How to Travel Center City Philadelphia Without a Car

Unlike many U.S. cities, it's very easy to travel around Philadelphia without a car. Philadelphia is chock-full of one-way streets, so even the traveler can navigate the City of Brotherly Love more easily via mass transit than car.

Philadelphia is an old city, one of the oldest in the United States. Its narrow roads and two or three-lane highways become congested several times a day with gridlocked traffic. Parking in the city is hard to find; many parking garages exist, all with unreasonable fees. Thankfully, public transportation is reliable enough to eliminate much of the necessity of renting a car. Philadelphia's mass transit system is called SEPTA, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. It consists of subways, buses and trains. This How-To focuses specifically on travel within Center City proper.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• one-dollar bills
• SEPTA tokens or passes
• walking shoes
• SEPTA map and schedules

How to Travel Philadelphia Without a Car

1. Look up your hotel's location on the Internet. If you're staying within the city, chances are that public transportation will prove a convenient way to travel there. If you're staying in Old City, Center City, University City or West Philadelphia, your best bet is to take the R1 SEPTA train directly from the airport to Center City, where you can connect at 15th and Market to the Blue Line (also known as the El) subway to your hotel. The El stops every few blocks, so get off at the stop closest to your hotel.

2. Pick up SEPTA schedules and maps from your concierge desk. Tourist-friendly bus lines are 21 and 42, which run east on Chestnut Street and west on Walnut Street. 42 takes a brief detour in University City to hit the hospitals at the University of Pennsylvania before coming back onto Spruce Street. From 21 and 42 you can see the heart of Philadelphia, including historic Old City, Penn's Landing, the University of Pennsylvania, Center City and West Philadelphia.

3. The El is another option for transit. It's less scenic than traveling by bus, but much faster. It runs east and west directly underneath the artery of Philadelphia, Market Street. After Penn's Landing, The El transforms into surface rail. Philadelphia is a city of sports fans, and any trip to the city should include tickets to a game. Take the El to the Broad Street Line to get to Philadelphia's professional sports fields: Lincoln Financial Field, the brand new home of the Philadelphia Eagles, Citizen's Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies and the Wachovia Center, home of the Philadelphia Flyers.

4. Pick up a trolley map to experience a quaint--but quick--way to travel between 15th Street and West Philadelphia. Trolleys run south of Market along Pine and Spruce Streets.

Tips & Warnings

• Fare on buses, subways and trolleys is $2 each way. Have dollar bills ready and out--which means ensuring you have plenty of change beforehand. Philadelphians can get cranky if there's a wait to board the train.
• SEPTA sells tokens, convenience one-day passes and TransPasses by day, week and month. If you plan to travel exclusively by mass transit, purchase one of these unlimited-use passes to save money and time.
• On the bus, add another $0.75 to your fare for a transfer slip, which is good for your next mode of transportation. This saves you $1.25 if you're paying with cash (as opposed to with day passes or tokens).
• If you don't plan to purchase a TransPass or one-day pass, at least buy tokens, which are available at subway stops. Each token costs $1.45, so every time you use one instead of cash, you save $0.55.
• Like any large city, Philadelphia can be dangerous. Be aware of your surroundings and keep a close watch on your belongings.
• Stick to buses and trolleys after 9 P.M except for Friday and Saturday, when the El is full most of the night.
• There are many panhandlers and con artists on Philadelphia streets. If you feel the need to be charitable, be warned: not every panhandler is genuinely homeless or in need.

Resources

• SEPTA website