Getting Around with the Help of Metro Trip Planner DC

Metro is a great way to get around the metropolitan area of Washington, DC conveniently. Discover the city and its suburbs in Maryland and Virginia without the expense of gas and difficulties of traffic and parking.

Going to Metro

It is easy to reach the Metro rail and bus systems, whether you are taking the rails of Amtrak going to Union Station or flying to one of the three major airports in the region. You can also use a car to get to Metro stations close to the major roads.

Trip Planner

Metro Trip Planner DC allows you to organize your routes between two places so you can improve your travel itinerary based on your preferences.  Optional travel itineraries may also include walking directions, fare and the estimated travel time.

Fares

  • If you want to save money, you may consider purchasing SmarTrip card. This is a stored-value, contact-less smart card payment system. It is managed by the WMATA or Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. This card is reloadable and permanent unlike conventional bus passes or paper fare cards.
  • The fares may vary depending on the distance between stations and time of the day.
  • To ride the Metrorail, each person should have his own paper fare card or SmarTrip card, but for every fare paying adult, up to two children below five years old are allowed to travel for free.

Riding Metrobus and Metrorail

Metrobus – Every weekday, Metrobus provides over 400,000 trips, operating on 11,500 bus stops in Maryland, Virginia and District of Columbia. With over 1,500 buses serving 325 routes, Metrobus ranks #6 among the busiest bus agencies in the U.S.

Metrorail – offers reliable, clean and safe transportation service for over 700,000 people each day all over the Washington, DC metropolitan area. It is ranked #2 among the busiest rail systems in the U.S., operating on 91 stations in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

The Metrorail system uses color-coding in their rail lines, namely blue, green, orange, red, silver and yellow. The design of this rail system allows people to travel between two stations with just one transfer.

Parking at Metro

There are 44 Metrorail stations that offer parking services. All of these 44 stations have hourly or daily parking, and offer separate parking for bicycle and motorcycle.

There are also reserved parking spaces available in 36 stations that allow customers to buy permits so they can park their vehicles in reserved spaces.