Metro day pass (San Diego: buy, buses, airport)

[robertpasa]

Is it true a $5 pass requires that you have a Tap card already? I was hoping you could just pay $5 and that's all, and you'd get a day pass. Here it says it's reqiured:

Metro | around | Fares

Also, is it true a tap card is only a month, day or week or are there increments in between?

[matt345]

I haven't ridden LA's Metro in a few months, but unless they've radically changed things, you can still buy paper day passes at all ticket vending machines at the rail stations. I believe buses however now require a TAP card to purchase a day pass on the bus, although you can still use paper day passes purchased at rail stations to board a bus.

And yes, you can only use a TAP card for passes. As far as I know, you can't add money to it like a debit card.

[tijlover]

I'm a bit confused here. I've been taking any number of light rail vacations lately, and L.A. is on my summer list. No car, fly to LAX, get to a rail line, and rail it all over the area, wherever it may go, for 4-5 days. Supplement it with a bus, when need be.

I recently rode the DART light rail in Dallas, an all day pass was $3, in NYC I got a week's pass on the subway's for $25. Unlimited travel.

What's a tarp card anyway? I will need that when I arrive in L.A. this summer? Could you please explain that? No unlimited day passes on the rails like they have in San Diego?

[Naomi Manischewitz]

I have bought the day pass without the TAP. You won't have a problem.

[the one]

on the bus you CANT get a day pass without a TAP card. at the train station you CAN get a day pass without a TAP card. at the train station you get a white pass that says its a $5 day pass. most regular [bus] riders have tap cards.

for travel from LAX i suggest getting a day pass, but you still have to get from the airport to the station (via shiuttle). you can then rail all over. you can also get a weekly pass i think. im not sure. the rules have changed recently. i use a tap card for bus and rail. i get it from work so i dont know how its paid for (yealry, monthly, weekly).

[robertpasa]

Originally Posted by Naomi Manischewitz

I have bought the day pass without the TAP. You won't have a problem.

OK - that page I mentioned must be wrong.

[Naomi Manischewitz]

Originally Posted by the one

on the bus you CANT get a day pass without a TAP card. at the train station you CAN get a day pass without a TAP card. at the train station you get a white pass that says its a $5 day pass. most regular [bus] riders have tap cards.

for travel from LAX i suggest getting a day pass, but you still have to get from the airport to the station (via shiuttle). you can then rail all over. you can also get a weekly pass i think. im not sure. the rules have changed recently. i use a tap card for bus and rail. i get it from work so i dont know how its paid for (yealry, monthly, weekly).

I have bought day passes on buses itself without this TAP card. They just give you this paper ticket with the date on it.

[kguru]

You can buy one day passes from the Metro train station vending machines, or a Metrolink one ride ticket counts as a day pass as well. Weekly tickets are only available on TAP. Monthly Metro tickets are also only on TAP, though an interagency monthly pass called EZ PASS is currently still available on a paper card (this lets you ride on the municipal bus lines as well as Metro). Future plans are to move all fare media towards TAP cards. San Diego uses a similar system called COMPASS cards. The system is simple, but it requires tapping each time boarding or switching trains, and sometimes the validator machines malfunction. The police/security are able to inspect whether you have tapped your card using a Star Trek style tricorder type device.