One of the easiest and most affordable ways to Washington D.C. from DCA Reagan National Airport is by taking the Metro. There are two lines that stop at the DCA Reagan National Airport stop, which are the Blue Line and the Yellow Line.

On a recent visit, I was headed into the Georgetown area to stay at the Hotel Review: Fairmont Washington D.C, so I called the hotel and asked which is the closest stop to them and was informed it is the Foggy-Bottom GWU stop, which is on the blue line.

When arriving into DCA, if you’re landing in Terminal B or C you can use the enclosed pedestrian bridges on the concourse level which lead you right to the Metro station. If you’re arriving in Terminal A, you’ll need to take a shuttle bus that stops at Terminal B or C, to get to it.

Next, you’ll need to get a ticket for the Metro called a “Smartrip” which costs $2 for the card, then you’ll need to determine which stop you’re headed to and load that amount of money onto the card. Off peak to Foggy-Bottom GWU was $2.35, meaning this ride cost $4.35, however on the return it would be just $2.35 since I wouldn’t need to purchase a new Smartrip card.

Keep in mind that prices for the Metro are distance based as well as On/Off Peak prices, so unlike other cities like NYC where every ride is $2.75, that isn’t the case here.

Once you get your Smartrip card, just tap it at the entry gate to let you through. Remember to save your card as you’ll need to it to tap out once you leave the train.

Next, if you are headed into D.C. you’ll be taking the Largo Town Center bound Blue Line or the Fort Totten bound Yellow Line, which both make stops in D.C. depending on where you’re going.

The ride was just under 15 minutes from DCA to the Foggy Bottom-GWU station in D.C. and then a short walk to the hotel.

When it comes to operating hours for the D.C. Metro, it runs Mon-Thurs, from 5am-11:30pm, Friday 5am-1am, Saturday 7am-1am, and Sunday 8am-11pm. If you’re outside these hours, then you’ll want to consider taking a taxi or Uber to the city.

You can view a larger DC Metro map here.

Have you taken the Metro to get to Washington D.C. from DCA Reagan National Airport before? Feel free to share your thoughts or tips below!