One of the most historic cities in the US, Philadelphia was at the centre of the US revolution. Declared a World Heritage City in 2015 the "City of Brotherly Love" has a small-town feel which may be familiar to many European visitors. The city has excellent museums and famous historical landmarks such as the Liberty Bell make it a great place to visit.
"Philly" experiences the full 4 seasons. Winter are often below freezing, and snowfall is not uncommon, while summers can be very hot with temperatures above 30 degrees. All this means that the best time to visit is usually around Spring, when there are less crowds and the weather is an acceptable 20 degrees. Philadelphia has some wonderful parks so heading in Spring will also mean seeing Cherry Blossoms (and other flowering trees) come back to life which can make for particularly nice walks around the city.
Flight time is usually around 8 hours via Dublin, it’s approximately 3,415 miles (5,496 km) to Philadelphia from Manchester. But with our excellent on flight entertainment you can sit back and relax, plus with pre-clearance in Dublin you can land in Miami like a local, with no need to go through customs when you arrive.
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) offers several options to get out of the airport and down to the beach.
Train: SEPTA provides service between the City Centre of Philadelphia and the airport. Trains run every 30 minutes.
Bus: There are 3 routes operating from PHL Airport to the city centre: 37,108 and 115.
Taxi: Taxis are located at Zone 5 on the Commercial Transportation Roadway. There is a flat rate charge of $28.50 to go from Philadelphia airport to the City Centre.
Most people visit Philadelphia for 2-4 days. As the first world heritage city in the US the major tourist attractions are history based. The cracked liberty bell is the most popular tourist attraction, with people from all over the US wanting to take a picture with a piece of their history. The "Rocky Steps" are probably the next must do item on the list. Again, a great photo opportunity to act like the world’s favourite fictional boxer. Independence Hall is another excellent accolade to colonial USA, but an absolute must is the taste of an authentic Philly Cheesesteak. Enjoy!
You won't need a Visa (if you are a British or European citizen), but you will need to complete an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization). It's easy to apply for one online but be sure to have it completed at least 72 hours before your trip or you could be denied entry. An ESTA costs $14.
No matter where you go in the US you will need to tip. It's customary to tip around 15%-20%, this is true of almost all services including bars, taxis and restaurant servers. And it's not just in the movies, hotel staff will expect a couple of dollars as well.