<p>You can take taxis, but there is also a light rail/subway system. You don’t want to take a taxi out to Villanova, though.</p>
<p>I would get a car, personally, for visiting Villanova and Penn. I haven’t found the parking around Penn to be particularly problematic - any more than any parking in any city, where you’ve got to drive a few blocks. Such is city living.</p>
<p>According to the brochure “College 101 Exploring Transit” published by SEPTA ([SEPTA</a> | Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority](<a href=“http://www.septa.org%5DSEPTA”>http://www.septa.org)) I brought home, Manayyunk/Norristown Regional Rail Line is the way to go to/from Villanova and Center City Philadelphia. You can board this line at 3 stations in Philly:</p>
<ol>
<li>Market East Station (Market St & 10th St, close to Old City, Independence Hall)</li>
<li>Suburban Station (JFK Blvd & 17th St, close to the City Hall with lots of arts)</li>
<li>30th Street Station (JFK Blvd & 30th St, close to Drexel University and UPenn)</li>
</ol>
<p>The train stops/goes almost every 30 minutes during the day and every 1 hour in the evening. Train operation time is from 5:30 AM to 12:30 AM.</p>
<p>If you book the hotel on the 3 streets (Chesnut, Walnut, and Market) that have buses run every 5 minutes from the Old City to UPenn then you don’t really need a car.
Parking in the hotels is very expensive ($30 or more). Besides you cannot beat Philly bus drivers. They stop and go very fast (hold on the rail right away after you walk on the bus to avoid falling). You can take taxis if you prefer. The walking blocks are very short. Philly is a compact city (I am sick and tired of walking in California).</p>
<p>To/from airport you can take shuttle van or taxis. I used this one:
[Lady</a> Liberty Shuttle](<a href=“ladylibertyshuttle.com”>http://www.ladylibertyshuttle.com/)</p>
<p>I would skip U Penn altoghether and just visit Villanova! 
jk- Nova biased here We were just a parents weekend. Stayed at Coshohocken Marriott- nice.</p>
<p>Also have stayed at Scantation (?) Conference Center by King of Prussia- very tired 2 years ago.</p>
<p>Driving around the PHilly area is a bit like navagating hwy system that looks like bowl of spaghetti- lots of roads & road construction. Not impossible but just the heads up.</p>
<p>If you drive- get a really good GPA - we just got a Tom Tom about $180 on sale at Best Buy- it is awesome superior to my garmin.</p>
<p>^^^no</p>
<p>the train that goes to Villanova is the Paoli/Thorndale line.</p>
<p>You’ve gotten lots of advice here. But, to make it simple, if you’re not planning to have a car, you need to stay in Philadelphia and take SEPTA to Villanova. If you stay in King of Prussia or Radnor/Wayne, you will need to rent a car. Staying in Philly will give you lots of options for dining. Most of Philly is walkable but you can also take taxi.</p>
<p>Thanks for the correction. Yes, Thorndale line is right. I looked at the wrong label for end of the line. They boarding stations are still correct.</p>
<p>pamom59 nails it.</p>
<p>I’m in Philly as I write this. I travel to Philly frequently and I don’t find the highways there any different from any other city. Yes, the Schuylkill backs up. What major city doesn’t have a highway that slows to a crawl during rush hour?</p>
<p>Villanova has a conference center which doubles as a hotel. We stayed there when visiting my son at Haverford. The location might work for you as well (Wayne, I think).</p>
<p>There is also a guest house on the Bryn Mawr campus, which is, I’m guessing, maybe two miles from Villanova - very close. I have no idea how full it gets or if preference is given to those affiliated with Bryn Mawr, though.</p>
<p>Younger D graduated from Bryn Mawr–which is quite close to Villanova. Two hotels nearby are: the Wayne Hotel in Wayne (which is old and funky and has recently undergone renovation) and the Marriott at Conshohocken. Both are very convenient to Vilamova and offer easy access to the highways that go to the city. I’ve never stayed at Wyndham (hotel on Bryn Mawr campus). It’s small and was always booked when I called. You don’t have to be affiliated with the college to stay there. Younger D is now working and living in Philadelphia. Helped her move in September and stayed at the Hotel Palomar It was quite nice and I believe it’s not too far from Penn–met a couple who had just taken their son to Penn.</p>