Philadelphia Help required for the single traveller

zackkilmer · 28 January 2005 at 1:02AM

Hi There

I'm going to be spending 3 nights in Philadelphia this April and would really appreciate any help on finding or recommending accomadation for one person . I'm prepared to spend £50 per night and just want clean , easily accesible ( I have no car ) and safe accomadation . Have people been to philadelphia ? How did they book - through the tourist office ? Through a website ?

Also what can I do when I get there . I'm 32 and wanted to sample some of the quiter scenic areas etc . Boat trip ? Baseball ground ? ANY information would be much appreciated as I have never been to USA before and I'm quite apprenhensive about it all

Thanks

Nile · 28 January 2005 at 9:11AM

Hello Zack

There are probably cheaper hotels but we stayed in the Hampton Inn (13th & Race Street) last year. One advantage of this centrally located hotel (apart from the great service) is they provide free breakfast. If you've got a busy sightseeing day planned, they even do 'breakfast to go' in a bag to save you some time. It's worth picking up a breakfast bag just for the fruit and bottle water. They also provide free papers and cookies on the reception counter.

Some of the free things we did.........viewing the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. You have to queue for a ticket and then queue to access the venues (and you'll go through airport style security checks) but we thought it was worth the couple of hours wait.

I can recommend the deli store on the ground floor of the nearby shopping centre (can't remember the name) in the Independence Square. They do a massive selection of tasty hot foods. Fill your tray (you'll be charged by weight of food, not type) and sit down for a cheap meal.

Also free was..........going to the top of the City Hall Tower (only free on Fridays I think) the view is amazing. A tip for you, go on the Thursday or very early on the Friday to book your place/ticket.........the ancient lift only carries six people per session.

If you're interested in seeing the Amish people, you could spend a fortune ($99 approx) on a full day trip or do it the free/cheapie way like us. On Wednesday's the Amish come to the (indoor) Reading Market in the city centre. If you pop in for a drink and snack, you'll be served by Amish and can watch the nearby stalls being set up by Amish........fascinating.

Not far from the Reading Market is the Wawa supermarket where we bought cold drinks and nice wrap sandwiches every day. They also have a small deli counter.

We enjoyed the Trolley Bus tour ($23 approx) to get our bearings and learn about some of the history of Philadelphia etc.

If you're after some shopping bargains, we caught the subway and Septa bus to Franklin Mills outlet nearby. I bought a pair of new style Nike Shox for $29.

We didn't feel threatened or unsafe wandering around the city but listen to advice from your hotel on areas to avoid.

Enjoy your holiday.

Hope this helps.

zackkilmer · 29 January 2005 at 4:03PM

Thanks for all your help Nile - some of those ideas sound great and I will be hopefully be putting them into action when I go there in April . I appreciate the advice and time you have taken to reply to my mail .

Philadelphia Help required for the single traveller

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