The remaining balance is automatically printed on the ticket as you exit. What you don't quite know is how far that will take you since fares vary by times. But it is extremely easy to add money to a ticket.

Maudie, presuming you will be doing most of the usual tourist activities downtown, I would discourage the purchase of a 7 day fast pass and just buy a fare card, adding to it as you go. A rush-hour one way fare from Crystal City to Smithsonian, for example, is $2.25 (non-rush is $1.60). Once on the Mall, it isn't necessary to use Metro to get to most locations, so your commuting costs may not justify a fast pass.

As Ackislander said, the balance of your fare card is printed as you exit. Keep in mind, though, that if you have to add exit fare, I don't believe the machines inside the turnstiles accept credit cards.

Thanks so much for replying Ackislander and fourfortravel.

The fare card it is then, that sounds like the best deal. Thanks also for the fare examples, that gives me some idea of what we might use up.

I know we can buy the fare card at a machine but how do you add money to the same ticket if its getting low on funds? If we have to add exit fare is this done at a the turnstile? Is it just a matter of adding notes or coins to pass through?

I'm just trying to get a handle on this, so I appreciate your advice.

If you are getting low on funds on your farecard, you can go to any farecard machine to add money. If you need to add fare to exit, there are machines to do that before you exit. (You won't miss them.)

I agree with the others that the most cost-effective choice for you would be using paper farecards. To get some ideas of fare costs and travel times at other times of the day, use the Trip Planner feature on the Metro website: www.wmata.com

Apologies for hijacking this thread,

but if we're staying in Cherry Hill area, what's the best plan for public transportation into the city?

Any fare cards if we need it for 3 days?

>>If you are getting low on funds on your farecard, you can go to any farecard machine to add money. If you need to add fare to exit, there are machines to do that before you exit. (You won't miss them.) <<

I agree -- the machines are in every station with good signage and good self explanatory directions. If you can avoid doing it during the morning or evening rush, you won't have to feel the burning stares of antsy commuters behind you in line!

One caveat about the paper cards -- their strips are easily demagnetized so keep them away from your smart phones. If you kill a card the metro station attendants will give you a form to fill out and mail into the bowels metro administration to receive a replacement card. Not very useful for visitors!

>>but if we're staying in Cherry Hill area, what's the best plan for public transportation into the city?<<

College Park metro station I would think. Alas, no three day metro cards.

so we need to plan on daily R/T fares?

We really don't want to drive into the city.

<<<If you need to add fare to exit, there are machines to do that before you exit>>>

As I recall, the fare machines in DC are the same as BART in San Francisco. The machines to add money before you exit say "Addfare" on them. You insert the old card, then bill or coins, press the minus sign if you don't want to add that much to your card (ex. you put in a $20 but only want to add $10, in which case you'll also get change), and out pops a new card with the new amount on it.

"so we need to plan on daily R/T fares?"

Or you can get the One Day Pass (Metrorail only) which is currently $9. Metrorail fares will be going up at some point soon.

"One Day Pass $9
Pass is valid for one day of unlimited Metrorail travel on weekdays after 9:30 a.m. or all day on Saturdays, Sundays, and some federal holidays (unlimited Metrorail travel begins after 9:30 a.m. on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day). Pass expires at the end of the operating day: 3 a.m. on weekends, midnight on weeknights."
http://www.wmata.com/fares/purchase/passes.cfm#rail


Some Metrorail parking lots require a SmarTrip for payment on exit. When you decide where to park, you can check if that is one of them. Parking is free on weekends.

In order to get through the turnstiles and onto the train, you'll need to have at least enough fare on your card equal to the least expensive fare for that travel period (e.g. rush hour or non-rush). Before exiting the station you'll have the opportunity to add fare, with cash.

So...College Park to Smithsonian for during non-rush is $2.40; during rush it's $4.05. Regular (Rush Hour) fares are from station opening to 9:30 a.m., and 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. Reduced fares are around those hours and on weekends. Even with the most expensive fare, you're still better off than driving and parking.

I agree with the comments above although I don't really see much advantage to the $9 daily card for you. As already mentioned, if your destinations are largely in the vicinity of the National Mall, most of those distances are walkable.

You can purchase a regular paper fare card and load it with up to $40 (I think). i generally recommend visitors don't pile a lot of money onto the paper card b/c they're kind of flimsy and it's so easy to add $ as you go at any station if your card runs low. your

Thanks for all the info.... I did visit DC but my wife has never been so she's really excited about this trip. We're taking the auto train from Sanford, FL to Lorton, VA and then driving up to Cherry Hill, Philly and finally New York City. She was born in NY State but has never been to NYC so it's also something she is excited about.

There are two situations in which you would add value to your paper Farecard. First, having enough on the card to enter the system, but not enough to get out -- that's where you use Addfare, inside the faregates at your exit station, just to top up (cash only) for the value of that ride; as you exit the faregate eats the card because it now contains zero value.

The second is to add value any other time: Go to any fare machine, outside the station faregates, and insert your card in the slot marked "insert used farecard" (or similar). The machine will show you its remaining value and you can add as much or as little as you want (credit cards accepted at blue-front machines). Then it will print you a new card.

(Now a disclaimer: It has been five years since I used a paper farecard because I commute with a smartcard. But I think the system has remained the same. If not, someone please set us straight.)

Good points about protecting the farecard. I had a paper farecard somehow become desensitized last summer. (I don't own a smartphone, so it wasn't that.) Fortunately, there wasn't much money on the card because it is a REAL hassle to get your money back (and I live here). Personally, I would never put more than $20 on a farecard at any one time in case it became desensitized or lost.

Hi everyone, thanks so much for all the detailed information. I feel confident now that we can happily travel the Metro and not be annoying the travelling public in DC.

I will make sure we have a little folder or something to put our farecards in to protect them but good point about not loading it up too much. Also trying to stay clear of peak hour is another good option.

I think the safest option for us is to make sure we pre-load outside the station then try to have as little left on the card as possible after our final trip to Union Station. I can use the above link to figure out that cost.

Thanks again, I really appreciate your help.

We opted for the week pass even though we were there only 5 days. When you're putting on $30, if you're not returning to DC, you might as well get the pass. Near about the same price. No worrying about amount, no searching for cash to add more, just swipe and go.

And, this allowed us to use the metro maybe more than we might've. When my iPhone acted up, we went to Crystal City's Apple store to get it fixed (took just a minute) because the AT&T stores couldn't do anything.

Btw, I think the longst we ever waited for a metro was 4 minutes! Just perfect!