WMATA has improved. No doubt about it. While I wish trains were more often on evenings/weekends,…read morecommunication has been improved upon. The new audio system and screens help. Also station managers are out of their cubicle mostly. This helps lost tourists, or commuters who forgot where they were. Also have found them professional. This station is under ground of course. The escalators and elevators regularly work. That wasn't always the case. The new gates are more efficient. There's a slight jump up in price, but we are living in strange times. This is a decent metro station, and helps you get to this section of the nations capital.

Capitol South Metro station is another station in the Capitol Hill area. It seems clean. The best…read morething about it is the location. A few blocks away are some big time attractions. You can find a few places to eat and shop. It serves the Blue, Orange, and Silver Lines. It's the first station after getting past the National Mall. The next station is L'Enfant Plaza. It has a ton of nearby tourist attractions. This is right between the Congressional office buildings, which is where most of the governmental action takes place. Close to this is the United States Botanic Garden. The Capitol Building is just past the office buildings from here. It overall is in a safe area. It's conveniently on Capitol Hill. There's always a lot of good security.

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.

Very easy to navigate. No issues when I used it…read more So she is great and clear. It was not too crowded. If there is something going on it maybe a little more populated. There is plenty around outside the station.

Eastern Market is right down the street! Really good connections with blue, orange, and silver…read morelines running through it.

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?

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.

On of the most convenient stops on the metro line, and its on the red line…read more If you wanna is the museums or venture around DC near the museums, this stop is it. A few walking distance from Air Space Muesum and Art Gallery, you get a lovely view of the US Capitol. I suggest wear sneakers. Don't wear sandals or Crocs. Your feet will hurt! This station is very clean, well maintained and operated. Station managers are always present and friendly! However the prices are insane unlike other major cities MTA. The so called peak time ends after 9pm on weekdays , holidays and weekends the prices are very reasonable.

The Smithsonian Metro station in Washington, D.C., is my go-to gateway to the National Mall, and…read morelet me tell you my first ride on the D.C. Metro was an absolute riot! I hopped on expecting a chill, leisurely cruise like some other cities' subways, but nope this thing hauled ass right out of the gate. It accelerated like it was late for a very important date, screeching around corners, jerking side to side like a caffeinated New York train on steroids. The cars were swaying wildly, I was gripping the pole for dear life, laughing out loud thinking, "Subway gone wild! This is a thrill ride disguised as public transit!" It was hilarious and exhilarating definitely not your grandma's slow commuter train. (They've probably smoothed things out a bit with more automation these days, but that memory still cracks me up.) If you're visiting D.C. in the winter months when it's freezing out, ducking into the Metro (especially at Smithsonian) is a lifesaver warm, quick, and drops you right in the heart of everything. Parking downtown is a nightmare and wallet-killer, so snag a cheaper hotel farther out, jump on the train, and zoom in without the hassle. It's a smart, affordable way to get around, and if you're a train nerd like me, that wild ride might just become the story you tell for the rest of your life. Highly recommend 5 stars for the nostalgia alone!

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

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.

I just noticed that I actually never hit the publish button on this review from last year…read more(pre-Covid) when we traveled by train from Nawlins to Pittsburgh. While a few things have changed my honey just took the same train to Providence, RI and will be taking the train back to NOLA again this weekend. We do love to take the train and will likely make another trip to see our kids in Pittsburgh later this year. So here is the review from my last train trip as was written in real-time. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation does business as Amtrak. The company is a publicly funded railroad service operated and managed as a for-profit corporation. In the United States travelling by rail was extremely popular until the popularity of the automobile started to rise in the 1930s. Today Amtrak operates 374 trains on over 31,000 miles of track in 46 states and three Canadian provinces. The most popular service is the North East Corridor9 (NEC) and accounts for 11.4 million of Amtrak's 31.6 million yearly passengers. The company has 20,000 employees and had $2.88 billion in revenue in 2012. So far the highlight of my tŕip was at breakfast. Half way through taking our order I noticed our server's name tag was hidden by his apron & I asked him what his name is. My sweetheart chimed in with "his name isn't important" with a laugh as he wrestled his name tag out. I didn't know what to say to that, nor apparently did he because he didn't reply at all. I noticed it was Carl and I called him by name for the remainder of breakfast. I laughed at my wife because even though she was trying to the facilitate the process of clearing the isle, for others to get by, it just sounded messed up LOL We're somewhere north of Hotlanta on our way to Gastonia, NC tonight (my old stomping grounds) and DC in the morning and we're nestled in our beds & our choo choo ride has been delightful thus far. Boarded at Union Passenger station in Nawlins at 7am after 30 minutes in the Magnoloa room lounge with water, coffee, muffins and comfy seats. We boarded early at 6:25am & got settled in our little room before departing promptly at 7am. All of the large berths were already reserved, so we had to go with the roomette. The room is very small with 2 seats facing one another that folds down into a bed and a larger bunk above that slides down into place abive. There's a toilet that doubles as a seat & fold up sink that has hot & cold water as well as ice water. Much like smaller boats they utilize every square inch of space. There's a thermostat for the AC, lots of light controls an intercom for the Porter, (our guy Carl will be with us to DC, nice guy), a couple electrical outlets and big windows for the scenery. You can pull the curtains on the door and outer windows and it's private & pretty dark dark even facing the sun. If you want a shower there is a dedicated shower room with lots of fluffy towels and toiletries, it's pretty nice & located in the sleeper cars. The meals are included with all sleeper tickets so we were off to breakfast. We has 3 egg omelettes with cheese & veggies, I had sausage, wife had bacon, potatoes & croissant. I was extra hungry after the French foo foo dinner last night so I added pancakes & all topped off with OJ & Dunkin coffee, nice. Our guy Gary, in the dining car, will be with us to DC as well & he's extra sharp & very nice) For lunch we both had house salads & cheeseburgers with Kettle chips & pickle finished off with a strawberry topped cheesecake & a special pecan topped chocolate & caramel cake. Dinner was extra special because I had the flat iron steak with large lump crabcake while my sweetheart had the grilled salmon and we both had baked potatoes and mushroom green beans. We finished this off with strawberry cheesecake & fresh coffee. Yes this is a lot of food, especially for us since we normally only have two meals a day, but the food is very good and it's very pleasant in the dining car. After dinner we went back to our room to read and watch the night lights. Carl showed up at 9:45pm to offer to setup our beds, freshen the linens and prepare our little space for the night. We headed for the lounge which has snacks and a full bar. Yuengling for my honey & ginger ale for me. I just started this review when Carl showed up to give us the thumbs up signaling our room was ready. So it's nice & dark, the wonderful swaying of the speeding train and the low rumble of the wheels rolling along the tracks. It's otherwise very quiet and quite peaceful so I will end this review for now. I've set my alarm so I can get a shower and lots of coffee before breakfast. (there's a coffee pot with ice & bottled water just outside our door, nice!) Bottom line: Choo choo rides are awesome, who needs the hassle, stress & strain of 20+ hours of driving? Good night peeps!!

A transfer station for us. Only a 5 minute walk to get to the station. All around the Capitol,…read moreyou will find different Metro stations. It is very convenient for travelers. The Metro is clean and runs often on the weekdays. The system is easy to use. Each stop is announced clearly. Station agents and other official staff at museums are very helpful. Most are very knowledgeable about the Metro system and happy to help.

Bottom Line: One of the smaller Metro Station which makes for an easy and efficient experience…read more More often than not, a Metro Station will have multiple exits. If you are not familiar with the station, then you have to figure our which exit to take so you don't end up 1/4 mile from your desired destination. This station is super simple in that it only has one exit. As the name implies, it drops you off in Federal Center which consists of tons of federal agency buildings. Although this Metro stop may be used by commuters the most, it is also convenient to lovely attractions like the US Capital building, US Botanical Gardens and Bartholdi Park. I've only used this station during the day so I'm not sure what its like at night.

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