Travel Info |
|---|
| Getting to Philadelphia |
| To and From Airport |
| Getting Around Town |
| Accessibility |
| About Philadelphia |
Travel Information
Use the new GSA Meetings Bulletin Board to arrange rides and/or share housing. You can also use this service to help make arrangements to meet up with your colleagues.
GETTING TO PHILADELPHIA
Philadelphia is easy to reach by car, train, bus, or air. I-95 runs north and south through Philadelphia. You can also access the region via the Pennsylvania and New Jersey turnpikes. By car, Philadelphia is just two hours from New York City and Baltimore and just under three hours from Washington DC. Amtrak operates from Philadelphia's 30th Street Station with service along the northeast corridor, and regional bus service is available via Greyhound. Philadelphia International Airport is served by most major airlines, and with the arrival of several new discount carriers, service to Philadelphia is more affordable and convenient than ever.
 Philadelphia. Photo by Edward Savaria, Jr., courtesy Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau. With a population of 1.5 million people, and another 4 million in the surrounding countryside, Philadelphia is the fifth-largest city in the United States and the second-largest on the East Coast. |
TRAINS
- Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corporation):
Trains arrive at Amtrak's historic 30th Street Station. Call +1-800-272-7245 or go to www.amtrak.com for information. - Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority Regional Rail Lines:
Service to Market East Station, 10th and Market streets, and 16th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard. For more information, call +1-215-580-7800; or go to www.septa.org.
BUSES
- New Jersey Transit:
Trailways Terminal, 13th and Arch streets; +1-215-569-3752. - Greyhound/Trailways:
Trailways Terminal, l0th and Filbert streets; +1-215-931-4014.
AIR TRAVEL
Recently rated as one of the best airports in the nation by the Wall Street Journal, Philadelphia I15-Sep-2006-->artures daily. The airport is seven miles from Philadelphia Center City. The following airlines have been contracted to provide convention rates to and from Philadelphia for the 2006 GSA Annual Meeting & Exposition. You can save up to 15% on published airfares by booking through the group reservation desks at the numbers listed below.
- American Airlines
www.aa.com; +1-800-433-1790; Group Code: #A19H6AI
American Airlines is offering discounts of 5% off all published round-trip fares.
Call +1-800-433-1790 and reference Group Code #A19H6AI. - Frontier Airlines
www.frontierairlines.com; +1-800-908-9068; Ticket Designator: #MC004G
Frontier Airlines is offering discounts of 10% off all published round-trip fares.
Call +1-800-908-9068 and reference Ticket Designator #MC004G. - United Airlines
www.united.com; +1-800-521-4041; Meeting ID#: 537TH
United is offering a 7% discount off the lowest applicable discount fare if booked more than 30 days prior to arrival and a 2% discount off the lowest applicable discount fare if booked less than 30 days prior to arrival. There is a 10% discount off of fully refundable tickets booked more than 30 days prior to arrival and a 5% discount off of fully refundable tickets booked less than 30 days prior to arrival. First-class and business travelers receive a 15% discount if booked more than 30 days prior to arrival and 10% if booked less than 30 days prior to arrival.
Call +1-800-521-4041 and reference Meeting ID #537TH.
TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority Regional Rail Lines (SEPTA) R1 Airport train provides service from the airport to Center City every half-hour daily from 6 a.m. to midnight. The line stops at Amtrak's 30th Street Station, Suburban Station (16th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard), and at Market East Station (attached to the Pennsylvania Convention Center). Travel time is 23 minutes, and the maximum weekday fare is $7. For more information, call +1-215-580-7800 or go to www.septa.org.
CAR RENTAL
- Enterprise Rent-a-Car
1-800-Rent-a-Car; www.enterprise.com; Group Code: 17C8796; Event Name: CON
You may book r15-Sep-2006-->r group code, 17C8796, in the optional account box and then press enter, then enter the first three letters of your event name, CON, and press enter. You may also book through Enterprise's National Reservations Center at 1-800-Rent-a-Car. All renters must be at least 21 years of age and have a valid driver's license and credit card in their possession when they pick up their rental vehicle.
SHUTTLE SERVICE
- Lady Liberty Transportation +1-215-724-8888
Lady Liberty Transportation provides shuttle service for Philadelphia International Airport. Reservations are not necessary. The Lady Liberty van runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can locate Lady Liberty shuttle vans at the baggage claim area or by dialing #27 on any airport phone. Lady Liberty will also prearrange shuttle service. Return reservations can be made by calling +1-215-724-8888 or by contacting your hotel bell captain.
TAXIS
A fleet of 1,400 cabs serves the area. Taxi services can be picked up at Zone 5 on the Commercial Transportation Roadway. Should you need to pay by credit card, please advise the dispatcher upon your arrival to the taxi area because not all cabs or companies accept credit cards or vouchers as a form of payment. Taxi dispatch is available 24 hours a day.
- City Cab: +1-215-492-6500
- Quaker City Cab: +1-215-728-8000
WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE BUSES, SHUTTLES, TAXIS, OR VANS
All of the buses and trains are wheelchair accessible. The following company will pick you up with prior notice at Philadelphia International Airport and provide specialized transportation. Please make arrangements prior to your arrival.
- ADA Paratransit: +1-215-580-7145
GETTING AROUND Town
GSA will NOT be providing shuttle service from the hotels to the convention center; however, arrangements for transportation to and from the GSA-designated hotels and the Pennsylvania Convention Center will be provided by GSA for the elderly or disabled. For more information, contact Erin Pitner, , +1-303-357-1006.
Philadelphia Center City is compact, and its grid-like layout makes it very walkable. SEPTA operates a large number of bus routes, a subway line, an elevated train, and regional rail lines that provide service throughout the city and into the surrounding countryside. Suburban Station and Market East regional rail stations are in the heart of the business, shopping, and hotel districts. Learn more at www.septa.org. The Phlash trolley service provides quick and easy connections between Center City attractions and most downtown hotels and is just $1 each time you board. Learn more at www.phillyphlash.org. Finally, catching a cab in Center City is easy: just head for the nearest street corner and flag one down.
ACCESSIBILITY FOR REGISTRANTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
GSA is committed to making the annual meeting accessible to all people interested in attending. If you need auxiliary aids or service because of a disability, check the appropriate box on the registration form. If you have suggestions or need further information, contact Kevin Ricker, , +1-303-357-1090. Please let us know your needs by 19 September 2006.