Washington, DC is an easy city to get around in as a tourist. We have a reliable and clean metro rail and metro bus system. The Washington Metro Area Transportation Authority website provides a wealth of resources for commuters on the go. You will need a farecard to use the metro rail system and exact change in cash to use the metro bus system. The cash metro bus fare is $1.70. The metro rail fares range between $1.60 and $5.00 depending on your destination and the time of day you are traveling. Fare during rush hour is more expensive than off peak hours. Rush hour is from 5:30am -9:30am and 3:30pm and 7:30pm.
The WMATA website has a “trip planner” feature that allows you to input the address or cross streets of your location and final destination and will provide you with the fastest mode of transport. There are choices of metro bus or rail only transport, as well as a combination of both to travel by. The website also has a “next bus” feature which provides you with the next three arrival times of your selected bus from your stop. All stops for each metro bus line are included on this website feature, which makes it convenient to plan your trip. The bus is the most economical way to travel in DC. WMATA also has a mobile site you can use on your smart phone to access the same “trip planner” and “next bus” features. If you do no have a smart phone you may call WMATA’s phone number which is posted on a sign at each bus stop with a stop number to enter when prompted by the automated service. The WMATA website also has the most up to date status for metro rail so that you may be aware of any disruptions.
The DC Circulator bus makes regular circuits between assigned areas in DC. For instance, there is a bus that runs a circuit between George Town and Union Station and another line runs between Adams Morgan and McPherson Square metro station, which is very close to the white house. The circulator costs $1.00 and runs every ten minutes and is a very reliable source of travel.
Happy Riding!
Alexis
American Guest House Bed and Breakfast
Washington DC Bed and Breakfast accommodations. We are centrally located, 10 minutes walk to DuPont Circle metro/subway, 1 mile north west of White House.
