Ardmore amtrak to the airport??
November 30, 2014 10:19 AM Subscribe
Help! Ardmore PA Amtrak station to the Philadelphia airport tonight — what's the best way?
The last leg of my planned Amtrak trip was full, so I'm going to end up at Ardmore and need to get from there to PHL. I'm a young woman traveling alone after dark — will I be able to get to the subway station from Amtrak safely, and will the line be okay? Or should I just get a taxi or some kind of shuttle (taking suggestions!) from Ardmore to the airport? Anyone know what that'll cost me?
The last leg of my planned Amtrak trip was full, so I'm going to end up at Ardmore and need to get from there to PHL. I'm a young woman traveling alone after dark — will I be able to get to the subway station from Amtrak safely, and will the line be okay? Or should I just get a taxi or some kind of shuttle (taking suggestions!) from Ardmore to the airport? Anyone know what that'll cost me?
The Ardmore train station is the same for both Amtrak and the regional rail line, which you can take to 30th Street Station and then transfer to the airport line from there. You can buy a cash ticket straight to the airport on the train; the station will be closed. Ardmore is extremely safe but as the station will be closed, it will be cold-- SNAP Pizza is right across from the train station and has pretty good reviews if you want a short meal and the chance to be inside, depending on how late you'll be there. The Septa lines are all in the same section at 30th Street. Here's the schedule for the inbound Paoli/Thorndale line on Sundays. However, it is usually very busy this weekend and the trains do not run very frequently, so if you have a tighter time frame and don't have leeway in case you have to wait while transferring, I would recommend Uber or a cab. The last time I took a cab to the airport from the Main Line it was about $40 or $50 dollars.
posted by jetlagaddict at 10:32 AM on November 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by jetlagaddict at 10:32 AM on November 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
I just checked a local facebook group and the general consensus is Maxwell Cab or Uber. Maxwell charges somewhere around $43 to the airport; Uber can range considerably higher. Given holiday demand, if you're thinking of taking a taxi, you might want to give them a call now to make an appointment for pickup. (I'm pretty sure there's an ATM by the train station office, but there is also a Bank of America ATM a block away on Lancaster.) There's also a Corner Bakery half a block from the outbound side of the train tracks if you need to wait, and a couple of other restaurant options. If you have wheeled luggage, be aware that there are steps involved in getting through the pedestrian underpass (not sure which side you're coming from.)
posted by jetlagaddict at 10:45 AM on November 30, 2014
posted by jetlagaddict at 10:45 AM on November 30, 2014
Response by poster: Thanks everyone, I knew you'd come through for me! Jetlagaddict, do you mean I can buy a septa ticket ON the amtrak? My amtrak train is waaaay early for my flight, so I should have plenty of time to transfer.
posted by you're a kitty! at 10:59 AM on November 30, 2014
posted by you're a kitty! at 10:59 AM on November 30, 2014
Oh, no, sorry! You have to buy it once on the Septa train. There will be a conductor who comes through the car, and you just have to tell them where you got on and where you're going. You do need to pay in cash though. And I also forgot this, here's the link for the schedule from 30th Street to PHL on Sundays. You may have to switch train tracks at 30th Street (not hard! Just involves tight stairwells/very slow elevators) so plan on 5/10 minutes for delays there.
posted by jetlagaddict at 11:10 AM on November 30, 2014
posted by jetlagaddict at 11:10 AM on November 30, 2014
Also, remember Septa is effectively cash only for people who don't buy a monthly pass, so be sure to have enough actual cash to pay the fare- conductors don't take cards.
posted by rockindata at 12:28 PM on November 30, 2014
posted by rockindata at 12:28 PM on November 30, 2014
Just as a heads-up, you're not looking for a subway to transfer to - at 30th street you'll switch to a regional rail line to the airport, which is a different thing than the subway. But it'll be quite easy and anyone should be able to point you there, and at no point will you have to leave the brightly-lit and quite-safe 30th Street Station.
posted by Tomorrowful at 2:17 PM on November 30, 2014
posted by Tomorrowful at 2:17 PM on November 30, 2014
Do you have any time restrictions? the trains can take longer, so if you want to get there faster, I would go for an Uber (Philly cab drivers have scammed me too often for me to want to use them again).
posted by troytroy at 2:57 PM on November 30, 2014
posted by troytroy at 2:57 PM on November 30, 2014
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posted by DoubleLune at 10:28 AM on November 30, 2014