to the end of the line at Franconia and then Uber from there if you prefer, which would let you bypass DC traffic delays at least on the way there.

Is traffic really bad that direction where it’s worth it? To take the metro I mean I’m from Chicago so I could also tell people you’re better off taking the blue line to O’Hare and skipping the Kennedy traffic which makes sense there. I wonder if this is the same?

 

[Christine]

Is traffic really bad that direction where it’s worth it? To take the metro I mean I’m from Chicago so I could also tell people you’re better off taking the blue line to O’Hare and skipping the Kennedy traffic which makes sense there. I wonder if this is the same?

During a weekday, the "DC" traffic is actually THE worst from Springfield, VA to Potomac Mills. Getting off at Franconia is likely not going to help but there are the backroads routes. Of course, that traffic going south is not a problem in the morning, so shopping in the morning is good. Coming back is dicey. Heading south in the evening is awful.

I'd rule Potomac Mills out completely for reasons stated above in my earlier post but the traffic adds another layer.

 

[magik]

Not an outlet mall, but you can take the silver line metro to Tysons Corner mall, and as far as malls go, it’s still pretty nice and not too many vacancies the last time I went.

 

[Christine]

Not an outlet mall, but you can take the silver line metro to Tysons Corner mall, and as far as malls go, it’s still pretty nice and not too many vacancies the last time I went.

Agree...good mall for regular shopping--my favorite actually.

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

I am a long time local and know the area you're talking about really well. If it were me I wouldn't bother about the outlets. Although you might run across something now and then, overall I've never found deals at outlets that are any better than all the sales on stuff you can find at a regular mall.

If you really want an outlet mall, though, Leesburg is much better than Potomac Mills. The traffic on I-95 to go to Potomac Mills can make for a ridiculously long drive. If you do go out to Leesburg, make sure to take route 7 instead of the Dulles toll road in a rental car. There is no way to pay for the tolls with cash anymore; you have to have a transponder, and rental car companies charge a lot for those. Theoretically you can be billed later if you don't have a transponder, but I wouldn't risk it.

I actually think your best bet is to take another poster's suggestion and just take the metro to Tyson's Corner Mall. There is a stop on the Silver Line that will take you directly there. And if you don't mind crossing route 7 on foot, there is a second mall (Tysons II) directly across the street from the Tysons Corner Mall that specializes in more expensive stuff than a regular mall.

Generally covid really hit retail stores all over this country. Everyone got used to ordering online, and brick and mortar stores are gasping for air. Tysons Corner Mall got hit too, but generally is still doing a lot better than most.

 

[Travel60]

Agree with previous poster that outlet mall shopping is not great. Why not consider Old Town Alexandria or Del Ray area of Alexandria. Much nicer shops and nicer for guests. Lots of cafes and restaurants. Take the blue or yellow line south out of DC. It's also on the way to Mount Vernon. Make a day of both.

If you are absolutely set on outlet shopping, consider Arundel Mills Mall which is north on 295. It's near the Dorsey MARC station...you might could train up to there then Uber (I have not done it). It's a very large outlet mall and I guess it's ok for that.