Philadelphia, PA
- Philadelphia is a city that is full of life, boasting plenty of things for tourists to see and do during a trip here. This city has a vast amount of culture and history as you explore Philadelphia’s most famous museums, experience fantastic music concerts, and try some of the city’s iconic cuisine, like the iconic Philly cheesesteaks. Many people choose to rent a car while visiting the city of Philadelphia; however, this is not necessary. Below, we will go through some of the best ways to navigate Philadelphia as a tourist in 2024.
Walk Philly’s Streets
First of all, if you have a reasonable amount of time on your hands to explore the city and are blessed with good weather during your visit, then walking is a fantastic option. This will allow you to take in the city and enjoy its landmarks, public art, and architecture. Some of the neighborhoods are definitely worth visiting, like the University town, which has a vibrant and fun atmosphere filled with students, or the Old City, which is fantastic for shopping and learning about Colonial-era history. If you want to enjoy some amazing food, head over to East Passyunk to find restaurants offering cuisine from all around the world, bagel shops, and amazing bakeries.
Ride SEPTA
There are excellent public transport links to help you navigate from one attraction to the next in Philadelphia, and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation (SEPTA) provides buses, trolleys, and the subway that runs regularly throughout the day. You can easily use all three types of transport to move around the city. SEPTA offers a day pass that allows you to use their transportation network all day; this means you can spend the day visiting places like the Independence National Historical Park, Reading Terminal Market, and Schuylkill River Trail before hopping on and off the bus. The subway in Philadelphia runs all day, so you don’t have to worry about not being able to get around the city. In addition to this, the trolleys, buses, and trains operate regularly, meaning you only have to wait a maximum of 20 minutes at any given stop.
As the sun begins to set, Philadelphia starts to come alive with its fantastic nightlife, offering tourists many fun things to do. If you enjoy gambling, there are plenty of casinos you can visit to play all your favorite casino games. There is also a great selection of bars and nightclubs where you can dance the night away. It is a good idea to stay in Midtown Village, Fishtown, Old City, or Center City if you want to be close to the widest array of clubs, restaurants, casinos, and bars.
Rent a Bike
If you are looking for a city you can cycle around, Philadelphia is the place to go. The bike lanes in this city stretch over 200 miles, and it is super easy to rent a bike, so you don’t have to bring yours with you. There is a fantastic bike-share program in Philadelphia called Indego that has over 130 stations across the city and around 1000 bikes available to rent at all times of the day.
What makes renting a bike with Indego so ideal is that you can pick up the bike from a station in one part of the city and drop it off at any other station when you are finished cycling for the day. You can save a significant amount of money on travel if you choose to rent a bike instead of booking a taxi, as it only costs around $15 to rent a bike for the entire day. You can purchase your day pass on the Indego app or in advance on their website.
Use PHLASH
If you plan on staying in downtown Philadelphia during your trip to this city, you should certainly consider taking advantage of the PHLASH buses that run on a looped service throughout the day. This bus stops at several popular tourist attractions, like the Please Touch Museum and the Philadelphia Zoo. You can squeeze in multiple activities without spending too much time traveling between different locations.
From May 17 through Labor Day, the PHLASH buses run every single day of the week. The bus service runs between 10 am and 6 pm, and there are buses every 15 minutes, so you never have to wait long. In addition to this, the fare is very cheap, costing just $2, or you can buy a day pass for $5. If you are coming with your family, all day family passes are $12 for 2 adults and 2 children. If you plan on using the service over two days, you can buy a two-day pass for just $9.
Explore Philadelphia Now
Philadelphia is a fantastic place to visit for a city break, and there is so much to offer visitors all year round. From fantastic food to fascinating museums and several other must-see attractions, you should definitely explore Philadelphia. So, why not take in all that this city has to offer? It is super easy to get around, so you don’t have to worry about spending a fortune on taxis.
