Getting There

By Plane

The Major Airlines -- By air, Philadelphia is 2 1/2 hours from Miami or Chicago, and 6 hours from the West Coast. Some 20 carriers fly from more than 100 cities in the U.S. and 16 destinations abroad. US Airways (tel. 800/428-4322; www.usairways.com) has long used Philadelphia International Airport (code PHL; www.phl.org) as a hub. (At press time, US Airways's merger with Delta Airlines was forthcoming, with speculation as to a change of names and hubs for US Airways.) Lower-priced carriers include Southwest Airlines, offering more than 40 flights a day in and out of Philly, with nonstop service from 16 cities nationwide; call tel. 800/435-9792 or visit www.southwest.com. Also check fares on Air Tran at www.airtran.com or tel. 800/AIR-TRAN. You can also check flight schedules and make reservations on all of the following other domestic airlines:

American Airlines and American Eagle (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com); Continental Airlines and Continental Express (tel. 800/525-0280; www.continental.com); Delta Air Lines and Delta Connection (tel. 800/221-1212; www.delta.com); Frontier Airlines (tel. 800/432-1359; www.frontierairlines.com); Midwest Airlines (tel. 800/452-2022; www.midwestairlines.com); Northwest Airlines (tel. 800/225-2525 domestic; www.nwa.com); United Airlines (tel. 800/241-6522; www.ual.com); and USA 3000 (tel. 877/USA-3000; www.usa3000.com).

International carriers with direct flights include the above and:

Air Canada and Air Canada Jazz (tel. 888/247-2262; www.aircanada.ca); Air France (tel. 800/237-2747; www.airfrance.com); Air Jamaica (tel. 800/523-5585; www.airjamaica.com); British Airways (tel. 800/AIRWAYS; www.britishairways.com); and Lufthansa German Airlines (tel. 800/645-3880; www.lufthansa.com).

Immigrations & Customs Clearance -- Foreign visitors arriving by air, no matter what the port of entry, should cultivate patience and resignation before setting foot on U.S. soil. Clearing immigration control can take as long as 2 hours. This is especially true in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when U.S. airports considerably beefed up security clearances. People traveling by air from Canada, Bermuda, and certain Caribbean countries can sometimes clear Customs and Immigration at the point of departure, which is much faster.

Getting Into Town From the Airport -- Eight miles southwest of Center City, the Philadelphia International Airport is -- best-case scenario -- a 15-minute drive away. Usually, however, drivers can count on a good 30 minutes (more during rush hour) via either of the major thoroughfares, I-95 or I-76.

Each baggage claim connects to taxi, limousine, and shuttle services. SEPTA provides train service from Terminals A-E to Center City (30th St., Suburban, and Market East stations) via the R-1 regional rail line. A one-way ticket costs $5.50. The train runs every 30 minutes between the hours of 4:25am and 11:25pm. For more information, visit www.septa.org.

By Car

It's not surprising that two-thirds of all visitors arrive by car: Philadelphia is some 300 miles (6 hr. or so) from Boston, 100 miles (2 hr.) from New York City, 135 miles (3 hr.) from Washington, D.C., and 450 miles (9 hr.) from Montreal.

The best deals on car rentals come from the major agencies, all of which have a presence in the Philadelphia International Airport, and most of which have an office in Center City: Alamo (tel. 800/327-9633; www.alamo.com); Avis (tel. 800/331-1212; www.avis.com); Budget (tel. 800/527-0700; www.budget.com); Dollar (tel. 800/800-4000; www.dollar.com); Enterprise (tel. 800/261-7331; www.enterprise.com); Hertz (tel. 800/654-3131; www.hertz.com); and National (tel. 800/227-7368; www.nationalcar.com). Airlines often partner with these agencies to offer package deals: Check with your airline before booking a car. Agencies generally offer a variety of car options in size (compact to sedan to SUV) and accessories (GPS navigation system, satellite radio). Nearly all are automatic, not stick shift. Also fairly new on the scene: For an increasingly reasonable fee, a car renter can pick up a car in one city and return it in another. Most agencies have a minimum age requirement of 19; American agencies generally do not have a maximum age restriction.

Philadelphia is easily accessible via a series of interstate highways that circle or pass through the city. Interstate 95 (not to be confused with the New Jersey Tpk., which goes by the same name) runs along the city's eastern edge, running north and south. The six-lane I-276 (the original Pennsylvania Tpk.) comes in from the north/northeast, connecting to the New Jersey Turnpike. The oft-congested I-76 (aka the Schuylkill Expwy.) runs east and west, snaking along the Schuylkill River into town, connecting into the heart of Center City via I-676 (aka the Vine St. Expwy.) and reconnecting I-76 to Camden, New Jersey, via the Ben Franklin Bridge over the Delaware. (Confused yet?) Connecting all of the above is I-476, "the Blue Route," which edges along western suburbs, about 15 miles west of town, linking up I-276 and I-76 at its northern end with I-95 to the south.

By Train

Philadelphia is a major Amtrak stop (tel. 800/USA-RAIL; www.amtrak.com). Amtrak terminal 30th Street Station, 30th and Market streets (tel. 215/349-3196; www.30thstreetstation.com), is on the Boston-Washington, D.C., northeast corridor, which has extensions south to Florida, west to Pittsburgh and Chicago, and east to Atlantic City. This station also connects via SEPTA regional rail and subway (www.septa.com) to Suburban Station (16th St. and JFK Blvd.) and Market East Station (12th and Filbert sts.). Suburban and Market East are located near most Center City hotels, while 30th Street Station is closest to the hotels of University City.

From New York's Penn Station, Philadelphia is a 73- to 96-minute ride away. Regular rail service -- called "Regional" or "Keystone" -- is 7 to 23 minutes longer than Acela Express (73-min.) service, but the price is often worth the extra minutes. Regional and Keystone trains run around $60 during the weekday peak hours; Acela trains at the same time run up to $125. (Amtrak does not offer discounts for booking round-trip travel.) Washington, D.C., is 1 1/2 to 2 hours away (fares run $58-$98). The ride to/from Boston is 5 to 7 hours ($97-$155); from Chicago, it's about an 18-hour ride, with fares in the $101-to-$160 range. Rates are as of press time.

The Train from New York City, on the Cheap -- Although it requires a little more time and planning, taking a combo of New Jersey Transit (tel. 800/582-5946 or 215/569-3752; www.njtransit.com) and SEPTA (www.septa.com) trains gets you to and from New York cheaper. Here's how it's done: From New York Penn's Station or Newark, take New Jersey Transit to Trenton (an 80- to 90-min. ride, available 4:20am-10:44pm, $12 one-way). At Trenton, switch platforms to pick up SEPTA's R7 commuter train, bound for Philadelphia's 30th Street, Suburban, and Market East stations (50-60 min., $7 one-way). Although the ride takes up to 2 1/2 hours -- 1 to 1 1/2 hours longer than riding Amtrak -- it also can shave $40 to $100 off Amtrak's price.