The best advice anyone can give you about parking in Washington: Don't try it. With myriad residential and rush-hour restrictions, brutal downtown traffic and ever-vigilant parking enforcement, the city is a minefield for the would-be parker.

The good news is that Metrorail serves most of the major tourist attractions well, so you could leave your vehicle stationary during your visit and still see the sights. But if you absolutely insist on using your car, here are some things you should know before you take to the city's streets.

Rush-Hour Restrictions
On most of the city's major thoroughfares, parking is restricted (and towing enforced) between the hours of 7 and 9:30 a.m. and/or 4 and 6:30 p.m. on weekdays. Be sure to check the entire block for signs before leaving your car in the afternoon or overnight.

Residential Parking
The city's neighborhoods are governed by restrictions that allow residents to park all day, but limit all others to two hours maximum from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. This means that you can't ditch your car on a residential street for a full day without getting a ticket (you can park overnight if you move by 9 a.m.). Restrictions do not apply on weekends, however, so if your hotel is in a residential neighborhood like Woodley Park or Foggy Bottom, you can leave your car from Friday night to Monday morning and save on the garage fee.

Parking Meters
With 15 minutes for a quarter, two-hours maximum and ticket-writers lurking, meter parking in Washington is no picnic. Pay attention as well that the block you park on is not governed by rush-hour restrictions. Most but not all meter parking is free on weekends; check the green signs before you walk away. And another warning: Meters near the MCI Center are enforced until 10 p.m.

Garage Parking
Unlike many U.S. cities, there are no central municipal parking garages in Washington. In the downtown core, several office buildings and hotels have private garages; rates range from $5 for an hour to up to $20 for a full day, and more for an overnight stay.

Parking on the Mall
This is a crapshoot at best. Almost none of the major monuments or museums has a garage, and while three-hour free parking is available on Madison, Jefferson and Ohio drives, expect serious competition for those spaces. Our advice: Bring a roll of quarters because it's often easier to get a metered space on one of the numbered streets that crisscross the mall.

Parking Enforcement
Washington residents joke that this is the city's most efficient public service. Put simply, don't park illegally in Washington or you will probably get a ticket. Not only are ticket-writers lurking like hawks for expired meters, they also exercise zero tolerance on other infractions, such as a vehicle straddling a no parking zone or parked too close to a corner or fire hydrant. Suburban jurisdictions tend to be less vigilant.

Alexandria and Bethesda
These popular suburban restaurant destinations can be as difficult to park in as the heart of downtown. Consider using a municipal or private parking garage if you drive there.

-- Ben Abramson