Which is better in Washington DC, the trolley tour or just using the metro?

Answer 1

It depends. I go for metro and foot power - since I live here and know my way around. But this is an exceptionally easy city to find your way around. There are a lot of tours, and both the Trolley and Tourmobile have all day on-off policies. Tourmobile has better access to the mall core, but the trolley goes to Georgetown and to the National Cathedral, two sights which are more difficult to get to via metro (lots of walking or you need to switch to a bus.)

So if you like walking and exploring a city that way, take metro and walk. This costs the least.

If you are most interested in the central tourist core, the white house, Capitol, monuments, and smithsonian, then take the Tourmobile (you can also get to ARlington Cemetary that way)

If you want to see the National Cathedral, or go to Georgetown, but don't want up to 3/4 of a mile of walking to get there, or fooling with busses, consider the Old Town Trolley. This costs the most.

Answer 2

The trolley tour and the metro have very different purposes. The metro will get you into and out of DC, but if you want to see the main tourist sites, the metro won't help once you are IN the District (you will probably want to get off at the Smithsonian stop).
You can see most of what you want by walking, and that also allows you to spend as much time as you want at each place. Of course, if you have older people with you who get tired easily or have difficulty walking, the Trolley would be a good choice.
After seeing the monuments on the Mall and going to all of the museums you are interested in, you may want to take the Blue Line (Metro) to Arlington National Cemetary. From there you can also walk to the Iwo Jima Memorial.
Hope this helps!

Answer 3

I went on the Tourmobile, not a trolley tour. Nice thing, besides being narrated, is that it will pick you up and drop you off at any of the places you may want to see.
Especially nice if you go during particularly hot or cold months.
Getting into and out of DC is best done with the metro.
If you plan to see alot of different things in different places - - take the tour. If you want to see a few things that are all in the same area then metro into DC and walk.

Answer 4

The Metro is easier. However, if you want to take a guided tour, I really recommend the DC at night tour. It's exceptional and most people miss DC at night because most travelers won't go out at night and attempt to tour a major city. Otherwise, during the day, I recommend one of the many walking tours because you go at your own pace, stay as long or as little at each stop as you want, there's no fee, and you're not forced to see places you're not interested in.

Answer 5

I've never been on the Trolly tour. All the times I've been to DC I've ridden the Metro. It's a good mode of transportation and if you're a tourist in DC I would reccomend it as everything is in walking distance of the Metro stop.

Answer 6

metro i have never heard of a trolley in d.c