I'm staying in the downtown area and have an appointment tomorrow night in Tyson's. I didn't realize it was such a trek to get there. Do you experienced DC folks think it is wiser to take an Uber or the Metro? Not really excited about a 45 minute hike prior to an appointment.
Metro is fine but Uber is more convenient and less of a headache
It is in an entirely different state. I went there once about 15 years ago; although it was faster getting back to Dupont, it took an hour and a half by taxi to get there -- detours, traffic could only go in one direction on some roads. When you get there, don't expect to walk from one place to the next because there are no sidewalks. Frankly, it is easier to drop into Union Station to go to Baltimore or Philly -- less of an headache, does not take much longer and they have good restaurants without the golden arches, especially in Center City Philly.
If one insists on getting there, Red Top is a good bet. I use them to get to Dulles Airport.
I would recommend taking an uber there. The train will be such a headache but it IS cheaper. The only issue is that there is only one hotel just off the metro, the rest you will have to shuttle or taxi to when you get off the train.
Be mindful of timing - if your appointment is just after work it will still be a pain because of traffic!
If it's at night it's not that bad.
....Lyft or Uber is probably best.
I've gotten from Sw DC to the heart of Tysons Corner in "as little as" 30mins depending on traffic in Lyft/Uber whereas metro can take 75 mins (i'm a non-driver so a long-ish train ride doesn't bother me much) or more depending on where your trip starts.