Tips
for Traveling to Philadelphia
Getting There by
Plane
Philadelphia
International Airport,
located 8 miles from downtown
Philadelphia, is the major gateway to the
City of Brotherly Love. Flying time is
approximately 50 minutes from New York
City, two hours from Chicago and five
hours from Los Angeles (assuming your
flight is direct). Take I-95 North from
the airport to get to Center City; allow
at least a half hour for the trip, more
during rush hour.
You'll find plenty of taxis
at the airport -- but expect to $20 (a
flat rate fare which does not include
tip) for the trip into town. Many hotels
recommend "limos" (really vans)
which cost about half that (but it is a
per person fee, so if you are travelling
with at least one other person, the taxi
is a better bet). You may also find that
the limos are not as plentiful and make
the trip more of a hassle since they only
stop at certain hotels and other
destination points.
If you are renting a car
(which is not necessary if your trip is a
short one, since most of Philadelphia's
major attractions are within walking
distance of one another), don't forget to
see our rental
car tips.
SEPTA's Airport Line offers one of the best public
transportation links in the country,
providing fast (about 20 minutes),
economical service to each of the
airport's five terminals. Trains leave
every 30 minutes between 6 AM and
midnight and stop at four locations:
- University City
Station (Convention Ave. at
South Street) which is near the University
of Pennsylvania, Drexel
University, the Museum of
Archaeology & Anthropology, and The
Civic Center.
- 30th Street
Station (30th and Market
Streets) which is located
directly in the Amtrak station.
- Suburban Station (16th
and Market Streets) which is
located in the heart of the
Central Philadelphia business and
shopping district.
- Market East
Station (10th and Market
Streets) which is located in the
Gallery Shopping Mall with direct
entrance to the Pennsylvania
Convention Center.
(For more information about
SEPTA, see the related
article.)
Getting There by
Train
Amtrack provides long-distance train service to
Philadelphia from a host of destinations.
The most travelled route, though, is the
Northeast Corridor from Boston to
Washington, D.C. For fastest service from
New York City, we recommend the
Metroliner, and although you'll pay a bit
more than regular coach, it is still
generally cheaper than flying and saves
the trouble of traveling to and from the
airport.
Another option if you're
travelling to Philly from NYC is to take
a NJ Transit train from Manhattan and
then pick up the SEPTA R7 train at
Trenton rather than doing the whole trip
by Amtrack. You'll save a bundle (almost
$60 round trip) and it only takes an
extra 30 minutes.
The Philadelphia Insider Directory:
|
