I'm trying to decide whether to buy a SmarTrip or daily fare cards. Will the SmarTrip deduct more than the daily fare card cost if I ride more than that on a given day?

I'll arrive by Amtrak Friday evening, and leave from Dulles Monday evening, if that makes a difference. Sunday we have morning tickets for the pandas and plan to go on to the Cathedral, should we consider the hop-on hop-off bus for that day? Thanks!

You can put large denominations on the paper passes so that you don't have to get a new one everytime. SmartTrip, I think, still has a cost to purchase the pass and is really designed for commuters, not tourists.

Yes, the SmartTrip card is designed for commuters not tourists. It costs $5. It works just like a normal fare card, so you will be charged no more or no less. There used to be a tourist card where for like $5 you could ride all day as long as it wasn't during peak commuting hours, but I don't know if they still have it, or if it is valid on the weekends.

As far as the Monday panda trip, obviously the metro stop for that is Woodley on the red line. The closest to the Cathedral is Tenleytown on the red line - 3 stops away. You could conceivably walk from Tenleytown to the Cathedral, if you like a good walk - 15 mins. Otherwise, I think you could catch a bus headed south on Wisconsin and then get off at the Cathedral.

Smarttrip cards charge for each ride. The only exception is that for subway-bus transfers you don't need a paper transfer from the dispenser, you get the discount automatically. Even as a tourist, I love the Smarttrip as I visit frequently. I use it because it's faster getting thru turnstiles with it - I don't even need remove if from my wallet. And I can use it for Metro Buses, the DC Circulator buses and MARC train.

Yes, purchasing a Smarttrip will cost $10 but it will have $5 of funds in it -- so it does cost $5.

You can get a all-day visitor pass for %6.50, but it's not usable before 9:30am on weekdays. You could always pay "per-ride" for any rides before 9:30 on Monday.

How much Metro-riding do you plan? Check the fares for your anticipated rides at http://rideguide.wmata.com and see if the all-day pass actually saves you anything, sometimes it has not for me.

Metrocheks, used to add value to a Smarttrip card, are often sold on eBay at values of up to 1/3 off face value. You might get a good enough bargain to write off the Smarttrip card and either use is as a souvenir or on a future trip.

Thanks. I'm not sure when I'll be back in Washington, and like to be able to just jump on a bus or the metro without worrying about the fare, so I'll probably pass on the SmarTrip this time.

Well, you can't use a paper fare card on the bus, but you can use a SmartTrip. So that sort of ruins your "hop on an not worry about the fare" desire.

One consideration is your itinerary each day; investing in the $6.50 daily card will be cost-effective if you ride 5 or more times per day. But as tourist several times in DC, I have never done that even once, and have always found the per-ride Metro tickets to work out best.

The $6.50 one-day pass is available after 9:30 on weekdays but all day Saturday and Sunday, which are they very days you'd be using it.

The Woodley Park stop isn't as obvious as it sesems, for the zoo. If you get off at the next stop, Cleveland Park, the walk to the zoo will be downhill; then when you're leaving the zoo, turn right and walk downhill to Woodley Park station. The grounds of the zoo open much earlier than the buildings, and early visitors are rewarded with more animal activity than later in the day.

The hop-on-hop-off bus probably doesn't go all the way out to the Zoo and Cathedral; just check the route. Also, since you're planning on visiting on Sunday, be sure to check the Cathedral's schedule.

"Will the SmarTrip deduct more than the daily fare card cost if I ride more than that on a given day?"

Yes, it's a straight per-ride fee.

Thanks Anonymous, that was exactly the answer I was looking for (not, of course, the answer I wanted!). Since I think we'll be taking a mix of buses & metro it may well be worth the $5 for the convenience of the SmarTrip. Looks like we can get a Metrobus right to the zoo & Cathedral, so no need for the hop-on bus.