storage for luggage at airport

November 7, 2005 7:18 PM

My friend will be traveling to Philly airport and wants to hang out in the city while he's waiting for me to pick him up. He's wondering where he can store his luggage while he takes a tour of the town. Any ideas? Do they have lockers in the airport?
posted by ding3r to Travel & Transportation around Philadelphia, PA (5 answers total)

As far as I know, there aren't any facilities at PHL to store luggage (they're pretty draconian there) and a quick scan of their website brings up nothing, nor is there a place at 30th Street (Amtrak) Station. My suggestion is to take the SEPTA train from the airport into town, get off at Market East station (all of the SEPTA trains from the airport stop there), and go to the Marriott on Market Street. Try to ask them to let you keep your luggage there. Your friend can either 1. pretend to be a guest there if pressed, or 2. offer a $20 and see where that gets him. Drastic measures for sure, but there's little else.

Now that I think of it, actually, there may be some lockers at the New Century Bus Station (one of the Chinatown bus lines), which is right near Market East (like, literally above it). When do you need to know? I live pretty close, and I could take a bike ride up there and check it out sometime this week. That would solve his problem completely: train to center city, stash the stuff, and then he'd be near anything worth seeing anyway and you won't have to go back to the airport to get the stuff.
posted by The Michael The at 8:10 PM on November 7, 2005

They had lockers at the Greyhound terminal pre-9/11, but they found a bunch of explosives in one, so they might be gone. You could try giving them a call just in case, though. The Greyhound station is right downtown near the SEPTA stations.
posted by gokart4xmas at 8:54 PM on November 7, 2005

I like what The Michael The said...but I think he can make it easier.

The Airport Marriott
Hotel Web Site
Philadelphia International Airport
Arrivals Roadway
Phila., PA 19153
[phone]
posted by filmgeek at 9:17 PM on November 7, 2005

whoops. Hotel web site

Call and ask if he shows his ticket if he can leave bags there for the day.
posted by filmgeek at 9:18 PM on November 7, 2005

Another idea might be to try a department store. I had the same problem in Chicago. The hotels I tried were no help, but I was able to leave my luggage at the coatroom in Marshall Field downtown (though only during their business hours). Of course, I don't really know much about Philadelphia so this might not be applicable.
posted by komilnefopa at 12:48 PM on November 8, 2005