IAD to Downtown DC
 

what is the smartes and least expensive way to go from IAD to the city? I got different messages whether there is a public transportation?
Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
DLH

I think the cheapest way is $2.50 on Metrobus 5A. The bus terminates at L'Enfant Plaza Metro station (Green/Yellow/Blue/Orange lines) in SouthWest DC. From there, it's a $1.20 Metro fare to anywhere in downtown DC. 5A is an hourly service and takes about an hour depending on time of day.

hourly service sounds not exciting - but thanks for the posting.

Your alternative is Washington Flyer. It departs every 30 minutes (quarter past and quarter till) but it costs $8 each way and $14/rt. It only takes you to West Falls Church Metro (Orange line) and from there it's about $2+ to metro into the city (about 30 minutes to Metro Center).

Depending on where you are going in Washington, it may make sense to get off the 5A bus at Rosslyn instead of L'Enfant. Rosslyn is in Arlington just across the bridge from Georgetown and fewer stops on the Blue/Orange lines to the West End, Foggy Bottom, and downtown.

Thanks
 

this was really helpful. I ended up with the 5A and rreturned with the express bus after taking metro to the exchange station.

I appreciated your help!
Thanks

P.S. however I realized that IAD is a funny airport. For example no DL Crown Room....

It's hard to believe there is no Wash Flyer service any more from IAD to downtown DC. Can it be that there is not sufficient demand for it? Seems unlikely. And now with Independence Air at IAD, I would think lots of the folks from DC would switch to IAD from BWI to get discount fares. In fact, I would think Independence Air would even consider contracting themselves with someone to get such service started.

As I recall, the taxi and the bus service were bid services. The companies paid the Dulles authority for the exclusive rights to provide the service, then recovered the fees from the riders.

The minimum fee to the bus service may have been to high to justify.

WashFlyer also used to have a Union Station route, as well as a DCA service. If it were a question of traffic, I would think jetBlue should have done it. I know lots of people in DC who swear by B6, and maybe so would I if the flights I wanted weren't regularly $100 more than the equivalent United fare.

Anyway, at $16, the downtown coach was only a little cheaper than van service and ran only every half hour. The 5A is $2.50, which you pay for in frequency (~hourly), destinations (not quite downtown), and experience. I wish Metro would add or increase service to Dulles. The bus is often very crowded with airport workers not to mention all the travelers with luggage, and 45 minutes is a long time to be standing.