Airport for trip to Bethlehem, PA
 

I am getting ready to book flights for a trip to Bethlehem, PA and I am looking for the best airport to fly into. Flights will be on Continental - have a credit from a cancellation last year. There are non-stop flights from SFO to Newark and to Philadelphia. Is one airport preferable to the other? We'll be arriving late afternoon or evening on a Saturday, heading home the following Saturday. Yahoo maps shows the drive time from each to be almost identical with respect to distance and time. Is either route more subject to congestion? We'll be renting a car - is either airport easier/cheaper with regard to car rentals?

We can also get flights into Allentown with a connection, but I am leaning toward the non-stop because I'll be travelling with my mom who has a bum knee and I'd like to avoid the extra walking, standing in lines, etc. the come with making a connection.

Philadelphia is slightly closer than Newark. Both have interstates directly to Bethlehem.

ABE (Allentown Bethlehem Easton airport) is an awesome little airport - not much bigger than a bus station. I've flown into PHL, EWR, and ABE many times over the years when visiting family in the area. ABE would always be my first choice all else being equal just because of the minimal hassles and low stress (Newark often seems to be a zoo). But since I prefer to fly Southwest these days, I usually wind up flying into Philly.

Your mom could always get a wheelchair at the connecting airport to get from gate to gate if need be, couldn't she?

If you must fly direct, I'd choose Philly myself. Driving up to Bethlehem from Philly on I-476 (mostly turnpike) is probably easier than driving I-78 from Newark down to Bethlehem as I recall - lots of trucks driving very fast. And Newark airport's Continental terminal can be chaotic. Lots of people knock Philly but as an arrival/destination airport, I've used it many times and never had any big problems there.

It is about 70 miles (give or take a mile or two) from Newark Airport. It's a straight shot on I-78 from the airport to Allentown.

I can only speak to the drive from Newark but late on a Saturday afternoon shouldn't present a traffic challenge. The main car rental location connects to the monorail. From the airport to the entrance to 78 West is less than 10 minutes.

All else being equal, and it sounds like it is, I'd look at which has the best combined cost.

I might also suggest you check for potential construction on your route, especially on the PA portions. I've made the drive from my home west of Newark airport to Hershey numerous times and construction on the PA side has at times added an hour to our trip. 78 in NJ has had several construction projects, but the portion where construction was taking place has 5 lanes each direction which left major parts of the road open.

Construction is starting this week on the Northeast extension of the PA turnpike so there will be some delays.

Thanks for all the information. Sounds like it is a toss up and we should just go with which ever choice has the best schedule and price.

If we go with a connection and fly into Allentown, we could get gate-to-gate transport - most large airports have those electric carts to take people from gate to gate. I think my mom would much prefer that to a wheelchair ;)