By Sydney Raymond
Washington, D.C. is a big city with many monuments to see, museums to explore, and restaurants to try. To experience everything that the District has to offer, you need to know how to get from place to place. From the Metro to e-scooters, there are transportation options in D.C. and on campus that can help you find your way around.
On Campus
You can find great transportation options without even walking off campus! Whether you’re rushing to class or heading to downtown Washington, D.C., for the day, you can scoot, bike or drive right to your destination.
Electric scooters are a great option for shortening the trek from Darnall Hall to Car Barn or grabbing a quick lunch in the Georgetown neighborhood. Lime and Bird scooters, which charge a per-minute fee, can be found scattered all across campus — usually near Lauinger Library and dorm buildings — and their affiliated apps make them simple and convenient transportation options. When you’re done, just flip down the kickstand and carry on!
Zipcars, located in front of Harbin Hall or in the Lauinger library parking lot, are a great option for traveling on your own schedule or with a group of friends. They can be rented hourly or daily through the Zipcar app, which offers discounted student rates. All you need is a driver’s license! You have to return Zipcars to the Zipcar parking lot at the end of your trip, so they’re best for round-trip adventures into D.C. or the surrounding states.
The Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle, or GUTS bus (because Georgetown loves an acronym), is another great option for student transportation. Unlike electric scooters and Zipcars, the GUTS bus is completely free for Georgetown students and staff. GUTS buses run from 5 a.m. to midnight, Monday through Friday, with six different routes. The GUTS bus is perfect for almost all your travel needs in the District, from weekday voyages to your favorite cafe in Dupont Circle to attending protests at the Capitol. The Dupont Circle and Rosslyn routes are also convenient ways to reach the Dupont and Rosslyn Metro stations.
Off Campus
If you want to get off campus during the weekend when the GUTS bus isn’t running or go to a fun event in Maryland with friends, there are also plenty of off-campus transportation options for students to take advantage of. The Metro, operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), runs on six lines and is an ideal way to explore the District. You can plan your Metro trip with the DC Metro and Bus app or Citymapper (both apps also include Metrobus and Circulator routes) and pay Metro fares with the SmarTrip app. The closest Metro stations to campus are Foggy Bottom-GWU, Rosslyn and Dupont Circle. Each is within a half-hour walk from campus, or you could take the Metrobus or Circulator to speed up your trip!
The Metrobus and DC Circulator, both also operated by WMATA, have a few stops closer to campus, including one on the Metrobus’s G2 route located right outside the front gates! There are also stops at Q St. NW and 35th St. NW (Metrobus’s D2 and D6 routes) and 35th St. and Wisconsin Ave. NW (Circulator’s Georgetown-Union Station route). Even better, Circulator fares are only a dollar! The Metrobus and Circulator use the same SmarTrip card as the Metro, which you can purchase at any Metro station. It’s a great idea to take the GUTS bus to Dupont Circle at the start of the semester to get your first SmarTrip card!
Electric scooters are also available off campus, or you could spring for a Capital Bikeshare bike! Capital Bikeshare operates like most urban bike sharing services, and it consists of many bike stations across D.C., including one in front of campus. They’re great for pedaling around the monuments or cruising along the Georgetown Waterfront and offer discounted annual memberships for Georgetown students. They don’t need to be returned to the same station you picked them up at, so you can always leave your bike at a station downtown and take the bus home on a rainy day.
For a more tourist-y but fun travel experience, consider trying out a water taxi! The Georgetown dock is located along the waterfront near Washington Harbour. Get off at The Wharf to see concerts at The Anthem and Union Stage or travel farther down the Potomac River to Old Town Alexandria, Va., and National Harbor, Md.
