Metro
The best way to get around Washington DC is the DC Metro (subway or underground). You can find a map of all the different lines at the WMATA web site. On the Metro, you can get to the National Zoo, the Smithsonian Museums and National Mall, Arlington Cemetery, and 2 blocks from the White House. Unfortunately, Georgetown is not readily accessible, you will need to get off at the Foggy Bottom/GWU and take a cab or get off at Rosslyn and walk across the Key Bridge. The trains and stations are clean and safe; you purchase farecards before you go down to the platform. There is no food permitted on the trains and the service stations do not have restrooms or garbage cans. There are day passes which are economical if you are going to take three or more rides in one day; they cost about $6.50. If you're over 65 and going to be in Washington several days, consider purchasing a senior SmarTrip card, which cuts your fares in half. You cannot purchase these in most Metro stations. See the Metro site for a list of locations where these are available (some stores and the Navy Metro station. You'll need your Medicare card when you purchase it.) You should not have to wait more than 10 minutes for a train, although the waits may be 20 minutes at night. Before you board, check your map to see which direction you want to go when you exit so you can get off the train at the exit closest to your destination.
Bus
Metro now provides three new bus routes that take care of some of the empty spots in the subway system. The Circulators are a convoy of brand new, sparkling clean, and easy-to-access buses painted bright red that run east to west from Union Station to Georgetown, and north to south from the DC Convention Center in central DC to the Southwest waterfront, and circumnavigate the Mall .... for only $1 a trip (or 50 cents iif you're a senior)! Now you can sightsee while you traverse the city. When you get on, ask for a transfer and you'll be able to get off and reboard free for the next two hours. Circulators cross the National Mall and can also help you connect to Metro underground stations for a more flexible transportation solution. Circulators come about every 5 to 10 minutes, and stop at bus stops displaying either the flag Circulator sign or simply the words The Circulator. Good maps are available once you board but are hard to find elsewhere. Those seeking guided or narrated tours should use the Tourmobile or the Old Town Trolley.
Walking
The other, and perhaps best, way to get around DC is to simply walk. The way Pierre L’Enfant laid out the city makes it easy to find your way. Numbered streets run south to north and lettered streets run east to west. Even better, there’s logic behind the street addresses. Say you want to go to the International Spy Museum (and yes, you do). At 800 F Street NW, you now know that it’s in the NW quadrant of the city, where F Street meets 8th. Zaytinya Restaurant (another good choice) at 701 9th Street is just around the corner at 9th and G (G is the 7th letter of the alphabet). There are a few wrinkles: avenues with state names run diagonally through the city. If you hit one of those, don’t worry. In the next block you’ll cross a numbered or lettered street and know right where you are. And if you get tired of walking, you can hail a taxi, jump on the Metro, or hop on a bus. Rest up and hit those streets again!
Taxi/Limo
If you prefer something more direct and faster, call for a cab or limo. They will get you where you need to be by the most direct route and they are fairly reasonable.
