I will be flying into Philadelphia next week and I just found out that there is a train system that could put me out less than half a mile from my hotel near City Hall for $2.50. Flying on United (Terminal D I think). Can someone give me a quick run down on what to do once I get off my plane to get a ticket and on the train?
This might be a start:
From the airports ‘getting around’ information.
You might also try using your phone’s Google maps or Waze-mine always offers routing by car, train, bus, walking, bicycling, etc.
Did you read this:
The best travel option when traveling between Philadelphia International Airport and Center City Philadelphia is by Regional Rail. Airport Line service runs seven days a week, between 5a and 12a. Trains depart PHL International Airport every 30 minutes on weekdays and hourly on weekends.
Trains stop at all major Philadelphia International Airport terminals, and reach Center City Philadelphia in approximately 25 minutes - with one intermediate stop. All stations served by the Airport Line are accessible.
For travel from PHL to Center City Philadelphia, you can purchase a Quick Trip using either cash or a credit or debit card from the SEPTA Key Fare Kiosks located at each Airport Line Terminal Stop. A Quick Trip is valid for one-way travel between PHL and Center City Philadelphia via SEPTA’s Airport Line. A Quick Trip costs $6.75. Fare can be purchased onboard the train but is $8. You can use cash, credit/debit cards, and Apple/Google/Samsung Pay to pay your fare ONBOARD the train. Please be sure to tell the conductor your final destination when you get on the train. SEPTA TrailPass, TransPass (weekends only) and the Anywhere FleX Pass are also valid for travel between the Airport and Center City Philadelphia. These passes are available on the SEPTA Key card.
So I don’t see any $2.50 fare.
I used to routinely take Septa from the airport to my apartment. But, that was years ago.
I would stress the importance of pre planning the walk from the train station to your hotel- especially if you’ll be walking after dark.
The $2.50 came from the website by clicking fares and I assumed that was the fare for the trip although it was weird. It wasn’t like this trip costs $2.50. Hard to explain. But even $8 is cheaper than UberLyft
$2.50 is for a bus ride. None of the routes serving the airport go to center city, so you would need to change to another vehicle (maybe the subway), paying another $2.50.
The advantage to the two-vehicle plan is that it might avoid the half mile walk to the hotel, depending on where the hotel is.
The advantage of the train is simplicity.
As I understand it, 2.50 is the fare for one zone bus, trolley or eleveated rides. Regional Rail usually costs more.
I recommend keeping track of the stations if you ride the train. The system is supposed to automatically announce them. Sometimes it does not. If you miss your stop, you’ll have to pay a minimum fare and wait for a train going the other way.
Yes the train is the way I am planning. Thanks for clarifying where the $2.50 came from.
You have my condolences ahead of time for being subjected to Philly’s public transportation system. Unless it changed drastically recently, SEPTA is really the worst.
I’ve been through the PHL airport umpteen times. I’ve never had a reason to use SEPTA, so never have. So I offer no facts or opinions about SEPTA as such.
But I can say that there are signs all over the airport terminal pointing the direction to the SEPTA train station(s). And plenty of people walk from the plane to the train station. Finding the station will not be a challenge.
I’ve seen the tracks and trains and it’s no huge distance from the airplanes by modern big airport standards. But it is a big airport. If you’re infirm, heavily burdened with luggage, dragging small children, or just slow moving, getting to the train will be a long ordeal. A fully capable adult dragging one wheeled suitcase will do just fine. But it will take a few (many?) minutes and given the (in)frequency of trains, one might be standing at the station for 25-55 minutes if you just miss the previous train. Depending on day of week and time of day.
When I do this kind of thing at strange-to-me airports one of the things I try to figure out is the last spot nearest the train boarding point that is heated, air conditioned, has seating, and has a restroom. 99% chance that is not at the train station itself; those are normally pretty outdoors and bleak. And doubly so in the US versus more civilized nations. So then once off the jet I hustle to get to that last good place, then assess when the next train is versus the walk remaining. Then move on for the next train at the right time, be that immediately or after cooling heels for awhile in (relative) comfort.
I can’t give specifics for this as to SEPTA, but the idea is certainly applicable.
Last I rode it, there were machines at the stations where you bought a ticket. You didn’t turn in the ticket when you got on the train, but a conductor would walk through the cars on the train checking tickets.
The irony was that, usually, when I was taking SEPTA, it was to get to an Amtrak station, to catch a train that was using exactly the same tracks and would pass through the exact station that I got on SEPTA at. But it didn’t stop there.
Though that was over 25 years ago, now, so I have no idea if that’s still how it works.
Perpendicular to the terminal is a skybridge to Departures/Arrivals/Parking Garage. The tracks run parallel to the terminals & are closer than the garages. If I remember correctly, they are between departures (closest to terminal) & arrivals. There are no bathrooms or seats in the skybridge. They are fully enclosed & climate controlled but like most elevated, full floor-to-ceiling windowed skybridges they’re hotter than the terminal in summer & cooler in winter.
That all sounds quite familiar. At various times we’ve stayed at a hotel that is out in the parking area connected to the terminals by that same skybridge. And walked right above the trains and station to get to/from the hotel.
So for the OP’s info, it sounds like the root of the skybridge at the terminal end is the last fully civilized place to wait for a train. IME the area outside the security barrier, so ticketing, bag claim, etc., is generally old, small, teeming, bleak, and under construction throughout PHL. Or at least was when I was last there ~ a year ago.
So just inside security abeam the skybridge where there are still eateries and services is better yet.
Getting to the trains is easy. Each terminal has its own gerbil tube (sky bridge) which can take you to baggage claim, the train (each terminal has its own stop), and short-term parking (the terminal C gerbil tube also takes you to the Airport Marriott). Take an escalator down to the train platform from the gerbil tube. I believe there are ticket machines at the top of the escalator.
If your hotel is near City Hall you will likely want to get off at Suburban Station. Take the escalator up from the platform and you will be in a large underground concourse through which you can walk underground to City Hall and quite a ways south on Broad Street. The concourse can be very confusing, check out online maps ahead of time (there have been a lot of renovations since I was last there). Choose the wrong route and you might end up a long way from your hotel.
If you name the hotel someone might be able to give more exact directions.
ETA: if you hotel is more than a block or two east of City Hall than Jefferson Station would be your best bet.
You will likely want to get off at Suburban station, which is 17th St. and JFK Blvd (a half block north of Market St.) Or possibly the next station which, IIRC, is 10th and JFK. Get a map and figure out which station you want and how to get from there to the hotel.
That’s the Jefferson Station (used to be Market East) I mentioned. Actually on 10th or 12th and Market, depending on which end of the platform you exit from. JFK Blvd ends at City Hall.