Downtown tours

I heard some where that tours are given in the downtown area as well as the battlefield. We are taking a 3 hr. guided battlefield tour and would like to know if anyone has an opinion of taking the downtown tour. We are not in to ghost or shopping tours - just history tours. Thanks.

Downtown tours

Hi ChannelCat

Town tours are available but being local I have never been on one; thus I have no opinion. I have enclosed a link to their WEB site.

http://www.gettysburgpa.org/guidedtour.htm

You can’t go wrong on the guided battlefield tours; totally excellent! You are very wise to avoid the utterly ridicules ghost tours which are nothing but total garbage.

Best Wishes,

BigWoody

Downtown tours

I did the downtown tour and loved it. I was the only person on the tour and got very good service. I went with the one at the following link http://www.gettysburgpa.org/guidedtour.htm. You start at a hotel in town and get a great idea of what it must have been like to live in Gettysburg during and after the battle.

Restaurants within walking distance of Benedum Center

Looking for recommendations. Not interested in Bravo Franco or steak places. I prefer ethnic foods. Price does not matter. Thanks for your help!

Restaurants within walking distance of Benedum Center

Palate Bistro is right across the street from the Benedum - French fusion and very delicious!

Restaurants within walking distance of Benedum Center

Also Cafe Zao, Lemon Grass Cafe, Sonoma Grille. There%26#39;s a little Greek restaurant on the same street as Lemon Grass and Palate who%26#39;s name escapes me.

Not necessarily Ethnic, but good:

Nine on Nine

6th Penn

Phlash with luggage?

I%26#39;m arriving in Philly by train %26amp; would like to know if the phlash go out as far as 30th st station- if so would they let me on with luggage?

Phlash with luggage?

I do not believe the Phlash hits 30th street, furthest out is the Art museum.

If it does would depend on how crowded the bus is, there are no rules against it per-se. It also depends on how much luggage. There are no bag racks on the Phlash buses I beleive.

Phlash with luggage?

Thanks for your response- a cab it is then!

Or you could just take another quickie train from 30th street to Market Street, right? There%26#39;s a phlash stop close to that.

If they hit for the train ticket, at that point, the cab is almost the same money, and one less switch of vehicles, plus door to door.

THanks for the replies- I think I%26#39;ll stick with the cab. Can you advise me about cab prices- are they expensive in the city?

Cab from 30th street to the historic district usually runs between $15 to $18 depending on traffic plus tip. If you are going closer it will be less.

The Phlash bus is $2 a person. Is the train from 30th street station to Market Street $8 a person? I have no idea and just kind of like recommending the Phlash because it%26#39;s fun.

The thing with the train is they don%26#39;t always ask for tickets on that section, since its in the same zone.... So sometimes its free, or you have to pay the on-board fee..

It%26#39;s not enough of a savings (to me) to wait for a train and then possibly walk to hotel, when cab will take you door to door with luggage for a few bucks more.

BTW, I checked, official policy of the Phlash is no luggage, but unofficially, its driver%26#39;s call.

When you are arriving in Philadelphia by AMTRAK train you can take the regional rail train to 30th Street station or Market East for not additional charge. Have your AMTRAK ticket stub available in case asked for a ticket.

I recommend a cab to your hotel. For getting around town, the Phlash is great and is $5 for an all day pass, but be prepared to be squished in there- it gets VERY crowded!

I think you%26#39;d also be surprised how quickly you can walk places in Philly. If you%26#39;re only going a stop or two- don%26#39;t bother waiting for the Phlash- they can be unreliable, especially at rush hour- because of the traffic, and you%26#39;ll find that you could have walked the distance quicker.

Lodging Near Koziar's Christmas Village?

We are planning a return trip to Koziar%26#39;s Christmas Village in Bernville, in mid-December. We only need a room for Sunday night, and then will be heading to the Poconos for 3 nights. We hope to have dinner and breakfast at Haag%26#39;s in Shartlesville while in the area of Koziar%26#39;s. Any recommendations on places to stay? It sounds like the hotels right in Shartlesville are out!!! Thank you!!!

Lodging Near Koziar's Christmas Village?

Hello!

If you are looking for a great place to stay, try the Homewood Suites by Hilton in Reading, PA. I beleive they offer a special rate to those traveling to Koziar%26#39;s Christmas Village and the hotel is great

Lodging Near Koziar's Christmas Village?

There is a Hampton Inn right down the road from the Homewood Suites; that would be the Hampton Inn, Reading or Wyomissing. There is also a hotel right outside of Hamburg (I believe it is a Microtel, just a few years old). It is across the street from Cabella%26#39;s (the hunting %26amp; fishing store - which is something to see). Hamburg would be on your way to the Pocono%26#39;s and close to Shartlesville.

Other hotels in the area:

Dutch Motel Shartlesville and Comfort Inn Bethel/Midway. Both have reviews on TripAdvisor, as does the Microtel.

Amtrak from Philly to NYC

I%26#39;ve never ridden the train and would like to go from Philly to NYC in October using it. Most of the schedule says no luggage service. Can you take carry ons? Where are they put?

Do I need to purchase tickets ahead of time and have them mailed to me in Texas? Are schedules reliable so that I could return to Philly Sat. morning and fly home Sat. afternoon late?

Any other tips to make the trip pleasant? I am looking forward to a new adventure.

Amtrak from Philly to NYC

1%26gt; You can take carry-ons, there are racks overhead of your seats...

You should purchase tickets ahead of time to ensure availability at the time you want. You don%26#39;t need to have them mailed, there are kiosks at the station where you can print them out by swiping the CC you used to pay.

Budget allowing, if the cost differential is not too bad, splurge for business class. More comfy seats!

You can book Acela too, which is really nice, but I don%26#39;t think is worth the premium for a 2 hour trip.

Amtrak from Philly to NYC

I took the Amtrak train to NYC when I was in Philly a couple of weeks ago (my first time, too). I made my reservation on their website (different departure times cost different amounts...by comparing price and schedules, I was able to find the cheapest options that still fit my needs). Tickets ran approximately $45 to $125 each way. I presented my reservation confirmation at the station and got my tickets right before I left. It was all very easy. Ride was comfortable and took a little over an hour each way. Can%26#39;t wait to do it again next time I%26#39;m in Philly.

Used to commute on Amtrak from Philly to NY daily. Wanted to comment on the reliability of the schedule: for the most part Amtrak trains run pretty close to on time (within a few minutes); if there are delays due to equipment or rail problems they usually don%26#39;t last for more than 20 minutes to an hour. Sometimes weather wreaks havoc (snow, freezing temps or lots of rain) but October should be fine. There IS work going on on the northeast corridor tracks which may affect schedules somewhat--if you book on Amtrak%26#39;s website there should be info posted about this. Be aware that weekend service is not as frequent as weekday service. If you train back to Philadelphia in the morning (arriving before noon) you should be fine for a late afternoon departure from the airport. Since you%26#39;ll be arriving at 30th St., you can go straight from there to the airport on the R1 regional line.

Can I take a 28'; bag on the train?

here is the link to baggage carry on rules

www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer…

Just what I needed. Thank you.

Does the train have overhead compartments for bags or are those larger cases placed by your seat. Hard to imagine carrying something that large on to a train but I%26#39;m glad it can be done.

Thanks again.

If I recall correctly theres an area near the door of each car for larger luggage. I know there is in the Business Class cars, I am not 100% sure about coach.

I was in coach, and there was an overhead rack for bags.

I was reading the responses. I have a question. We bought ticked to take my son to Yankee stadium next week. I was alittle (well alot) naive about hotel expenses. My husband has since been laid off. Does anyone have an idea of the very cheapest yet safest way to come to NYC/Yankee Stadium from Ohio (we are driving). Should I stay in Jersey or in Philly? Any hotel suggestions, I am doing this broke and without previously traveled to either place. But what the heck, they are going to tear down the stadium and I want to give my husband and son this great memory. ANY HELP would be awesome.

runs4sons,

What%26#39;s your budget for accomodations?

pimple cure

12 million to renovate the Pagoda?

Did I hear this right? WOW!...Is that tax dollars?

I mean, sure, we all love to look up at the Pagoda, but what has it done for you recently?

Im just thinking that kinda money could renovate a high school, build a museum, etc.

Recommendation for lounge?

Hi, I need some help please!

My wife%26#39;s got 2 girlfriends coming down for a girls night out on Friday night. They%26#39;re all right around 30 years old.

After dinner at Melting Pot (Center City - 12th %26amp; Filbert), they%26#39;re looking to hang out and get a few drinks at a lounge.

They%26#39;re not looking for the club scene. Just a place, that%26#39;s hopefully not too far from Melting Pot, that offers drinks and music, and not full of 21 year olds. In case it helps, they all tend to favor Top 40 hiphop (either current or some from the 90s and early 00s), so please no jazz lounges!

Thanks in advance!

Recommendation for lounge?

You might want to check out the Apothecary Bar at 102 S. 13th Street. Low key place with lots of interesting cocktails.

Recommendation for lounge?

The ';see and be seen'; place in the summer is the Continental rooftop bar (18th %26amp; Chestnut). I love it in the summer- the crowd is generally 20%26#39;s-30%26#39;s.

The only drawback is that it can get crowded- if there is a line outside, you can bet that the roofdeck will be so packed you won%26#39;t be able to move, let alone get a drink.

I second Apothecary, and I would also recommend Tria (2 locations) if they are wine drinkers.

I like Alma de Cuba around 16th / Walnut. After the dinner crowd has slowed down it%26#39;s a really cool place to hang out and still be able to carry on a conversation without having to yell. I like to head all the way upstairs where it%26#39;s more quiet than downstairs...it%26#39;s just a really chill place with a cool atmosphere. From the Melting Pot it is maybe 15 minutes walk? Not the closest, but a cool place with great mojitos.