schmerl

The main Norristown station is manned and you can buy tickets at the ticket window before you board the train.
There are two other stations in Norristown...Main Street. and Elm St.. they are not manned so you have to buy your ticket on the train so there is no surcharge there.
The prices are higher during peak hours. They just builts a big parking garage at the Norristown station> If you park in the garage, make sure to have your parking ticket stub validated at the train station ticket window so you get the Septa discount.
I hope this made snese!!

yk

I agree the septa.org website isn't the most user-friendly. If you go to the main Norristown station, per schmerl, you can buy your ticket at the window. Your outbound (to downtown) will be off-peak, since you're traveling after 9:30am. Your return trip will be off-peak IF you travel back outside of the time frame of 4 - 6:30pm. If that's the case, you can buy the off-peak r/t ticket for $8.25 per person.

If you intend to leave downtown during peak time 4-6:30pm, then you'll have to buy a off-peak outbound but peak inbound, which is a bit more expensive.

Just FYI, on your return trip, you don't have to leave from the Market East Station. You can use your ticket from any of the downtown stations, which include the Suburban Station (18th & Market). It depends on where you're heading after you're done with Independence Hall/Liberty Bell etc.

When taking the train back to Norristown, at the station, you'll need to look at the TV monitors to see which track your train will be arriving on. What you should look for is R6 Norristown - and the corresponding platform # will be listed next to it.

yk

One more suggestion for your half day in Philadelphia:

If you don't feel like walking too much, but don't feel like paying $$$ for Trolley tours, you can ride the Phlash trolley ($2) which goes around the city and stops at all the main tourist sites. I don't think it has commentary, but it's a nice way to see the city. If you want to hop-on-hop-off, it's $5 for the whole day.

It runs every 12 minutes and last one runs at 6pm. I think it's an excellent deal, considering the regular bus also cost $2 per ride.

http://www.gophila.com/C/Tours_and_t...lash/1303.html

lakeside77

You guys are great and so helpful!

After reading everything, I think we may end up adding an extra night at the end of the conference so we can spend all day Friday seeing the historic area, instead of rushing through a half day.

Anyone see any reason that we would not want to do Philly this coming Friday - special event, etc to make it even more crowded/congested than normal?

We watched National Treasure again last night and just can't wait to be in the historic area!

yk

I think that's a great idea (adding one day to your stay). I do think there's plenty to do in Philadelphia, but it often gets overlooked due to the proximity of blockbuster cities near by (NYC & DC). Enjoy your trip and hope you can report back to let us know how it went!

go_laura

I think that's a great idea, too...that way you can really enjoy it, rather than walk through. I also think taking Septa makes a lot of sense.

Now that you have a little bit more time, I'd suggest that when you come out of Market East, rather than walking down Market even tho' that makes the most logical sense, you walk a couple blocks down to Walnut, and walk to the historic area that way. It's a much nicer street to walk on (that part of Market is pretty ugly) and when you get to between 7th and 6th street, you'll see Washington Square Park on your right, which is lovely.

Hope the heat wave is gone by then!