Getting There By Air:Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) Tel: (215) 937 6937
or 1 800 745 4283 for 24-hour flight information.
Website:
www.phl.org The airport is 11km (7 miles) southwest of the city center. Its seven terminals handle non-stop services to Europe, Canada and the Caribbean, as well as more than 100 US cities.
Approximate flight times to Philadelphia: From London is 8 hours 20 minutes; from New York is
1 hour; from Los Angeles is 10 hours; from Toronto is 2 hours and from Sydney is 25 hours.
Airport facilities: Facilities include restaurants, snack bars, shopping outlets, duty free, currency exchange, ATMs and medical services. For language assistance contact the Communications Center from any white airport information telephone or tel: (215) 937 6937 from outside the airport or at the Passenger Assistance Counter located at the exit to US Customs in the terminal A. Car hire is available from
Alamo,
Avis,
Budget,
Dollar,
Enterprise,
Hertz and
National.
Transport to the city: SEPTA’s Airport Rail Line (tel: (215) 580 7800; website:
www.septa.org), runs every 30 minutes to four city center rail stations – University City, 30th Street, Suburban station and Market East (journey time – approximately 20 minutes).
SEPTA bus routes 37 and 108 also take travelers to the downtown area or Center City. A taxi fare from the airport to Center City is approximately US$25 (journey time – 25 minutes).
Lady Liberty shared-van service goes to major hotels every 15-20 minutes (at Ground Transportation Desk, dial X27
or tel: (215) 724 8888). For further information, contact the airport’s Ground Transportation Hotline (tel: (215) 937 6958).
Getting There By Road:Road travel in Pennsylvania is excellent, with good state roads connecting Philadelphia, Scranton, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, as well as outside destinations, such as Niagara Falls and Washington, DC. The general rule for numbering on US freeways and interstates is that the odd numbers go north-south and the even numbers go east-west over their whole length, although at any single, localized point this may seem different. Driving in the United States is on the right. For UK nationals, a full UK driving license is sufficient, but some other nationalities may be required to have an International Driving Permit (printed in English and bearing a photograph). Drivers are required to have third party liability insurance, however, collision damage insurance is advised, as costs can be very high in the USA.
The minimum driving age is 16 years. Speed limits are generally 48kph (30mph) in town, 88kph (55mph) on highways and 105kph (65mph) on the interstate highways, unless otherwise posted. The wearing of seatbelts by persons in the front seat and children under 11 years of age is mandatory by law. Children under four years of age must be protected in car seats. Pennsylvania has strict drink driving laws and driving while intoxicated is cause for arrest and a criminal charge. The maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio is 0.08%.
The
American Automobile Association –
AAA (tel: 1 800 763 9900; website:
www.aaamidatlantic.com) provides emergency service and information and may offer reciprocal benefits to members of automobile clubs in other countries.
Emergency breakdown service: AAA 1 800 AAA HELP
or 222 4357.
Routes to the city: The Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 76) is a toll road providing swift and efficient travel across the state, from New Jersey to Ohio. It leads into Philadelphia from the east and the west. The interstate highway I-95, also known as the Delaware Expressway, connects Philadelphia to Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, DC in the south and to New York City and Boston in the north. The I-95 connects with the I-87, which runs north to Montreal.
Coach services: Greyhound (tel: 1 800 229 9424; website:
www.greyhound.com) provides bus services to and from Philadelphia. The main terminal, the
Greyhound Terminal, is located at 1001 Filbert Street (tel: (215) 931 4075). Facilities are basic – toilets and a snack bar. There are buses to and from all parts of the country, including transcontinental services via Chicago, Illinois and St Louis, Missouri.
Getting There By Rail:Amtrak (tel: (215) 349 2152
or 1 800 USA RAIL
or 872 7245; website:
www.amtrak.com) is America's national railway. Amtrak’s reputation and levels of service continue to grow with the introduction of new trains and high speed services on the Eastern seaboard. Increasingly, these Eastern services are becoming a viable alternative to the airlines on the shorter routes, such as to Boston and New York. The monumental Amtrak 30th Street station, 30th Street and Market Street, is across the Schuylkill River in the university district. Facilities at the station include rail information, checked baggage service, public toilets, payphones, snack bars and car hire from
National and
Budget.
Rail services: Philadelphia is a major hub on the northeast corridor between Boston and Washington, DC, served by the high speed Acela Express route. Journey times from Philadelphia on this service are Boston – 5 hours, New York City – 1 hour 10 minutes, Baltimore – 1 hour, and Washington, DC – 1 hour 40 minutes. Long-distance trains also connect to southern and western destinations in the USA.
Getting Around:Public TransportPhiladelphia is easy to navigate, thanks to
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority –
SEPTA (tel: (215) 580 7800; website:
www.septa.org), which operates interconnecting
buses,
streetcars,
subway and
commuter trains. Operating hours for these services vary and some bus routes operate all night. Tickets are available for purchase from ticket offices and machines at the station or upon boarding (exact change required). Token discount packs are also available. All SEPTA’s buses are lift-equipped for wheelchair access.
SEPTA’s day
pass is good for a full day of unlimited travel on all modes of transport, plus a one-way trip on the Airport Rail Line (R1). It is sold at the visitor center at 16th Street and JFK Boulevard and online. Weekly and monthly passes are also available.
The purple
Phlash (tel: (215) 599 0776; website:
www.phillyphlash.com)
shuttle bus runs a continuous loop around the city center to the major attractions, from the Art Museum to Penn’s Landing. Buses stop every 12 minutes at the special Phlash lampposts and services operate daily from May through November.
The Freedom Ferry (tel: (215) 925 LINK
or 5465; website:
www.riverlinkferry.org) provides a
ferry service between Penn’s Landing, Walnut Street and Columbus Boulevard in Philadelphia, and the New Jersey State Aquarium, Federal Street and Riverside Drive in Camden, during the summer (May-Sep). Crossings take 12 minutes and leave every 40 minutes, daily. Tickets are available at dockside terminals.
TaxisTaxis are easily hailed in the street throughout Center City. Taxi companies offering a telephone service include
Yellow Cab Co (tel: (215) 333 3333),
Liberty Cab Co (tel: (215) 389 8000) and
Quaker City Cab (tel: (215) 728 8000). A tip of 15% is generally expected.
Driving in the CityWith such a compact city center and good public transport, a car is not necessary in central Philadelphia, although it is useful for excursions to outlying areas. Nevertheless, driving is pleasurable, as navigating is easy – streets are laid out on a grid system. Numbered streets run north-south and named streets run east-west. The main thoroughfares are Broad Street and Market Street – at their intersection is City Hall. As in any large city, the downtown area can sometimes become clogged with traffic, especially during rush hours (0700-0930 and 1530-1830).
There are many parking lots and garages located around the city center. On-street parking is also available in Center City but visitors should look at the posted signs for restrictions on when parking is allowed.
Car HireThe minimum rental age is generally 25 years but some companies will rent cars to drivers aged between 21 and 24 years for a steep premium. Those wishing to hire a car must be in possession of a full national driving license. Liability insurance is costly but necessary. It is a good idea to check with your insurance company or your credit card to see if they cover rental car liability.
Among the major car hire companies operating in Philadelphia are
Alamo (tel: 1 800 327 9633; website:
www.alamo.com),
Avis (tel: 1 800 331 1212; website:
www.avis.com),
Budget (tel: 1 800 527 0700; website:
www.budget.com),
Dollar (tel: 1 800 800 4000; website:
www.dollar.com),
Enterprise (tel: 1 800 261 7331; website:
www.enterprise.com),
Hertz (tel: 1 800 654 3131; website:
www.hertz.com) and
National (tel: 1 800 227 7368; website:
www.nationalcar.com).
Bicycle HireTrophy Bikes, 3131 Walnut Street, (tel: (215) 222 2020; website:
www.trophybikes.com) and
Bike Line, 1028 Arch Street (tel: (215) 923 1310; website:
www.bikeline.com/locations/stores/arch.html) hire out bicycles by the day. Prices include lock, helmet and map.
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The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
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