A ride on MARTA obviously costs money. The cost as of February 2024 is $2.50 per trip (they call it a rideas well), but how do you pay?
The Simple Answer
Get a Breeze Card and put some cash on it. I usually keep mine at $10 or so to have some buffer. There’s a $2 charge to get a new card.
You can get a Breeze Card at one of the machines outside every MARTA train station. Cash and credit taken.
The More Complicated Answer
You can download the Breeze Mobile app and pay with your phone. It’s just a virtual Breeze Card that you’ll always have with you. See the MARTA page on the app for details on how to install and use it.
You can also put passes and trips on your Breeze Card (mobile included). A pass is an all-you-can-ride for a day. A trip is just $2.50 worth of fare, but you can get a discount if you buy in bulk. See the MARTA fare page for info on that.
The buses take cash as well as Breeze Cards. You won’t get any change back, so make sure to bring $2.50 if your trip starts with a bus.
The Atlanta Streetcar is $1.00 for a ride. This mode will probably get its own post at some point.
More Details
There are Breeze machines at every train station. They are very easy to find; just look for the row of big, blue boxes outside the fare gates. There are Breeze machines at the Streetcar stops as well.
Everyone needs their own Breeze Card. You can’t buy one card, put $918482848 on it, and pay for your whole family to ride.
Of course, you can recharge your Breeze Card at any of the machines as well. They have an expiration of three years, so you’ll need to get a new one when yours expires.
A trip is you going from point A to point B. For example, to get from Airport Station to Zoo Atlanta, you would take the Red or Gold Line train to West End Station, then get on the 832 bus to get there. That’s one trip. When you purchased that trip, you got four transfers, so you’ll only pay $2.50 for the train and for the bus. Transfers are a much bigger topic that needs it’s own post.