I took the DC Metro for many years and it is wonderful. The advice not to use it is a big disservice to the tourist.

Metro covers the important parts of DC, and goes into nearby Virginia and Maryland. It works great and is clean, safe, and fast. (Not everyone can bike a lot of miles, and the weather may not allow this.) One can put, say, $20 on a fare card, and the fares are automatically deducted. When necessary, you can add money to the card. A good strategy is to stay along Wilson Blvd. in Arlington, and use the Metro for the short ride to and from DC.

I lived there for 7 years. You stick your ticket in the little slot, ride all you want, and stick it in the other little slot when you exit. Charge it up at the kiosk when it runs down. How freakin hard is that? The writer/rider needs to have his head examined. This is the cleanest and easiest-to-use system in the World, and it is designed EXACTLY that way, given the Tourism and International Presence in our Nations Capital.

I agree with Jay and Lou. The Metro is the easiest way to get around. Anyone heading to D.C., ignore the advice about avoiding the train. With the traffic the way it is, drivers at times, ignoring red lights as well as pedestrians in the crosswalk, the Metro is the only way to go. Most stations are withing easy walking distance of what you want to see. Park the car at the hotel, walk to the station and enjoy the ride. I've done this many times and never wished I were on a bike instead.

What a crock! This bike company is AWFUL! A TOTAL waste of money because you are CHARGED for the time you spend looking for a station to get rid of the damn thing asap...

D.C.'s metro is the best I've ever taken! efficient, easy to use, goes EVERYWHERE, fast, cheap to use and amazingly CLEAN!!! Tourists (except maybe college kids who want to BIKE in that heat) beware of this misleading article...it was obviously 'lobbied' by the bike company and "you'll be sorry"...TAKE the Metro!

are you kidding... that's the stupidest thing I ever heard of .. renting a bike .. lol ... haha ... you'll get run over.... driving in DC is easy .. you just have to understand how the streets run and if you can count to 40 and know the alphabet .. you're in good shape.

This is a reply to Robb more than Jay- 'thou I agree with all the Metro is Great!

Driving in DC is a nightmare!! I can count to 40, I know the alphabet. What I don't know is how in the world all the circles, the criss-cross of the grid with the "States"-named streets, the one way detours, steets with the same name but different quadrants make "driving in DC is easy" true? And the lack of left turn lights or lanes? What if they simply outlawed left turns at lights? Might help?

And it's hard to ride a bike in a dress.

Its illegal to ride a bike on the sidewalk in DC and most are not comfortable riding a bike in city traffic...the idea to rent a bike is so stupid for non experienced cyclists! Washington DC is full of fast past, get out of my way, high strung, over achievers, this article is going to get someone killed!

The metro is beyond easy to figure out, pay for, and ride. The metro will get you within walking distances to all of the monuments and museums, the capital, white house. the national zoo, and trendy Maryland and Virginia areas. The great thing about DC, unlike cities like New York, is that all of these attractions are free so it wont kill you to by a $9 day pass for the metro!

To sum it up...this article is ridiculous, pay no attention to it!

I agree with Jay. We always stay out of the city, and the Metro is great for
putting us where we want to be in DC. As part of this last trip, we actually
rented a car to do some sightseeing. You just have to pick your spots as to
when you take it into DC.

I've been to DC more than a dozen times and have used public transportation in other major cities as well. The DC Metro is by far the cleanest, easiest system I've ever come across. We don't even bother bringing a car to DC anymore; we hop a train in New England to Union Station in DC and use the Metro for everything while we're visiting the city. In the rare case when we have trouble navigating the system, Metro staff have always been glad to help us out. Ignore the article. If you can read, you can easily figure out the DC Metro.

I have lived in DC for 17 years. Metro is great, but what most tourists don't realize is that a "city block" here is longer than city blocks elsewhere and if you aren't used to walking, then you will be tired and sore. It takes longer to get around. Metro is easy to use, but can still leave you far from where you want to go - and the local bus system remains a mystery to everyone but the locals. Capitol Bikeshare is good for the Mall spots, but what the reporter should have shared is info about the Circulator buses which have now been around for about 4 years. They take you north to Dupont Circle and the zoo, west to Georgetown and east to the Convention center. They will particularly save you in the heat and will get you closer than metro. They also can be easier for people with mobility problems: http://www.dccirculator.com/ DC taxis also now have meters, so no more "mystery fares" and they are still cheaper than many cities. Downtown to my house ( a 20 minute trip) is usually around $12. For those who remember when DC was the U.S. murder capital, those days are gone and almost every neighborhood near a Metro stop is getting gentrified.

The cab drivers are robbers but there's nothing wrong with the metro.
You'd have to be some kind of idiot to try riding a bike through DC.

The writer is obviously not from DC, and likely not from the DC metro area!! Riding Metro (train) is the easiest thing in the world, every visitor I've met says the map is simple (and it is). The Metro (bus) is a little more challenging, but even that's a good way to get around (if you have a little more time). As for driving in DC, that's no more of a challenge than any big city. If you're stupid enough to try to go east-west or north-south during rush hour, then....well, you're stupid! The ONLY part of the city I would not recommend driving to, through, or trying to park, would be Georgetown (Friday evening, Saturday or Sunday). "If" you know your way around (or find someone who does) getting around DC in a car is easy, and thanks to the alphabetical and numerical order of the city's layout, it's impossible to get lost! Riding a bike?? Yeah, maybe around the neighborhood, but you're seriously (I mean "seriously!") taking your life in your hands if you ride anywhere downtown, Georgetown, Capitol Hill, or Adams Morgan.