Philadelphia Transportation
Airplane taking off from PHL Airport; credit PHL Airport
Airport
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is a Top 10 Hub Airport with direct flights to major cities in North America, many in Europe, and the Caribbean. PHL Airport features plenty of attractive restaurants, lounges, gift shops, and traveler amenities. There are many options to reach central Philadelphia from PHL Airport:
PHL-Downtown Rail Connection: SEPTA R1 Train travels from PHL Airport to 30th Street Station in Center City. The R1 train also leaves every 30 minutes from Market East Station, Suburban Station, and 30th Street Station to PHL Airport.
Car Rentals: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, and National provide service. Remember that some agencies require 72 hours’ notice for special arrangements. To reach downtown, exit PHL airport via signage that leads you to the I-95 Freeway, north.
Taxis/Uber/Lyft: Diamond and Yellow taxis are plentiful at the ground transportation level. PHL to downtown costs a flat fee of $20. Uber and Lyft also serve the airport. When you approach the Arrivals area, look for their signage.
Super Shuttle service (800-258-3826) is available.
Train Station
The Great Hall in 30th Street Station, Philadelphia; (c) Soul Of America
30th Street Station is a Neo-Classical, high-ceiling marble palace that features Pennsylvania and New Jersey commuter rail, heavy rail subways, light rail, buses, and Philly’s largest taxi depot. It is the workhorse of Philadelphia Transportation. Hosting 20,000 commuters daily, it’s a great place to people-watch and enjoy the food court and shops from 7a-8p, but trains arrive 24/7.
Located a few minutes west of Center City, Philadelphia 30th Street Station hosts these Amtrak train routes:
Acela: DC-Baltimore-Philadelphia-Newark-NYC-Stamford-New Haven-Providence-Boston
Northeast Regional1: DC-Baltimore-Wilmington-Philadelphia-Newark-NYC-Stamford-New Haven-Providence-Boston
Northeast Regional2: DC-Baltimore-Wilmington-Philadelphia-Newark-NYC-Stamford-New Haven-Hartford-Springfield
Crescent: NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC-Charlotte-Atlanta-New Orleans
Pennsylvanian: NYC-Newark-Philadelphia-Lancaster-Harrisburg-Altoona-Pittsburgh
Palmetto/Silver: NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC-Richmond-Jacksonville-Miami
Carolinian: NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC-Richmond-Raleigh-Charlotte
Cardinal: NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC-Cincinnati-Indy-Chicago
Vermonter: St Albans-Burlington-NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC
Popular Amtrak Acela and Amtrak Northeast Regional trains run in the Northeast Corridor between Boston, Providence, New Haven, New York City, Newark, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Baltimore, and Washington DC every 20-30 minutes. Recently introduced Next-gen Acela trains feature comfortable seating with at least 39 inches of legroom, outlets for your laptop, complimentary WiFi, and extra storage space for luggage. Modest infrastructure upgrades in the 457-mile Northeast Corridor permit Next-gen Acela to reach 160 mph over 60 miles, more frequent train service and 3 more cabins of seating per train.
Northeast Regional Business Class also features more legroom. Both trains feature extra Amtrak Guest Rewards Points, refundable tickets for those last-minute changes, reserved seating, and a complimentary beverage. Budget-minded travelers can purchase Amtrak Saver Fares and save money when they book seats 21 days or more in advance. Each quarter, Amtrak service in the Northeast Corridor is setting new ridership records above pre-pandemic levels.
Over 2027-35, more bridge, tunnel, track, electrical & signaling upgrades will increase half of Northeast Corridor mileage to 140-160 mph speeds for even higher train frequency, and substantially better schedule reliability.
Amtrak Crescent, Palmetto, Carolinian, Cardinal, and Vermonter are long-distance trains that run once or twice daily.
Tours
African American Heritage: Freedom’s Trail
DESCRIPTION: Retrace the trail of Black soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War and the Underground Railroad via a self-guided, auto tour. It is sponsored by the Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau.
ADDRESS: 1000 First Avenue – Suite 101, King of Prussia, PA
PHONE: 610-834-1550
WEBSITE: http://www.valleyforge.org
Phlash Bus
DESCRIPTION: Zip between hotels, shops and restaurants, historic sites, and museums via a convenient downtown shuttle to many popular visitor destinations: Art Museum, The Gallery, Old City, South Street, Penn’s Landing, Chinatown, Independence National Park, and Philadelphia Zoo; Ride all day for $4
ADDRESS: Route is from the waterfront west on Market Street, then around City Hall and up Ben Franklin Parkway to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and then on to the Please Touch Museum
WEBSITE: https://www.phillyphlash.com
Philadelphia Mural Arts Tour
DESCRIPTION: Self–guided tour book is free; call for trolley tour availability; special prices for commissioned guided tours; with more than 2,000 wall paintings, Philadelphia claims to be the mural capital of the United States
ADDRESS: The tour begins at 1515 Arch Street
PHONE: 215-683-3689
WEBSITE: http://www.muralarts.org
Rapid Transit
SEPTA (South Eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority), using 30th Street Station as a base, provides 108 miles of subway and elevated trains, 69 miles of light rail/streetcars. SEPTA commuter rail lines are extensive.
Outside NYC Metro Area, SEPTA attracts the 3rd highest commuter rail ridership in America. SEPTA’s Airport, Metro-Market, 30th Street, 69th Street, University City, and Eastwick stations are the busiest stations.
The region is also served by PATCO Speedline commuter rail service from South Philly and Market Street in Center City to Camden and Lindenwold, NJ. 30th Street Station also features New Jersey Transit trains to Camden are frequent and relatively inexpensive. Trains to Atlantic City depart several times daily.
Due to decades of underfunding by federal and state governments, too many SEPTA Commuter, Metro Heavy Rail and Metro Light Rail stations & trains need modernization. Nor do SEPTA and PATCO heavy rail lines go to enough activity centers.
SEPTA R1 Train arriving at PHL Airport from 30th Street Station; credit GPTMC
The good news is that President Biden’s infrastructure funding enabled SEPTA to begin a 12-year program to modernize Metro and Commuter trains, increase train frequency, upgrade some stations, convert some SEPTA Streetcars to Metro Light Rail, and expand ADA Accessibility at more stations.
Cruiseport
RiverLink Ferry crosses the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Camden; credit GPTMC
RiverLink Ferry
DESCRIPTION: Ferry provides a 12-minute picturesque view of the Philadelphia skyline and colorful attractions in Camden; relaxing transportation across the Delaware River from Penn’s Landing to the New Jersey State Aquarium. There is a small fee for adults and children. Most people buy round-trip tickets.
DAYS & HOURS: daily from March 23-November 30 from 9 am-5:40 pm
ADDRESS: Penn’s Landing, Delaware Avenue at Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
PHONE: 800-634-4027
WEBSITE: https://riverlinkferry.org
Cruise Philly
DESCRIPTION: The Cruise Terminal is located on Pier 1at the end of Broad Street in the Naval Business Center; Norwegian Majesty cruises to Bermuda, Canada and New England from here; the terminal building is 44,000 square feet with 30 check-in booths for cruise days and a lounge that seats up to 300 passengers; Taxis are popular whenever a ship is comes to port.
ADDRESS: 5100 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
PARKING: modest fee
PHONE: 856-968-2052
WEBSITE: https://cruisephilly.org
Freeways
Philadelphia Freeway Network has newer segments that are well designed, but the Schuylkill Expressway has too many sharp curves.
Signage on the freeways often leaves much to be desired. As a result, many drivers take slower boulevards to cover long distances or have difficulty finding entry ramps to freeways. Narrow streets also cause many backups entering Center City. HOV lanes have been added to more freeways, and bridge tolls across the Delaware River are reasonable for the distance covered. Note that I-295 New Jersey Turnpike is a Tollway.