Are you like me and want to know how something works before you get there?  

We could definitely be friends.

So let’s talk about how to navigate the Washington, DC Metro. It’s as easy as A.B.C.

Being that we’re from the West Coast, subways and metros aren’t something that we’re used to. But believe me, you don’t want to constantly get stuck in the DC traffic! It’s a whole other thing!

As with most things, everything starts with ‘A’.

‘A’ is for a Metro Card (Also called the SmarTrip Card)

Everyone in your group will need a SmarTrip Card. Well, everyone over age 5 needs a Card. Note that at this time, each adult can have 2 children under 5 with them.

You can get SmarTrip Cards in the mail before your visit or at a vending machine at most stations or even on your phone.

In fact, let’s talk for a minute about where to stay in the DC area. It honestly doesn’t matter a lot where you stay, but what does matter is how close you are to a Metro station. If you look up your hotel in Google maps, you will be able to look around for an M sign on the map. That’s a Metro Station. If you can help it, I recommend being no more than 2 blocks from a Metro Station because after walking all day, it will be nice to be fairly close to your hotel when you get off the train.

‘B’ is for Be sure to Scan in and out

To find a station, look for a tall pole with an M on it. It will also have colored stripes above the M.

There will be an escalator nearby or if you need one, look around for an elevator. 

When you go down the escalator, follow the crowd to the pay gates. Here’s where it’s nice to know what’s going on. 

Have your card in your right hand. When you come to the gate, you will see a round button looking thing with a picture of a SmarTrip Card on it. Put your SmarTrip Card on that picture and wait for the green light and the gate to open. Easy peasy.

With stuff like this, I sometimes like to watch others do it first so that I know how to do it. I think that’s a-ok as long as you’re not bothering people.

If you have any issues, there is usually an attendant in the ticket window and they can help you.

But remember, you will need to scan your card to get in AND scan your card to get back out. You do it the same way you did to get in so that’s not the problem. Keeping track of your card and all your kids' cards might be. I think that some lanyards might be really great for this. When you’re not on the Metro, you can roll them up and put them in your bag, but when you’re on the Metro, they are easier to keep track of.

‘C’ is for Color

Now that you’re in the Metro, how do you know where to go? The first thing you need to know is which color train do you want?

There are Blue line trains, Red line trains, Yellow line trains, Green line trains, Orange line trains, and Silver line trains and each of them go to different places. Some of them overlap, but it’s super important to know which color train you want. 

If you look at the map of the Metro, it may look like a whole bunch of colored spaghetti. But if we look at it one at a time, it gets a lot easier. So let’s look at the Blue line. The Blue line goes from Franconia/Springfield in the south to Largo in the east. In fact, to get to most of the important places in DC, this is the train you’ll want to take. 

But this discussion can’t continue without…

‘D’ is for Destination

Not only do you need to know which color train you want to take, you also need to know which way that train is going. They do this by using the destination. 

Let me explain…each train doesn’t go in a straight line, so you can’t say “I want to go north.” So instead, you go towards the final stop on that train. Let’s say that I’m in Arlington, Virginia at the Crystal City Train Station - which is a great place to stay - and I want to go to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History - which is one of the best museums we’ve been to.

Watch for the signs in the Station that will tell you where to catch each color train.

Google would tell you to take the Blue line train towards Largo. Because that's the direction you need to go. You’d get off at the Smithsonian Station and follow the signs to the National Mall. 

‘E’ is for Everything Else

I couldn’t fit these things into the regular alphabet so here’s everything else.

You can also use your SmartTrip card (or Metro Card) on the buses in the area. You only need to scan it on the way in, not on the way out. The buses are great in DC and can get you places the Metro doesn't. 

I know I said this before but Google Maps is your best friend with the DC Metro. We’ve also used it in England and Japan and while I can figure out the subway wherever we are without it, it makes it so much easier! You can even add the time you want to get there and it will tell you when to leave your house!

When you’re looking at the map of the DC Metro, you’ll see small dots with names and large dots with names. The small dots are stops on that line. The large dots are also stops on that line but they are also places where you can change to another train line. Again, Google will be your friend with this and tell you exactly where you need to go to get the right train. When transferring trains, you don’t have to scan again.

‘F’ is for our Favorites

I thought it would be fun to talk about some of our family’s favorite places around DC and the closest train station.

Arlington Cemetery is a must do and you can get there on the Blue Line - Arlington Cemetery stop.

We love the National Air and Space Museum! Remember to get your tickets and take the Blue line - L’Enfant Plaza stop. (There are actually a lot of lines that go through L’Enfant Plaza so this one is pretty easy.)

The National Mall is another must do in DC. I recommend starting at the Lincoln Memorial and working your way towards the Washington Memorial. The Blue line - Foggy Bottom stop will get you to the Lincoln Memorial though I wouldn’t want to take that one back because it’s a hill between the Memorial and the Station. Instead, walk up the Mall towards the Washington Monument, stopping at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and the World War II Memorial, and maybe grabbing some photos of the Washington Monument along the way. Then take the Blue line - Smithsonian stop home.

The National Museum of American History is another must see in DC. Take the Blue line - Smithsonian stop for this one too.

The Smithsonian National Zoological Park (or National Zoo) has pandas. I love pandas. It’s a bit farther out but totally worth it! Google might disagree with me on this, but I think the best way to get there is the Blue Line - Farragut West stop or the Red Line - Farragut East stop, then onto the D70 Bus to the Zoo Entrance. If you take the Red Line train, you’ll have to walk a ways to the entrance. And remember, your card will work on the bus too!

The Tidal Basin is beautiful! That’s where you’ll find the Jefferson Memorial, the FDR Memorial, and the Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial. If you go out on one of those paddle boats, let me know how it is! You can get there on the Yellow Line - L’Enfant Plaza or the Blue Line - Smithsonian stop. (Either way, it is a bit of a walk so keep that in mind.)

Sometimes going to a bigger city is a little intimidating but it doesn’t have to be. Just remember your ABC’s!

And as always, let’s keep making traveling with your family easier, one trip at a time. See ya next time.