Yes. Aer Lingus (www. aerlingus. com) via New York or check out www. ebookers. ie So what's to see then?

Obviously the White House is one of the 'biggies' and yes, there are tours of Pennsylvania Avenue's most famous landmark, but security is tight and you need to book well in advance through your embassy in the city. Check out www. whitehouse. gov and bear in mind that you don't get to see it all . . . the Oval Office, for example, isn't open to visitors. Then there's Capitol Hill with its famous dome, home to the US Supreme Court and to Congress. There's so much to see in Washington that you need to assess your time in the city and plan accordingly. But even if time is tight make sure to see the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Arlington cemetery and the Jefferson Memorial. And take a stroll along the National Mall, the two-mile stretch that runs from the Capitol to the Potomac river and where you'll see many of the above-mentioned monuments.

And accommodation?

The Four Seasons (www. fourseasons. com) on Pennsylvania Avenue is one of the city's finest hotels but you'll pay around $400 for a double room. A cheaper and more convenient family option could be the Capitol Hill Suites (001 202 543 6000) where the apartments come with kitchens, newspapers, complimentary coffee and muffins for breakfast and a more reasonable price-tag . . .

around $200 a night but cheaper at the weekends and in high summer.