Need advice - getting to Atlantic City from PHL
 

I am heading to Atlantic City for the first time at the end of September to watch the Kelly Pavlik fight. I'm am just now realizing how big a pain it is to get there anyway except for driving. There are no direct flights from Chicago or Cleveland (my 2 potential starting points) to ACY and connecting flights are $900.

I think my best option is to fly into Philly and get transport from there. I tried calling the hotel to get them to help me out (the Showboat), but they acted like it was a question they had never heard before. They suggested a limo which costs $125+ each way. I can't use their comp limo because I am not in their players club.

Anyone have some suggestions on the cheapest, easiest way to get there? Some sort of shuttle bus maybe?

TIA,

Eric

I can't get over how bad the advice was which you were given. You can take a NJ Transit train directly from downtown Philly to Atlantic City for just $8 each way. Go to http://www.njtransit.com/sf/sf_servl...ainSchedulesTo to get the schedules.

Thanks for the info. Is is reletively easy to get from Philly airport to the 30th street station? Anyone know if there are any reasonably priced shuttles that run direct from the airport to Atlantic City?

Take the SEPTA train from PHL Airport to 30th Street station and then connect to the New Jersey Transit train to Atlantic City.

Here is the schedule for the SEPTA train: http://www.septa.com/service/sched/pdfs/R1Airport.pdf

Take the R1 train directly from the airport to 30th Street Station. Simple.

http://www.septa.org/service/rr_schedules.html

I concur with others about the train. R1 from the Airport to 30th Street Station. Exist the commuter side of 30th Street Station and enter the main portion, the "Amtrak" part. There you will see signs for the AC express. In AC, there are complimentary jitneys to casinos with marked signs, or you may take a taxi.

If time is of the essence, you can certainly rent a car at PHL and drive. It would take about 1 hour from PHL to Atlantic City without major traffic. It's pretty much a straight shot.

Thanks for everyone's help.

FYI - for anyone that is interested, I also found a shuttle service for $45 each way. Tropiano Airport Shuttle 1-800-559-2040.

My final decision was to rent a car through Priceline. I got a mid-size car from Avis for $10/day - $50 total for the weekend including all the fees. Hopefully parking in Atlantic City won't be as outrageous as Chicago.

Did the train Yesterday. No problem $8 each way from 30th ST. They have a free shuttle from the AC train atation to the casinos. Or it is a 5 minute walk to the boardwalk.

Parking in the garages of most of the casinos is about $5.00 a day. Sometimes there are parking deals if you sign up for their club card.

From PHL to Atlantic City is an easy drive, usually the only backup is on the New Jersey side of the Walt Whitman bridge but only takes a few minutes to get through. It should only take about 1 1/4 hours door to door.

I could be wrong, but last time I stayed at the Showboat you could get reimbursed for parking as a hotel guest.

--Russ

I'm fairly street smart, and I'm not sure I would recommend that walk. The jitneys are ample and free for a reason. :)

Thanks again for all the help - I am heading out this Friday. Hopefully my boy will win his fight and I'll do good at the poker table!

The jitneys are NOT free, they are $2/pp. And the parking is not a per diem, it's $5 per stay. I'm a concierge in Atlantic City, and I just wish I'd seen this thread earlier. And I'm not surprised that Showboat had no idea what to tell the OP.

Well, I'm back from Atlantic City. Played some poker, won some cash, bet it on the fight (I didn't know Atlantic City didn't have a sports book - huge pain to get the bet down), my boy Kelly Pavlic destroyed Jermain Taylor after some early round trouble (check the fight out if you a chance - it was fantistic), and headed home.

Renting a car was definitely the way to go. No traffic on the way from the airport and hit about a 1/2 hour delay on the way back due to construction. Parking at the Showboat is free if you join the players club, and the Jitney's are indeed $2 a pop. Not bad, but I ended up cabbing it a little bit to avoid having to find parking. All in all, not Vegas, but not nearly as bad as all the negative things I've heard about Atlantic City.

My one warning is to allow alot of extra time at the Philly airport. The security line was ridiculous and the United counter crew were understaffed (had to talk to them because I made a ticket change - waited in a 7 person line for 1/2 hour). I would have missed ny flight if it wasn't delayed by an hour.

I stand corrected about the parking - I don't work for that company, and the citywide standard is $5 per stay.

You are very right in that AC is not Vegas...the only similarity that Vegas and AC share is the mere presence of casinos.