Photo: Orhan Cam/Shutterstock

How to Find a Last-Minute Place to Stay in DC for the Colbert/Stewart Rallies

Washington, D. C. Activism
by Julie Schwietert Oct 28, 2010

If you’re still looking for a last-minute place to stay in DC for the Colbert/Stewart rallies, here are a few options:

Craigslist

The good old stand-by, Craigslist doesn’t require you to sign up for a membership (as some of the other options here do). No doubt some home and apartment owners are taking advantage of the need for housing to bump up their weekend sublet prices, but check out current temporary rental listings. And if you have an apartment or home to trade for the weekend, there are plenty of Washingtonians who’d like to head out of town for the weekend. Check out swap listings here.

Airbnb

I just did a quick search of Airbnb: 2 people for this weekend in the DC area. Lodging IS still available (74 listings as of right now), and rates start as low as $50 per night. Be sure to check the exact location of the place you’ll be staying at; though you’re likely to be outside DC proper, you’ll want to know how close your temporary digs are to transportation.

Couchsurfing

Personally, I’m not into the whole Couchsurfing scene, but a lot of Matador editors swear by it. You’ve gotta sign up and set up a profile in order to take advantage of CS’ listings, but if you can do that today, you may still have a shot and finding a couch to crash on this weekend.

VRBO

VRBO- Vacation Rentals by Owner- also has rentals that are still available, though many have a minimum nights policy and are on the pricier end of the lodging options here. DC rentals, Maryland rentals, and Virginia rentals are all listed on the site.

iStopOver

Another online short-term travel rental listing site, iStopOver requires registration (free), but some DC-area listings are still available for this weekend.

“Ours is a rally for the people who’ve been too busy to go to rallies, who actually have lives and families and jobs (or are looking for jobs) — not so much the Silent Majority as the Busy Majority. If we had to sum up the political view of our participants in a single sentence… we couldn’t. That’s sort of the point.”- Rally to Restore Sanity
Hacker Housing

Though its readers are up in arms about Hack a Day “supporting” the rally by publicizing HacDC’s offer of floor space and a hot breakfast to fellow hackers, you might want to check out their $20/night deal if you’re a hacker. Details on HacDC.

Camping

Cherry Hill Park claims to be the closest campground to DC, about 30 minutes away.

Twitter

Check the #RallytoRestoreSanity hashtag to search for leads about available housing and rideshares.

Community Connection:

Never been to DC? Wondering what to expect? It’s not just a city of politicians. Check out this photo essay about the Ethiopian communities of the US capital.

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