With no Metro stop serving the Georgetown area, Washington, D.C., can seem tough to get around — but don’t let the so-called “Georgetown bubble” stop you from exploring the wider D.C. area. Here are a couple ways to get around without breaking the bank on Uber bills.
Walking
Pretty much anything you need in the Georgetown neighborhood (grocery, shopping, hospital, tourism, etc.) is within a half-hour walk; the National Mall and Lincoln Memorial are reachable in under an hour. However, to explore further afield in D.C., you’ll need to rely on some kind of transportation.
Public Transit
In D.C., WMATA — that’s the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority — operates bus and Metro (for all you New Yorkers, that’s the subway) routes across the city and Maryland and Virginia suburbs. The Metro’s six lines, distinguished by color, crisscross the region; the closest stations to Georgetown are Dupont Circle on the Red Line or Rosslyn and Foggy Bottom-GWU on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines, both about a half-hour walk away. Several bus lines operate in the Georgetown area, as well; they can be convenient ways to access the Metro.
To use any WMATA public transit, you’ll most likely need a SmarTrip card, which you can buy from any Metro station or add money to on your phone. Passengers tap to pay both on entry and exit; your fare depends on how far you travel and can be anywhere between $2.25 and $6.75 during peak hours and will be a flat $2 during the week. SmarTrip cards also work on buses, as does cash — despite a much-ballyhooed city government plan to make buses free, the bus fare is $2.25. If you’re a regular bus or metro user, the Hoya Transit program allots students $50 per month on transit fares; although the deadline to sign up has passed for the fall, the program renews each semester.
Nearby Bus Lines
G2
Closest stop: 37th and O streets.
Frequency: Every 30 minutes.
Goes to: Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, LeDroit Park, Howard University.
D2/D6
Closest Stop: 35th and Q streets.
Frequency: Every X.
Goes to: Dupont Circle (both), Stadium-Armory, U.S. Capitol, Union Station (all D6 only).
33
Closest Stop: Wisconsin Avenue and P Street.
Frequency: Every X.
Goes to: Down Wisconsin Avenue, Glover Park Safeway and Trader Joe’s, L’Enfant Plaza, Friendship Heights, Federal Triangle.
D.C. Circulator to Union Station
Closest Stop: Wisconsin Avenue and O Street
Frequency:
Goes to: Union Station
D.C. Circulator to Rosslyn/Dupont Circle.
Closest Stop: 35th and M streets.
Frequency:
Goes to: Dupont Circle, Rosslyn.
GUTS Bus
The Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle, fondly known as the GUTS bus, serves Georgetown University students and staff for free. GUTS buses operate Monday through Friday to Dupont Circle Metro station, Rosslyn Metro station, Arlington, the Capitol Campus near Union Station, and up Wisconsin Avenue. It also operates weekend service to Dupont Circle and Rosslyn.
Each of these buses departs from either the McDonough Bus Turnaround, past the Southwest Quad next to McDonough Arena, or the Lombardi Bus Turnaround, located behind the Leavey Center underneath Yates Field House, with the exception of the Wisconsin Avenue shuttle, which leaves from Reservoir Road and 37th Street, just past St. Mary’s Hall. Bus schedules are available through the GUTS website.
Bikes and Scooters
Bikes and electric scooters are a fun way to explore D.C. — but be careful of traffic, as D.C.’s bike lanes are very incomplete and its drivers are notorious speeders. Also, be sure to bring a helmet!
Capital Bikeshare (CaBi)
Right outside of Georgetown’s gates is its Capital Bikeshare station — a bike rack full of red and silver bikes. CaBi offers both silver electric and red manual bikes, with electric bikes costing more; for ordinary bicycles, you can pay for individual rides (5 cents per minute + $1 unlocking fee) or get a membership with CaBi, which costs Georgetown students $25 per year. Just make sure wherever you’re going has another bike station, or else you’ll spend 20 minutes hunting for one — trust us.
Private E-scooter and E-bike Companies
Lime, Veo, Bird and other private companies have electric bikes and scooters throughout the city. The perk of these bikes and scooters is that you don’t have to park them at a designated dock — you can leave them anywhere out of pedestrians’ way other than on Georgetown’s campus, as the university has banned e-scooters. The private e-bikes are generally a little smoother and lighter than CaBi bikes, but rides are more expensive. Lime, for instance, charges a $1 flat rate plus 51 to 55 cents per minute.