Getting Around Washington D.C.
The best way to get around Washington, D.C. is via the clean, safe and efficient WMATA public transportation system. Most travelers (and residents too) use a combination of the metro trains, the buses and their own two feet to get around. You can even take a metro train or bus from the closest of the area's three airports: Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) of Arlington, Va. Renting a car isn't advised; D.C. is regularly ranked as one of America's worst cities for driving. If you must have your own wheels, you should primarily keep them parked at your hotel. You can also traverse the capital city by taxi, but it'll cost you.
Washington, D.C. is also serviced by the Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), located about 40 minutes outside the city by car. Another airport, Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), sits just outside Baltimore, Md. The best way to get from BWI Airport into the city is to take a Marc Train, accessible from Union Station. To get from DCA into the city, you can take the metro; to get from IAD into the city, you can take a shuttle. Taxis and rental cars are available from all airports.
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Metro |
The five color-coded metro train lines weave through Washington, D.C., and some locations in Maryland and Virginia. Running until midnight on weekdays and 3 a.m. on weekends, you’ll find that the metro stops at most of the major tourist attractions. The fare cost will depend on the time of day and the distance traveled. During the weekday rush hour and the wee morning hours of the weekends, fare ranges from $1.95 to $5. At other times, the fare ranges from $1.60 to $2.75. Keep in mind that you’ll have to swipe your ticket at a turnstile before you enter onto the metro platform and after you leave it, so hold on to it. Buying a $5 SmarTrip card — a plastic, reloadable public transportation ticket — is a convenient and way to get around the city, especially if you're planning to vacation for more than a couple of days. You can purchase one at the Metro Center station or in convenience stores across the city. SmarTrip cards are also accepted on Washington, D.C.'s Metrobus and Circulator bus. |
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Bus |
Another part of the WMATA public transportation system, the metrobuses travel extensive routes throughout the District, Maryland and Virginia. Fare starts at $1.50 with a SmarTrip card and $1.70 with cash. If you're paying with cash make sure to have the exact fare, as drivers cannot make change. The D.C. Circulator bus runs every 10 minutes and accepts cash and SmarTrip cards for its $1 one-way fare. A handful of routes, including one that cuts straight through the city from Union Station to Georgetown and another that only goes around perimeter of the National Mall (this route is only available on weekends), travel much of D.C. |
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On Foot |
The best way to explore the different neighborhoods is by foot. Several areas like the National Mall and Georgetown really don’t make sense any other way. When you get tired — and you will, the National Mall is nearly two miles long — the Circulator bus or another mode of public transit can take you the rest of your journey. |
| Taxi |
Metered taxis are plentiful, and you can wave them down or find them lined up outside of major hotels and attractions. The fare starts at a few bucks and charges by each 1/6 mile or each minute of wait time. Additional passengers also cost extra. |
| Car | The great majority of vacationers travel to Washington, D.C. by car. That doesn't mean driving in D.C. is a good idea. Washington is known for horrible congestion, impatient drivers, scarce yet expensive parking and a confusing grid of streets. If you simply must, you can find rental agencies at all three of the area’s airports — BWI, IAD, and DCA — as well as scattered through the city, and in the Maryland and Virginia suburbs. |
