-The best way to get around in Washington, DC,
is really through the DC Metro.
It goes into every single quadrant
not only in the National Mall,
but it takes you into the neighborhoods
and it's real easy to navigate.
So, the best way to refer to the Metro
is by using the term metro.
Unlike New York -- people call it the subway.
Other cities, they call it the train.
But if you want to blend in with the locals in this city,
you're gonna call it the metro.
So, this is where you actually purchase
what is called a SmarTrip card to ride the metro,
and there's many different options.
You could either get a one-day pass or a three-day pass.
But what I recommend is that you actually purchase a single card
and then just load money onto it when you need it.
Every single person needs their own card.
You cannot transfer cards to each other.
Each person needs their own card
'cause you need it to swipe in and also swipe out.
So, before you actually purchase a card,
this is a purely local tip.
Check on top of the actual stations to see
if anyone has left an extra card there.
Sometimes you actually can find one like,
oop, like here, and that will save you two dollars,
and there actually might be still money on this as well.
On every station, you have this little map right here
that will tell you how much an actual charge
will be to ride the DC Metro.
Unlike some other metros where it's the same price
no matter where you go on the system,
DC charges you by the distance that you go on the metro.
So, I recommend putting $15 on your initial card,
'cause you don't really know how much money you're gonna need
and $15 is a really good way to start.
You can always add more money to it,
'cause every single metro station has one of these,
and so it's really easy to add to it.
So, you're gonna come here and press
"purchase single card."
And then "purchase value."
And then here is you can load on as much money up to $300
that you want onto the card.
And use these buttons here to go all the way up to $15.
Press the button when you're done,
and I want to complete my transaction.
And you can either pay with credit card or debit card,
and then from here out pops this fancy new SmarTrip card.
And try not to put it by your cellphone,
'cause sometimes that can demagnetize this card,
and you don't want that to happen.
And you're all done.
You're ready to go through the metro.
So, once you enter the metro station,
you're gonna notice that there are signs right above your head,
and this is how you know which direction
you want to go on the metro.
But once you know which direction the line
is going toward,
then you walk up the appropriate escalator.
Unlike the New York metro
where there's an uptown and downtown metro,
the only way to know which direction
you're going on the DC metro is by really reading a map.
And even locals need a map sometimes,
so don't be embarrassed if you're reading a map.
How you know which direction to go on the metro
is really by the color of the line
and then the last station name.
So in our case, we're at the airport right here.
We want to get on the Yellow Line toward Greenbelt
and get off at Gallery Place Chinatown
to transfer to Union Station on the Red Line.
So, when you're getting ready to board,
you want to stand right here behind this line
so it's a safe distance between you and the train,
because it moves pretty fast.
You'll notice this sign right here.
This is priority seating and it's reserved for passengers
with disabilities or the elderly,
so try not to sit there.
So, many years ago when I first moved here,
once you entered the metro you had no cell service,
no Wi-Fi, so it's kind of a blackhole.
So if you were delayed, there was no way
to tell your friends that you would be late.
Now you can read news on your phone,
you can read a book on your phone,
you can do social media or even text your friends.
But very important -- no talking on your phone on the metro.
That's one of the unspoken rules,
and you'll stand out if you talk on the phone on the metro.
It just seems like something that's rude to do,
so please don't do it.
-Gallery Place, Chinatown.
Transfer is available to the Red Line on the upper level
and to the Green Line on this level.
-And this is our stop coming up.
They just announced it,
again making it very easy to navigate.
They'll also announce which door will open,
so if you're standing in front of a door,
pay attention to that so you'll know
you'll have to move off to the side
if the door you're standing near is gonna open.
So, since you're transferring, again,
pay attention to the signs overhead
to indicate what color of line you want and the last stop.
So, in this case, we want the Red Line
going toward Glenmont,
and that's the escalator you want to ride up.
We're in the Chinatown, Gallery Place metro station,
which is one of the biggest metro stations
in the whole system in DC.
It's two different levels 'cause three different color lines
all hit this metro stop, so it can be pretty busy.
You'll also notice these lights along the side.
Once a train is close to arriving,
they will start to blink.
-Doors open.
Step right to exit.
Doors open.
-Alright, we made it to Union Station.
But before we get on the escalator,
this is the most important unspoken rule of the metro
is that you also stand on the right, walk on the left.
A pro tip is try to keep your card in your right hand.
It's a lot easier to swipe on your way out.
This is Union Station -- a great place to shop but also
one of the busiest train stations in the entire country.
As you can see, the DC Metro's real easy to navigate
and takes you to all parts of Washington, DC.
So have fun exploring.
Happy riding.