Mid-Atlantic - Any good family activities between PHL and EWR?

OK, so I need to get from Florida to EWR mid-April next year.

I can only assume that the NJ schools must have a holiday that finishes then as the flight prices on the route are insane - totally out of whack with places like PHL or IAD - even JFK is a couple of hundred bucks cheaper.

I'm wondering about flying up from Florida on the Friday night, overnight at a PHL airport hotel then pick up a rental car in the morning & driving on to EWR. It's a 9pm departure so we have all day Saturday. Is there somewhere that would appeal to a 2, 4, and 6 yr old en-route for a few hours? Would like to get part way up the road so things in PHL aren't really suitable.

Unfortunately, owing to the fare concerned, I can't just shift the EWR-LHR to a PHL-EWR.

Thanks in advance

Tony

That's a good idea......how about Sesame Place in Langhorne, PA (based on the Sesame Street educational TV show)..... or the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia which says it is designed for ages 1-7?...... .....enjoy!

(I'll ask folks at corporate hq in edison, nj for any other suggestions)

I haven't been there, but based on the reviews on TripAdvisor etc. the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ, might be a good choice.

Thanks both - perhaps any good dining ideas nr Edison would be worth having too!

Regards

Thanks both - perhaps any good dining ideas nr Edison would be worth having too!

RegardsCloser to EWR than Edison, NJ...a different Edison.

http://www.nps.gov/edis/index.htm

I haven't been there, but based on the reviews on TripAdvisor etc. the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ, might be a good choice.I've been...you couldn't pay me to go back (well, you could, but it would take ALOT of money).

Hoboken is a quick ride north of EWR if your kids are fans of "Cake Boss". Yes, I know, the cakes are overpriced, but you can buy pastries (relatively) inexpensively and chances are decent that you'd see someone from the show. (ETA: just saw that you are from the UK...you might not be familiar with this TV show)

Just south of Hoboken is Liberty State Park, which should give you good views of the Statue of Liberty and the skyline of NYC.

Going SE from EWR, you could head to the shore. You'd need input from the locals...you can't go swimming but mid-April isn't unreasonable for a walk on the beach.

Just south of Hoboken is Liberty State Park, which should give you good views of the Statue of Liberty and the skyline of NYC.

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i second the suggestion for LSPark, also there is Liberty Science Center which is a great time for the kids! http://www.lsc.org

and....you'll only be about 7 miles (plan on 15-20 min without traffic) to the airport from that area.

have fun! :)

If you are driving up from Philly to EWR, then Sesame Place, which is just off I-95 in PA, about 30 mins north of Philly is your best bet. Doesn't involve any detours from the main route.
It is a great place for the kids (adults are another matter!).

i second the suggestion for LSPark, also there is Liberty Science Center which is a great time for the kids! http://www.lsc.org

and....you'll only be about 7 miles (plan on 15-20 min without traffic) to the airport from that area.

have fun! :)

The original plan had been to go to the LSC that day on the basis we were flying into and out of EWR. The current scenario doesn't look so good and I just thought it would be better for the kids if we drove for approx 1hr, did something then drove another 1hr or so towards the airport for dinner then hire car drop off.

The eldest two have both been to NYC so taking them some place to explicitly see the skyline isn't really a 'must do'.

Only problem with Sesame Place is we'll have just spent a week with The Mouse and something a little more sensible might be welcome. The Please Touch museum looks great but again, it's at the wrong end of the journey.

Would it be feasible to do PHL without a car (but with kids)? Was thinking the open top bus tour would be good, combined with the please touch museum, then we get the train to EWR on the Saturday afternoon as it's only an hour away... Biggest logistical problem I can see would be what we do with suitcases for a day as landing at 9pm makes staying at the airport the obvious choice.

Would it be feasible to do PHL without a car (but with kids)? Was thinking the open top bus tour would be good, combined with the please touch museum, then we get the train to EWR on the Saturday afternoon as it's only an hour away... Biggest logistical problem I can see would be what we do with suitcases for a day as landing at 9pm makes staying at the airport the obvious choice.

I'm fairly sure that there is luggage storage at 30th St. Station (the main train station in Philadelphia). The other thing you can do is just stay in Center City, as the airport is only about a 15-minute taxi ride from the airport outside of rush hour (though the taxi ride with three kids late at night may not be fun).

Philadelphia is an easily walkable city, and there is a lot of bus service in Center City. However, the Please Touch Museum (which is excellent) is in a park outside the walkable core, and getting there by bus can be complicated and take a while. There is a dedicated tourist bus line that runs there, but it is in service only from May to September. You may be better off with a rental car.

ETA found this link from Traveler's Aid (http://www.taphilly.org/stationfaq.html) that confirms that there is short-term luggage storage at 30th St. Stn.

I'm wondering about flying up from Florida on the Friday night, overnight at a PHL airport hotel then pick up a rental car in the morning & driving on to EWR. It's a 9pm departure so we have all day Saturday. Is there somewhere that would appeal to a 2, 4, and 6 yr old en-route for a few hours? Would like to get part way up the road so things in PHL aren't really suitable.
TonyEasiest way to do things:

1. stay overnight downtown Philly

2. take kids to the Franklin (http://www2.fi.edu/) (science museum totally oriented toward kids) or Academy of Natural Sciences/ (http://www.ansp.org/) (dinosaurs!) both of which are downtown and close to the train station

3. take Amtrak direct from 30th St. Station to Newark Airport station - 1 hour by train, easily 3 hours by rental car in traffic + time getting car/turning in car.

4. if the weather is particularly nice, the Philly Zoo is excellent, but April can be cold and wet

Airport hotels are not particularly nice, you'd be better off with kids in the downtown area. Plus there are many more food choices, like Reading Terminal Market. You can take transit directly from the airport to downtown - www.septa.com

If you want something quite American, you could see Independence Hall, but the 2 year old would probably prefer the hands-on exhibits at the Franklin. :D

If you feel like adding 20-30 minutes to your total drive time, you could shoot up to the Crayola Factory (http://www.crayola.com/Factory/about_us.cfm) in Easton PA. It's pretty much right of of I-78, so getting to EWR will be a piece of cake afterwards. Just double check reviews for it, people seem mixed about the place.

Wouldn't the rental car charges be insane with the drop off charge at a different airport? Just wondering. You may be able to scrap the rental car altogether.

Boltbus serves Philadelphia to Newark Penn, and there is train service as well.

If you feel like adding 20-30 minutes to your total drive time, you could shoot up to the Crayola Factory (http://www.crayola.com/Factory/about_us.cfm) in Easton PA. It's pretty much right of of I-78, so getting to EWR will be a piece of cake afterwards. Just double check reviews for it, people seem mixed about the place.

I have been to the Crayola Factory (granted, it was a couple years ago and I'm 27 so not exactly the target audience) but I had a good time. Although it is pretty small, not sure how much time you could kill there. All the kids (not just kids at heart) that were visiting seemed to really enjoy it.

New Hope PA is a nice town artist place. There is also Six Flags in NJ. Princeton may be good for a stroll as well. Sesame Place has been mentioned.