DD23 and I are hoping to do an east coast college tour which includes Haverford, Bryn Mawr, and Swarthmore this spring break. We will be flying into Philly from PNW, staying in the area for two days, then taking a train to New York (from 30th station). I’ve been trying to figure out if we need to rent a car or not? We would rather not if we could do a combination of Uber and public transportation. Our goal is to see the campuses, and possibly walk around nearby towns. Shlould we stay in Philladelphia and go explore the campuses each day or rent a car for a few days and try to stay near the schools? Any input is very much appreciated!
Haverford and Bryn Mawr reside on the prominent Main Line, which makes them routinely accessible by train. Swarthmore is a bit offset from these schools, but nonetheless can be reached from Philadelphia directly by train.
Ubers/Lyfts will be available along the Main Line, and the campuses are readily accessible by Septa. Haverford and Bryn Mawr are a stop apart on the same local line (Paoli/Thorndale R5). Depending on where you stay, you can also take Amtrak to NYC from the Ardmore station. If you are not intent on staying in the city proper, you might consider the Radnor Inn just because of it’s proximity to commuter rail stations and accessibility from the airport. Never stayed there myself (no need) but they have a nice Sunday brunch! You might even decide to check out Villanova while you are here.
I think having a car makes it so much easier and it’s a place to leave your stuff! Car rental prices have become more reasonable. When we visited the area we drove around the neighborhoods and were able to save a lot of time getting from one point to the next. We also could drive through other schools like Villanova which is very close to Haverford.
It is particularly easy to get to all of these schools by the suburban train lines that go out of 30th st station. Haverford and Bryn Mawr you can easily see on the same day. Any interest in seeing Penn?
We flew into Philly, took an Uber to Swarthmore, and then caught the train at the base of the campus which let us out at Penn. Easy. Took Uber to Villanova. Didn’t have time for Haverford, but it would have been easy to get there also. You don’t need a car.
I would rent a car for convenience and avoid having to plan around train schedules. When we visited, we flew into Philly and drove to Swat. The town of Swarthmore is no more than a few blocks. Having a car meant we could explore the larger town of Media too.
If you book with a rental agency that also has a location in 30th St station, then you can drop off the car before catching your train to NYC. Enjoy your visit.
Wow, thank you so much for all the replies. Much to think about. We aren’t against renting a car per se (in fact we will be renting a car later from Boston when we go check out Amherst/Smith/ Williams, etc.) . But looks like there are pros and cons to both renting and not renting.
My daughter and I visited schools in the Philly area, including Bryn Mawr, without a car. On our day of travel, we were able to leave our bags in the admissions office while we toured.
My son and his wife live in Bryn Mawr – you want to check Septa before making decisions because the lines are up and down, as all mass transit is, but especially in Philly. They also tend to not be completely on time. The Septa line from the airport, though, is very reliable. Masks are currently required on all area mass transit, and will be until at least March 18.
I was going to give a similar response. Also, if you are planning to visit on a holiday or weekend, please be sure to review the SEPTA site. There are special schedules on those days & they are often less convenient.
I would suggest that Hotel choice is a key factor for a car. If you’re staying in downtown Philly, then I would consider A) proximity to 30th Street Station or Suburban Station (15th street/JFK) for trains, and B) the cost of parking a car overnight in town. In the city…I’d take the trains. They run frequently.
If you want to rent a car, then I would consider staying nearer to one of the campuses. All 3 schools are near the trains…
Thank you for the suggesting of looking up at the actual train schedule. I looked, and unless it’s a rush hour it is like once an hour from downtown Philly to Bryn Mawr/Haverford. Do I want to be tied down? Im used to Metro North in Nyc area and it’s every half an hour (which is a lot less than the subway which I am very used to).
Thank you also for the area to stay suggestions. Very helpful!
I was able to book tours for Haverford and Swarthmore but Bryn Mawr has not decided yet whether they are going to offer tours next month.