One ride with a transfer and and setting foot in three key stations should be enough for a review…read moreof Washington D.C.'s Metro system (operated by WMATA in concert with a bus system). I guessed that this rapid rail system was inaugurated after the Bay Area's BART and before Atlanta's MARTA. That was the case, with it being inaugurated in the bicentennial year while BART kicked off in 1972 and MARTA in 1979. Some people are weird about using public transit. If the entire route might be very sketchy, I can see why one might avoid it. However, if transiting between major business and governmental hubs, and especially during daylight hours, I don't understand why someone would not use it. My Washington D.C. Metro trip was on the cheap, augmenting an earlier cheap experience that same day. In coming in from Virginia's Hampton Roads area into the nation's capital on Amtrak, grandiose Union Station is the place one gets off the train. Parts of Union Station are not sufficiently modernized, so struggle some, go the distance, and find the entrance to the Metro station located there. WMATA has single ride and day passes. Like BART and MARTA, cards with magnetic strips are needed to get in and out of your first and last station. The trains are punctual and surprisingly clean. The rolling stock definitely looks like that of the BART or MARTA era, except that the sides are slightly tapered upward, which gives them a sleeker look. Having always gone into the District with a rented car or someone else's, hunting for street parking was what is was all about! But that was a while ago and the District keeps getting busier. While I appreciate the grandeur of D.C., it's not my kind of town. That said, I've seen many photos of Washington's Metro, with most of them focused on the subway station at Union Station. I thought that this was a unique design and looked like it might be of the scale of Atlanta's Peachtree Center station. It is anything but that, being a lot "cozier" in scale, and that same template is used in many of their subway stations. But it's not a bad design, because, in addition to doing its job, manages to look '70s and space age at the same time. In addition to electronic boards telling you which trains are due, a unique feature is the lighting in the pavement that signals when a train is coming in and how to board it. The system's layout looks serpentine. I'm sure there's a logic to that. It might have to do with two rivers merging in this area and streets that are rarely gridded in the larger area. In Atlanta, there are many narrow winding streets; however, they superimposed a cruciform layout for their rapid transit system while, in the D.C. area, they did not. That means more that more familiarization is needed, which would require using it regularly. Most tourists won't get to that level that easily. There are 6 lines, all of which come into D.C., and then continue to service adjacent Virginia and Maryland. One thing that might make it more understandable is that 3 of the lines seem to share a trunk through an important swath of the District. In other cities, the main subway station is often under the main train station. Here, Union Station is but a stop on one line, with Metro Center and L'Enfant Plaza being the most important (transfer) stations. Still, the Metro goes to almost all of the historic landmarks and sites, key governmental buildings, and a number of colleges, one of which - the University of Maryland - is outside the District yet in its service area. Not that I had time, as I was headed to DCA Airport, but I noticed that Metro trains do not go to Georgetown, which might have to do with the topography and many green spaces in the Northwest quadrant of the District. The closest Metro station is at Dupont Circle and, from there, one can take a bus, a taxi, or a rideshare. If not oppressively humid or wintry, the remainder is walkable. I might have given WMATA 3 stars because of the ongoing delays in opening the Silver line to Dulles Airport (IAD), the large international hub airport for the metropolitan area. Much like how Denver's mega airport had teething problems with their then new baggage conveying system, the signaling and control system on newer stations was among the last things to create hiccups and they had to postpone acceptance of the project and opening up the Dulles Airport station, which had been sitting there looking ready to go. With the Silver line now open to IAD and beyond, and the ease of getting the DCA, I'll go with 4 stars. It might be fun to use the system to explore some key sites in D.C. and its surroundings, but that would depend on if and when I'm in that area again.

I like riding the metro. As someone who grew up near DC and moved to NoVA the Metro has been a…read moreconvenience for me in terms of getting around DC so I don't have to deal with hectic drivers or traffic. I've been riding this public transit nt entire life. However the last five weeks have been such a headache from WMATA's customer service that it's really made me consider if I need to just suck it up and drive into DC or take the bus. I used the SmartTrip app to reload my MetroCard and for over a MONTH the funds have been "pending". I called WMATA customer service, I emailed them multiple times, and even reached out to their official Reddit account. And I've been ignored, invalidated, gaslit a couple times, and some instances I've been disrespected by staff that clearly didn't want to be at work. I've always come with a level head but firm tone given how many times I've contacted WMATA and they have not resolved my issue. I'm irate and feel very disrespected and expected more from WMATA. As of 04/17 this issue still hasn't been resolved.

It's a subway, not much to say. Cheap, clean, convenient . I miss living in a city with a public…read moretransportation system.

Very convenient from Bethesda to DC specially when you know you will have a few drinksread more

Are you kidding me. Was told The circulator ran every 15-20…read moreminutes. We only braved this for a handful of segments. Waits were never under 20 minutes. One wait was an hour and a no show. The next worst was 45 minutes in the blazing sun. Avoid avoid avoid!!

This service has been discontinued. Do not plan on using it. Check out alternate WMATA bus or metro…read moreoptions.

First time on a long-distance Amtrak ride, from Chicago to NYC, when my flight was canceled. This…read morewas on regular coach seats; roomettes were sold out. The trip was quite reasonable: it got the job done and the comfort level was better than expected, despite a full train. Most passengers were considerate (except for one family that played a TV show loudly on a cellphone; an annoyance that reflected more poorly on them than bothered people sitting more than two rows away). I also liked it that my car at least had a faucet for dispensing drinking water, and a good supply of cups. On a long trip, staying hydrated is important. (I am not sure if all cars had water dispensers though.) My only complaint is the bathrooms -- they got increasingly dirty over the trip. Towards the last quarter of the trip, one of the bathrooms became unusable because it looked like someone peed on the floor. I don't think he (or they, if it was cumulative) did it on purpose; the toilets are very small, and on a rolling train, it's easy to miss. Fortunately they were other bathrooms that remained, not clean, but at least usable (for gents). Oh, even though the ride is called "Lakeview", you only saw a lake (Lake Erie) for about 1 minute. The rest of the trip was land on both sides, except for crossing rivers. No big deal; most of trip was night anyway.

Acela was completely filthy on both legs of our roundtrip. On the way back, the toilet didn't even…read moreflush. It was worse than you regular train. The bathrooms were filthy, the windows were filthy, and the train compartments were filthy. Why do have someone collecting trash during the trip when it would be better to have someone regular clean the train compartments?

Very convenient! This shuttle goes to and from the Kennedy Center and the Foggy Bottom metro…read morestation at regular intervals. 10/10 would recommend!

It's free. It may not be quick all the time due to traffic…read morein the area, but it will get you where you need to go and back. The only stops it makes are Kennedy Center and Foggy Bottom Metro. Location (Foggy Bottom Metro): There is a "Kennedy Center Shuttle" sign located on 23rd Street NW, DC. It is located near the exits for Foggy Bottom Metro and George Washington University Hospital. Once you see the shuttle sign, just wait there until the next shuttle arrives. The area in front of the shuttle sign can get a bit congested at times with other vehicles. Not to worry. If there are other vehicles stopped in that area, the shuttle will move a little closer to the traffic light that is near there, and pick/drop people off from that spot. It's all about safety. Location (Kennedy Center): They have a sign on the curb outside the Kennedy Center for the shuttle. If you are facing the building, look to your left. It will be by the entrance to the Hall of Nations. Once you get in the shuttle, grab a seat. Once all seats are taken, you can stand in the aisle and grab one of the handles hanging from the bars above. They are not very comfortable as the drive is not a straight one all the way. If you don't want to stand, you can always wait for the next shuttle (they run approximately every 15 minutes). Schedule for the Shuttle per Kennedy Center's website * Mondays = 9:45am to 11:30pm. * Tuesdays = 9:45am to 11:30pm. * Wednesdays = 9:45am to 11:30pm. * Thursdays = 9:45am to 11:30pm. * Fridays = 9:45am to 12am (midnight). * Saturdays = 9:45am to 12am (midnight). * Sundays = 11:45am to 11pm. Federal Holidays = 4pm to 11pm. Don't forget to thank the driver. Visited (Rode) August 2024

After having a not-so-great experience taking an Uber from the airport to my hotel, I made a…read morereservation with DC Yellow Cab for my ride to the airport. I was able to easily make a reservation at dcyellowcab.com, and my reservation was confirmed via email. On the day of my pick-up, I was sent a text shortly before my driver arrive so I could track how close he was to the hotel. My driver Mohamed picked me up in front of my hotel and handled my luggage with care. It was a smooth ride to the airport. Mohamed was polite and professional. My experience with DC Yellow Cab was better than Uber. I will reserve with DC Yellow Cab again on my next trip to DC.

Despite having a previously bad experience with Yellow Cab, I thought maybe they'd mended their…read moreways. So I gave them another so I booked a ride several days in advance of my scheduled clinic appointment. Today I'm waiting to hear from Yellow Cab that my ride's on the way or it's arrived. Nothing! I call and I'm told They don't yet have a driver for me but they're still looking! What!??? I find they've scheduled my ride's is scheduled to be at my home at 10:4am. The time I'm supposed to arrive at the clinic! Whomever I was talking to just kept repeating that my ride's for 10:45am. I hung up cursing. I get a call saying that cat # whatever is on the way. OK. Maybe this won't be too bad. Cab picks me up at approximately 10:37. On the way I see his meter running so I ask if I'm being charged for this ride? I most definitely am. So I'm being charged twice for the same ride! I'm totally and completely done with Yellow Cab!

This metro station is very crowded and popular. It is underground and an average metro station…read more There are no bathrooms at this station and the escalators are tall and narrow. This station services blue, orange, and silver line trains. It is about a 15 minute walk from Georgetown.

Nice metro station. Easy transfers. Clean and well-managed. All in all the DC Metro is one of the…read morebest on the planet.

M. Harewood needs a raise immediately! He went above and beyond to help me and my kids navigate the…read moreMetro. He was kind, patient, warm and helpful. Honestly me and the kids would have gotten very lost without him. He cares about the riders and public, excellent and most impactful encounter I've had since being in Dc on vacation. Absolutely recommend you find him for help with anything.

Nice overground station. Centrally located. Not as close to gallaudet University as they would have…read moreyou believe, but still within walking distance. Great neighborhood. 3-minute walk to the courtyard Marriott hotel.

Tenleytown Metro is part of my weekday routine, and those escalator stairs are no joke--I walk them…read moreas a mini workout before work. The station itself is about as clean as you can expect for a busy commuter hub, and I've always found it well-maintained. There are plenty of bus options right outside, which makes transfers pretty easy. When school's in session, it does get more crowded with students, but it's still manageable. All in all, a solid station that gets the job done.

I'm thinking metro management simply does not care about anything…read more Tenleytown station is now closed on the Panera side of the street. Nobody working at all. Nobody ever working. I guess the customer who rides metro regular really gets screwed as driving downtown is horrific by itself. The ads all tell us the train is easier with the endless delays, filthy cars and lack of any management in stations. I did pick up an idea if you don't want to pay. I watched this one go by while the dude in the little hut is playing in his phone. A woman has a small child plus a stroller. She sends the kid through the end turnstile which opens when the kid touches the card to the card reader. She walks on through with the stroller and pays nothing (aside from the kid). It's genius. Maybe Elmo is available to be hired.

I take Uber and Lyft almost always a weekly basis or traveling to the airport…read more Sometimes one is better than the other. A few Uber options are as follows: Uberx is the basic: warning though you might end up in a hoopty. Cracked windshields or a car thats been keyed by a jealous ex. UberBlack -luxury car UberSUV for a large party. UberXl is a step up from basic. I used this one recently. I rode in a nice Dodge Durango at a pool rate. So from Union Station to my destination. However because it was pooled, I was last to go home #sadface. This guy drove slow and I mean slow! However now there are better options now, for us ladies to ride safer. Ladies you can request a female driver now!! I only had one bad experience with Uber but that was a very long time ago. I like this that i can request a female driver and feel safer. If your going home from the airport, make sure you have both apps open and plug in your destination. They prices vary. So from Dulles to home is about 25 miles my ride was only $30. Lyft was me charging $73. Also refresh your app. The rates change. So when its in high demand . The prices go up. Wait a little and see that the prices will drop. Also doing UberShare helps save . I never have to share a ride I also have UberOne which saves me money but im under a promotion period for 30 days.

Uber abandoned me at the airport and the app broke down. I scheduled a ride from the airport to my…read moreapartment A DAY BEFORE. I got off the plane to find my Uber driver 40 minutes away. I called him and he had no explanation except "Call Uber". BEYOND UNACCEPTABLE. I was unable to cancel the ride for another because your app thought my ride was "in progres" AND it wouldn't let me log in to make a phone call through the app or get help. Over and over again for an hour I tried to get help from Uber and couldn't reach a SINGLE PERSON. When I finally did--all they could do was charge me $30 for the trip you forced me to cancel THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE WHEN I ARRIVED and then charge me $78 for a new ride--$30 MORE THAN THE RIDE I HAD SCHEDULED. I've now paid $100 to wait an hour to get home when I should've paid $40 to not have to wait at all. They stole money from me, failed to help me when they left me stranded at the airport, finally *did* connect me with an agent only to charge me more than double for all the difficulty, and then made it impossibly difficult to even ASK for a refund--because there's no phone service for customer support. Just their circular AI and a series of multiple choice options THAT DO NOT COVER ALL POSSIBLE PROBLEMS. They're obviously trying very hard to take ZERO responsibility for your failures. So please know that I will NEVER use UBER again. I'm so done with them that I'm copy-pasting this review anywhere else that I can and giving them as many 1-star ratings as humanly possible.