Mid-Atlantic - best way driving out of phl to marietta,pa with hertz

I am coming from Australia, picking up hertz car @ either marekt st. amtrak or int'l a/port and going to marietta, pa.

Car will have gps. My ? is due to unfamiliarity of roads, driving on different side of road, is it easier to pick up car at a/port as less traffic lights and hopefully traffic right behind me as I follow the gps and turning ahead (l) or (r) as could be the case of picking up vehicle at downtown amtrak. I find driving in unfamiliar areas and lots of traffic behind me disconcerting when not knowing if i need to turn left or right just ahead. I am just looking for the best initial start of getting out of area I'm asking about. Once on the freeway, all good.

Hope the ? is clear and thanks for any assistance. I have driven in states previously, just not often.

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I don't know Philadelphia well enough to answer your specific question, but are you sure you wouldn't rather take a train to get closer to your destination? You can get to 30th Street Station (Philadelphia's intercity train station) by rail right from your terminal at PHL (service every 30 minutes on SEPTA). And from 30th Street, Amtrak offers frequent, inexpensive service to Mount Joy, which is just a few miles from Marietta, and to Lancaster, which is just a little further from Marietta. Hertz, Avis, and Enterprise all have locations that serve Lancaster, and some might even pick you up from the Lancaster rail station. Just something for you to consider.

thank you guy1976, lancaster hertz do not offer gps in their vehicles. i'll have a look @ mount joy. gps is important for my travel.
cheers

If you are nervous about driving on city streets, then picking the car up at the airport is your best bet, although both locations are pretty close to the highway, so if you get a much better rate at 30th street (actually it is usually cheaper at the airport) then you should be ok.

I am from Philadelphia and have picked up rental cars at both the airport and 30th Street station. The airport is the easiest by far, especially if you want to get to I-95 south. The rental cars are underneath the train station in what used to be the public parking garage; it's dark, dirty and creepy (in my opinion). If you're not familiar with the navigating around the train station, it can be very confusing to get to I-95. Plus, the airport is south of the city and you're that much closer to Georgia (well, not so much, but at least you don't have to maneuver through the city).

Good luck and welcome to the City of Brotherly Love!

Plus, the airport is south of the city and you're that much closer to Georgia (well, not so much, but at least you don't have to maneuver through the city).

Reread the OP: he is going to Marietta, PA (Lancaster County) not Georgia! :)

From 30th Street it isn't hard to get to 76, which is what they would need to take to get to Lancaster (76 to 202 to route 30).

Oops, my bad. :p In either case, I would stick with the airport rental lots. Like I said, the rental cars at 30th Street are down under the station. It's dark and not easy to find the cars. As a woman, I was a little nervous walking down there alone.

parsonstrish, while I can't answer your question about rental cars, if you'll be in Marietta for a few days, and have some time in an evening or weekend, I'll buy you a drink, since it's not too far for me to get out that way.

Are you starting in Center City Philadelphia after spending time there, or are you flying into the airport from somewhere and immediately picking up a rental car?

All else being equal, initial traffic would be easiest from the airport - just get on the Blue Route (I-476) to the Pa. Turnpike and head west. The roads around 30th St. Sta. are congested and cofusing, and even though it is adjacent to the station you would have to deal with the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76, which will become the Turnpike) to get out of town, which is usually a traffic-choked mess.

But, if you will be downtown anyway, you would have to weigh that against the time / hassle of getting from downtown to the airport to pick up the car.

If you are just going from Center City to Marietta and back again, I would strongly consider the train and have someone pick you up at the Marietta end if possible. You could also do a train between Marietta and the airport - there is a train station at the airport adjacent to the terminals - but that would involve changing at 30th St.

(And if you aren't planning to already, try to spend some time in Philly - perhaps the most underrated city in the U.S. and easy to skip, being overshadowed by NYC and DC.)

(And if you aren't planning to already, try to spend some time in Philly - perhaps the most underrated city in the U.S. and easy to skip, being overshadowed by NYC and DC.)

+1 ^

Also, it isn't really that hard to get to I-76 from the Hertz 30th street. You come out the lower level garage, merge with the traffic on 30th street, turn left on Market and turn left again at the next light and you will drive straight onto I-76.