Best way to/from airport from chestnut hill

[bryanp]

I'll be moving to chestnut hill in a month and need to know what is the best/cheapest way to get to the airport? Anyone know the going rate for a taxi/car to the airport and from the airport? I think there is also a train that runs the whole way too but its only in the morning. What do you guys do? Thanks.

[Jim Black]

The train is the way to go. You do have to change trains in Center City. Change at 30th Street Station if you take the Chestnut Hill West and any of the CC station if you take the CH East. I believe it is $10 each way - $11 if you buy your ticket on the train.

I try to not book flights with departure times before 8 AM as you cannot get to the airport before about 7 AM via the train.

A taxi will cost about $50.

[Brooke]

The train is the way to go. You do have to change trains in Center City. Change at 30th Street Station if you take the Chestnut Hill West and any of the CC station if you take the CH East. I believe it is $10 each way - $11 if you buy your ticket on the train.

A taxi will cost about $50.

On the way back from the airport on the train, you don't even have to transfer. It is sort of a pain to find where the train is--at least from the concourse where I was last time (US Airways Express)--but just ask someone at a desk before walking around driving yourself nuts.

We drove it around 3pm from Germantown (about 10-15 minutes closer than you) at around 2pm with some random traffic jam popping up and it took us about 50 minutes to the airport, even cutting into W. Philly, etc., to avoid the traffic jam. The train took about 20-30 minutes back and I didn't feel like I was taking my life in my hands.

[bruhinb]

On the way back from the airport on the train, you don't even have to transfer

Just a small refinement: the truth of the statement quoted above depends on the time of day. The physical train that comes from the airport into Center City frequently "continues as" another line after it reaches University City station. Some of those trains, such as the one that leaves the airport at 4:57pm on weekdays, continue on as the Chestnut Hill East Line. Others do not. Use a trip-planning service such as SEPTA's Trip Planner or Google Maps to determine your best choices at any given time of day.

That being said, I have to wholeheartedly agree with this recommendation. As long as your arrivals and departures fall within the active window for Regional Rail, there is no better way to get to the airport from the northwest than taking the train!

[billy ross]

It takes 39 minutes from Germantown (Wayne Junction) to the airport, and vice versa. The trains depart every half hour, and they run all day. It's our new way of getting to and from the airport. The schedules are hard to read, though. If you use the train numbers you can make sense of them.

We try to get to the airport 1 hour before our flight, so as long as we're at WJ 2 hours before the flight we're in good shape.

[bryanp]

Thanks this was super helpful. Guess I'll be taking the train.

[stonefly]

I always take the train. If you are a regular Regional Rail train user, your Trailpass will get you all the way to the airport even if you have a zone 1 or 2.