Philadelphia City Guide - Getting Around

Philadelphia 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 centre 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 centre 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.

Taxis 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.

With such a compact city centre 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 centre. On-street parking is also available in Center City but visitors should look at the posted signs for restrictions on when parking is allowed.

The 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 licence. 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).

Trophy 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.