Philadelphia is an easy city to visit on foot and by train, as long as you know where the trains don't go. The L (Market-Frankford Line) and the B (Broad Street Line) cross Center City and reach University City and the stadiums, and many of the big sights, from the Liberty Bell to Reading Terminal Market, cost nothing to see. Much of South Philly and the far Northeast, though, means a bus or a rideshare.
Philadelphia visitor facts at a glance
- SEPTA fare: $2.90 per bus or Metro trip, however you pay. A SEPTA Key card costs $4.95.
- One Day Convenience Pass: $7.50 for a day of bus and Metro trips.
- Airport Line: $8.75 between PHL and Center City ($11.00 if you buy on board). Trains run every 30 minutes on weekdays.
- Flat taxi fare from PHL airport to Center City: $32 for one passenger, plus $1 for each extra passenger. Taxis at Zone 5; Uber/Lyft pick up at Ride App/Zone 7.
- Liberty Bell Center: open daily 9 am to 5 pm, free. Independence Hall: free timed tickets with a $1 online reservation fee; the 9 to 10:30 am open house needs no ticket.
- Reading Terminal Market at 1136 Arch Street: open daily 8 am to 6 pm.
- Philadelphia's hotel tax totals 15.5%. Parking tax is 22.5%, which makes a daily garage habit expensive.
- Indego bike share: a single 30-minute classic ride is $4.50; a $15 Guest Pass gives unlimited 60-minute classic rides for the pass period.
How SEPTA's Metro lines connect the places you want to go
The L (Market-Frankford Line) runs east-west through Center City, out to the Frankford Transit Center in the Northeast and the 69th St Transit Center in the west. The stops most visitors use are 8th-Market, 5th St/Independence Hall, 2nd St, and Drexel Station at 30th St for University City. At 15th St/City Hall the L, the B (Broad Street Line) and the T (subway-surface trolleys) meet, and you can change lines there for free.
The B runs north-south under Broad Street. For Lincoln Financial Field or Citizens Bank Park, get off at NRG Station, the stadium stop. Broad-Girard and Broad-Spring Garden serve the neighborhoods to the north, and Walnut-Locust and Lombard-South serve the south end of Center City.
The T trolleys and the G (Route 15 Girard trolley) cover West Philadelphia and Girard Avenue, where the subway doesn't go. The D (Media/Sharon Hill Lines) and the M (Norristown High Speed Line) run out to the western suburbs. Regional Rail trains, including the Airport Line, leave from Gray 30th St Station, Suburban Station and Jefferson Station.
Airport transfer options: cost and time compared
| Option | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SEPTA Airport Line | $8.75 (or $11.00 on board) | Every 30 min on weekdays; boards at Suburban Station, Jefferson Station, Gray 30th St Station |
| Flat-rate taxi | $32, plus $1 per extra passenger | Zone 5 at PHL; flat fare both ways to and from Center City |
| Uber/Lyft | Varies by demand | Pick up at Ride App/Zone 7 at PHL |
| On-airport hotel (Philadelphia Airport Marriott) | No transfer needed | Connected to Terminal B; no ground transport required |
Free and low-cost things to do in Philadelphia
The Liberty Bell Center is free and opens daily at 9 am. Independence Hall is free too, but timed tickets can run out on busy weekends, so reserve online for a $1 fee. Or arrive between 9 and 10:30 am, when the open house needs no ticket at all.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art charges for admission, but the steps and grounds are free, and plenty of visitors spend an hour outside without going in. The museum is at the end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, and the walk up from City Hall is one of the best free things to do in the city.
Reading Terminal Market at 1136 Arch Street is open daily from 8 am to 6 pm and free to wander. The Pennsylvania Convention Center is right next door at 1101 Arch Street, so the market is the obvious lunch stop during a conference.
Where public transit works well, and where it doesn't
Center City, University City and the Broad Street corridor are well served by the L and the B. You can reach most of the major sights, hospitals and the stadiums without a car, and the 15th St/City Hall station is right under City Hall and a short walk from the Convention Center and the start of the Parkway.
South Philadelphia below the stadiums, the far Northeast and most of the northwest neighborhoods depend on buses that come less often. If you're staying away from the subway lines, budget for rideshares or check SEPTA's bus schedules before you book. With a 22.5% parking tax, if you do bring a car it's cheaper to leave it parked and ride transit during the day.
Regional Rail runs to the airport and the suburbs on a timetable, so check departure times at Gray 30th St Station, Suburban Station or Jefferson Station before you plan a tight connection.
Tips for visiting Philadelphia without overspending
- Tap a contactless card or phone, or use a SEPTA Key card ($4.95, refunded when you register it). Either way you get up to two free transfers within 2 hours; cash and Quick Trip riders don't.
- A One Day Convenience Pass ($7.50) pays off on your third trip of the day: three trips at $2.90 each would cost $8.70.
- Reserve Independence Hall tickets online for $1 instead of hoping for walk-up tickets, especially on weekends.
- Traveling solo? The SEPTA Airport Line ($8.75) is far cheaper than a taxi. The flat $32 taxi fare only evens out for a group of four.
- Skip hotel parking if you can. The 22.5% parking tax comes on top of Center City garage rates that are already high.
Hospitals and pharmacies: what to know before you need them
Philadelphia has several major hospitals in or near Center City. The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania is at 3400 Spruce Street, reachable at 215-662-4000. Pennsylvania Hospital is at 800 Spruce Street, 215-829-3000. Thomas Jefferson University Hospital is at 111 South 11th Street, 215-955-6000. Call 911 in any emergency.
For prescriptions or over-the-counter needs, CVS and Walgreens both have Center City locations. Check their store locators for 24-hour pharmacy hours, as not every branch stays open overnight.
Sustainable travel in Philadelphia
Taking the Airport Line instead of a taxi or rideshare cuts the emissions of your arrival, and at $8.75 it also costs a solo traveler far less than the $32 taxi fare. For short hops around Center City, Indego bike share has a $15 Guest Pass with unlimited 60-minute classic rides for the pass period.
If you want your hotel to match, six Philadelphia hotels are LEED-certified, including the Kimpton Hotel Monaco and Kimpton Hotel Palomar at Gold and the Hyatt Centric Rittenhouse Square and Homewood Suites University City at Silver.
Official sources
- SEPTA: schedules, fares, SEPTA Key card, and service alerts for all Metro, bus, and Regional Rail lines.
- Philadelphia International Airport: ground transportation zones, parking, and terminal maps.
- Independence Hall and Liberty Bell Center via the National Park Service: timed ticket reservations and open house hours.
- Visit Philadelphia: official tourism information, events, and neighborhood guides.
Frequently asked questions
What's the cheapest way to get from PHL airport to Center City?＋
The SEPTA Airport Line: $8.75 with a SEPTA Key card, contactless payment or Quick Trip, or $11.00 if you pay on the train. Trains run every 30 minutes on weekdays and stop at Gray 30th St Station, Suburban Station and Jefferson Station. For a solo traveler that beats the flat $32 taxi fare, though a group of four splitting a cab pays about the same.
How much does SEPTA cost in Philadelphia?＋
Every bus and Metro trip costs $2.90. A SEPTA Key card costs $4.95, or you can simply tap a contactless card or phone. A One Day Convenience Pass costs $7.50, so if you'll make three or more trips in a day, it's cheaper than paying per ride.
What's the best way to visit Independence Hall without waiting in a long line?＋
Reserve timed tickets online through the National Park Service for a $1 reservation fee. Walk-up tickets can run out on busy weekends. Or come between 9 and 10:30 am for the open house, which needs no ticket. The Liberty Bell Center nearby is free and open daily from 9 am to 5 pm, no reservation needed.
Do I need a car to get around Philadelphia?＋
Not for Center City, University City or the stadiums. The L (Market-Frankford Line) and the B (Broad Street Line) cover the main tourist and business areas, and Regional Rail runs to the airport. South Philadelphia below the stadiums, the far Northeast and many northwest neighborhoods rely on buses or rideshares, and the 22.5% parking tax makes keeping a car downtown expensive.
What's the hotel tax rate in Philadelphia?＋
15.5% in total, on top of the nightly rate you're quoted. Parking is taxed separately at 22.5%.
What are the best free things to do in Philadelphia?＋
The Liberty Bell Center is free and open daily 9 am to 5 pm. Independence Hall is free with a timed ticket, or with no ticket during the 9 to 10:30 am open house. The Philadelphia Museum of Art's steps and grounds cost nothing, Reading Terminal Market at 1136 Arch Street is free to wander (open daily 8 am to 6 pm), and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and the Penn's Landing waterfront are free to walk.
