lss1

I will be traveling to Philly next month just before Christmas. My husband has business in PA, but I would like to travel into NYC for shopping. What's best...train or coach? Any ideas for bargains on the train (it seems a little pricey)..?
Thanks!

GBC

I think that you will want to take the train. It is pricey but the locations are right in center city at both ends. In NYC you will be just a block away from Macy's and just across the street from a bus that will take you up to Bloomingdales.

There are special fares for seniors, weekends, and off peak travel times each day.

Have a good trip.

rkkwan

5 main ways.

Greyhound/Peter Pan bus. $21 each way, $40 roundtrip. 2hr to 3hr depending on time and traffic.

Chinatown bus. $12 each way, $20 roundtrip. About same time.

Amtrak Acela Express. About $100 each way, 1hr10min.

Amtrak Regional Service. From about $43 each way. About 1hr30min.

Septa to Trenton; then NJTransit to NYC. Septa (~55min, $8); NJTransit (1hr20min, $12.5)

Myer

We went from NYC to Philadelphia by Amtrak in mid-September and couldn't have been more pleased.

Comfortable, on-time ride.

Big discount for age. Check their web site if you're 62 or over.

lss1

Thanks for the great responses. There will be two of us traveling to NYC; my son and I. He is 19 and I am not of age to receive any discounts. Amtrak looks nice, but a little pricey. If you had to choose between the coach and the SEPTA/NJ Transit, what would you choose?
Also I cannot seem to find the info needed to make that trip. Is it fairly easy to do? How can I search their websites for specifics (times, etc.)?
Thanks Fodor Friends!

Birdie

Amtrak has a deal for visiting colleges. I think it is buy one/get one free. I don't think it is on the website. You may have to call. Your son may be interested in taking a quick look at NYU.

Septa and NJ Transit will be perfectly fine. www.septa.com and www.njtransit.com.

Dukey

Do you honestly find $43 one way to be all that "pricey?" Have you figured out what it would cost to drive and PARK in New York?

BTW, are you from the US?

Birdie

$160 might prevent me from taking a day trip into NY for shopping.

Iss - The Septa rail line you want to look at is the R7. You will be able to pick it up at 30th St, Suburban, or Market East stations in Philly depending on where your hotel is. You'll take that to Trenton where you'll connect to the Northeast corridor line to New York Penn Station.

I have not done this myself so others may have more details or better suggestions.

china_cat

its been quite a few years,but I used to take that septa/nj transit trip all the time. Its very easy, and unlike the bus, can't be delayed by traffic jams.

doug_stallings

No contest. I'd definitely choose Septa/NJ Transit. This time of the year, buses can hit an awful lot of traffic just coming into the city, and the wait times at the Lincoln Tunnel can be monstrous.

My only suggestion: Go right after rush hour ends to save money and avoid the crowds on NJ Transit.

karens

I take the NJ Transit all the time - if you catch an express train the ride is only a few minutes longer than the much more expensive Amtrak.

Greenhouse

The $43.00 Amtrak fare can be hard to come by unless you plan on leaving before 7:00 am.

The Septa/NJTransit option will add about an hour each way to your commute but will not even come close the $170.00-$240.00 rt fare you'll be paying for 2 people.

Here's a link that shows schedule/price info for NJTransit to coordinate with the Septa R7 schedule:

http://www.njtransit.com/sf/sf_servl...nSchedulesFrom

You can (and should) purchase your NJTransit tickets at PHL's 30th Street station, not sure about Suburban or Market East Stations. Often the train is waiting in Trenton and there can be a wait at both the window and machines. You'll pay more to purchase on the train if you don't have enough time.

travelbuff2

While in Philadelphia, there is a discount shopping mall that is huge, called Franklin Mills. LOTS of great shopping there, especially over the holidays.

Have a great time.

persimmondeb

You definitely can't buy NJ transit tickets at Suburban or Market East. I also once was told at 30th Street (3-4 years ago) that I could not buy tickets for NYC there, but had to purchase them in Trenton. The person claimed that they only sold tickets for Atlantic City. The ticket machine looked like it would let me buy the right tickets, but I hate those things as I have had them eat significant amounts of money. Train is probably better from Center City, but if you are out in the 'burbs Greyhound can be a better bet as they do have some suburban stops. By the way, Atlantic City is a nice trip, but frustrating for a 19 year old, as they are extremely serious about 21 being the age for most of the fun stuff.

Greenhouse

It looks like the link didn't work. I'll try it again but you can check yourself at www.njtransit.com.

Just choose PHL 30th St and NY Penn as your station (NOT Newark Penn).

http://www.njtransit.com/sf/sf_servl...nSchedulesFrom

I definitely was able to purchase my tix at 30th Street.

BTW, one way Adult fares are $20.50 pp, RT off peak tix are $36.50.

lss1

Thanks everyone for the excellent advice! I feel much better about the SEPTA/ NJ Transit route now. I knew it could be done, but I wasn't sure how user-friendly it would be. I have checked out the site and it seems very do-able. Also thanks for the advice on Franklin Mills; I will definitely be going there. I would love to go to Atlantic City, but I think as mentioned...19 year old would be "out of luck."
Any other suggestions for things to do in Philly would be great..We have been through the historic square, and probably won't do that on this trip. Good eating places, etc?? We may drive to Lancaster one evening for the Sights and Sounds Theatre. We have been there once and it was incredible; we have not seen the Christmas show. In fact, this will be my first time in the area during the Christmas season.

As for Dukey's questions: Yes, I am in the USA. I am not considering driving into NYC; I was considering options between coach and rail. Why spend 86.00 x 2 when you can do it for around 30.00 x 2...unless there was a major benefit for the higher fare. I would rather save that money for a night on Broadway. Also, as was well pointed out...the Amtrak times are very constricting. Only early AM fares are discounted...I will be returning to PA in the evening.

Again, thanks everyone...I feel a lot more comfortable on the SEPTA-NJ trip now.