Washington DC metro question

[sydneysmom]

I'm not sure this is the right place to ask this, but it is a budget question... .we're going to Washington DC for the first time, late April (after the Cherry Blossom festival). Hopefully there is someone here familiar with the Washington DC Metro System..... because I desperately need help!

I have been looking on the Metro website to determine what kind of SmarTrip passes to get... to me, the $57 7 day passes seem a bit much for what we're going to do. They also have $35 short trip 7 day passes..... when I determined our trips, it seems that we're under the $ 3.50 during peak times. (it's incredibly confusing for an outsider) Most of our Metro trips (even during peak times) come to $ 3.00 or less each trip.

So my question is this... when I try to order the $35 SmarTrip short trip pass for $ 35, it's making me first order a SmarTrip card... which totals $10....$2.00 for the card and $ 8.00 loaded to the card. However, it seems like you have to first order this.... get it delivered, register the card, and THEN I can add the $ 35 short trip. Is that correct ??? I can't just buy the $ 35 short trip for 7 days and pay the $2.00 for the card fee? It seems like we're going to have more than we need if we buy the card first, but maybe not.... I haven't a clue.

Also, are you allowed to use the SmarTrip card to get on one of the buses, or is that a completely different commuter card altogether? We won't have a car, so we need to rely on the transportation to get to Arlington, Mt. Vernon and the National Cathedral. (we're also going to get the Metro at Reagan National to head into the city)

This is just absolutely confusing to me.... I tried to decipher their website, to no avail. So if anyone can throw some advice my way, I'll be very grateful to you!!!

 

[lauti]

I used to live in DC and had a smart trip but obv never used any of the visitor type passes.

I'd just order the card(s) and reload them as needed in the machines, super easy.

Buses take ST cards as well.

 

[Green Tea]

I would just wait until I got there and buy a fare card from the machine. You can top it off as needed.

 

[skylizard]

I would just wait until I got there and buy a fare card from the machine. You can top it off as needed.

Exactly. It's pretty convenient and easy once you're there.

 

[sydneysmom]

so you all think it's better to do that than go w/ the 7 day cards? I was thinking that originally too because when I plugged in our 'trips' on the Metro site (that helps you determine the fare) they all seem to average under $ 2.75 each way. I know we're going to be walking alot too.

Can we buy these at Reagan National ? We do want to take the yellow line from the airport up to the convention center, so that would be handy if we could buy one when we land....

 

[wiigirl]

I would just wait until I got there and buy a fare card from the machine. You can top it off as needed.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Don't pre-purchase cards; just buy when you arrive in DC. Yes, you can buy them at National Airport, yes, they can be used for bus trips. Everyone will need their own card.

You don't even need to buy SmarTrip passes, you can just pay fares as you go. You have to use your ticket or card when you enter and exit the station, so if there isn't enough money left for your trip, you can add money to your ticket or card.

 

[hlg22]

I am very familiar with Metro, but not familiar with the special "tourist" passes. When I have out of town guests they just use paper fare cards or reload the extra SmarTrip cards I keep for guests - I have never done the math so I don't know whether there would be a benefit to using the tourist passes.

One thing to keep in mind is that it now will cost you an extra $1/trip if you are using a paper fare card vs a SmarTrip card (plastic credit card-type card). There has been a push to get SmarTrip vending machines in all the stations though I know I've often encountered ones that are out of service (all stations definitely do have paper card vending machines). I would hope that there would be working SmarTrip vending machines at National by now, but maybe someone can confirm for you.

Another thing to keep in mind...they have been doing a whole lot of work to the Metro system lately - it seems like every weekend some stations are closed, or there are lengthy delays between trains (20+ minutes) due to single tracking. Sometimes this can get confusing as the station announcements are garbled - check the wmata website for any potential issues before you head out. Depending on the size of your party, it may be only slightly more expensive to take a cab, and it may save you quite a bit of time.

 

[Colleen27]

I would just wait until I got there and buy a fare card from the machine. You can top it off as needed.

That's what we did. Easy-peasy, even for a bunch of Detroiters to whom public transit in general is a bit of a mystery.

 

[jeeptruck]

All metrorail stations now carry SmarTrip vending machines. It is $10 for one..$2 charge + $8 worth of rides. CVS in DC also carries them.

I would just buy the ST from a vending machine since it has a lower cost to ride and reload as necessary.

Metrorail will save you $1 per trip and Metrobus will save you $0.20 per trip.

(also you save an extra fare at farragut crossing when switching between the red blue and orange line)

Also will save you money on transfers:
If you do a rail to bus transfer or vice versa within 2 hours you will save $0.50 with a ST.

Bus to bus transfers are free with ST

 

[jeeptruck]

I also agree the metro is kind of annoying sometimes. Sometime they will bus people between metro stops when there are track closures. Or open the doors on the wrong side of the track so you cant get on and the next metro is in 20 minutes.

BUT these are exceptions and my family lived in DC for 3 years before they felt the need to get a car. It is a great way to get around..(usually )

 

[sydneysmom]

thank you everyone for such great advice! It worries me because we just don't have a clue.... but I think I'm going to wait until we get to the airport and then buy them there and reload as we need to. That's great advice.

I really appreciate everyone's input, thank you !!

 

[antmaril]

My son and I were in D.C. in 2012. We took a cab to our hotel from Reagan National and then went into the Metro Stop closest to our hotel where I walked up to the man in the booth and told him that we were from out of town and didn't know how to use the Metro. He was very nice. Came out of booth and walked me through it. It really came down to buying the cards and loading $ on them. It was easy-peasy!

 

[sydneysmom]

My son and I were in D.C. in 2012. We took a cab to our hotel from Reagan National and then went into the Metro Stop closest to our hotel where I walked up to the man in the booth and told him that we were from out of town and didn't know how to use the Metro. He was very nice. Came out of booth and walked me through it. It really came down to buying the cards and loading $ on them. It was easy-peasy!

That's going to be me for sure, asking someone there to explain! We thought about taking a cab from Reagan National, but I think we're going to hop on the metro since there is a metro stop not far from our hotel. We'll probably wait to buy the passes at the airport metro station. Was it terribly expensive to take a cab from the airport ?

 

[NewCrew42]

We took a cab from the airport to the hotel. It was easier to deal with our luggage, etc. our flight arrived at a peak travel time. The last thing I wanted to do was haul our luggage onto the metro and inconvenience the commuters. When we went to dinner that night, first stop was the metro station. A D.C. local gentleman actually stopped and helped us choose our cards. It was super easy.

 

[antmaril]

That's going to be me for sure, asking someone there to explain! We thought about taking a cab from Reagan National, but I think we're going to hop on the metro since there is a metro stop not far from our hotel. We'll probably wait to buy the passes at the airport metro station. Was it terribly expensive to take a cab from the airport ?

I don't remember exactly how much the taxi fare was from Reagan. We stayed at The Mayflower and ran into some road construction. The cab fare was rising while we were waiting in traffic and the driver suggested we get out and walk. The hotel was across the street. I think it was about $30 with the tip. It would have been quite a bit less without the construction delay.

I hope you have a great trip. Washington, D.C. is really fantastic.

 

[sydneysmom]

I don't remember exactly how much the taxi fare was from Reagan. We stayed at The Mayflower and ran into some road construction. The cab fare was rising while we were waiting in traffic and the driver suggested we get out and walk. The hotel was across the street. I think it was about $30 with the tip. It would have been quite a bit less without the construction delay.

I hope you have a great trip. Washington, D.C. is really fantastic.

thank you! we're very excited about going.... neither one of us has been. We're staying at the Hadley Park hotel which is close to the Convention Center, so we'll be able to use that metro stop. We had contacted our congressman, and his office has been absolutely amazing in getting us passes for the House of Representatives gallery, the National cathedral, Bureau of Printing and Engraving....most excited for the Smithsonian museums!! (who knew there was something other than Disney! haha!! )

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

We went to WashDC last spring break. Had an AWESOME trip.

As others have stated, skip buying the card online. We took a cab from the airport to our hotel. Well worth it. I would not want to drive in DC as it is very confusing and drivers there are very impatient. I also would not want to deal with luggage the first time you are on the Metro. There are very long, steep escalators into/out of the many stations. These would be rough to navigate with luggage...IMO.

We bought our passes at the Metro stop before our first ride. The vending machines are quite easy to operate actually. We bought the 7 day short trip pass and never had an issue. Never needed to add more money when exiting Metro. We stayed at the Embassy Suites in Chevy Chase pavilion.(great hotel and very convenient...highly recommend)

Just a few tips regarding the Metro for first timers. ALWAYS stand single file to the right on escalators. Locals will be passing you on the left running up and down the escalators.

When the doors close on the Metro cars, they do not reopen. We actually got separated on our first ride as we were used to the WDW monorail warnings before the doors close thinking we had a little extra time. Not so on Metro. Luckily, we used our phones to communicate about the stop to disembark. We made sure to always enter/exit 2 x 2 with each of us holding hands with a child so that we would never be split up with a single person left behind.

Study the Metro maps before you leave so that you are familiar with the stop names and which stations you will be switching trains when needed. There are some Metro maps near the exit doors on the train if needed. We also downloaded a Metro map/ arrival times app to our phones.

The Metro system seems scary at first but it is actually quite nice. We never used a bus the whole week as the Metro and walking was all we needed. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask We loved the trip so much, we are thinking of going again in a year or so. There is so much that we wanted to see and never had time. I swear you could spend a month there and still not see everything.

One more tip--you have to do the Newseum. It was hands down the best "museum" on the trip and totally worth the cost. The Crime and Punishment museum was also good. Madame Tusseads (sp?) was a waste of time and money.

 

[soccerchick]

Get a regular SmartTrip card so you aren't paying the extra $1 per trip for a paper fare ($2 round-trip). You can manage it online and add money if you need to. No need for a 7 day pass.


http://www.wmata.com/fares/purchase/passes.cfm

Check out the other good info at the site, like how to determine your fares.

 

[disneyfan'ole]

We were just in DC last November and I bought my tickets ahead of time. I bought the smartcard with $30 on it. It was $2 for the card and $28 preloaded on it.

It was nice since that was our first time there and we didn't have to mess with the kiosks since we arrived late.

I must say that there is help at every station if you need it. The metro was so easy to use and we used it ALOT!

We were there from Thurs to Monday and I believe we were left with about $2 on each card.