Getting out of the city for a weekend (Pittsburgh, Bethlehem: car rental, rental)

[Axl1156]

I previously posted on this forum asking for neighborhood advice and you guys were very helpful. I visited Philly earlier this week and loved it so much that I have decided to move there this fall. I've narrowed it down to either Rittenhouse Square or Washington Square, but being able to afford the city will require me to sell my car. So my question is, where could I travel to on a 3-day weekend?

I have heard that you can get to NYC, Atlantic City, and DC rather easily but are there any other cool travel areas that are easily accessible by train or bus? I'm not the type of person to fly a plane sober and I'm just looking for a list of places I could go if I felt spontaneous.

[Leps12]

Originally Posted by Axl1156

I previously posted on this forum asking for neighborhood advice and you guys were very helpful. I visited Philly earlier this week and loved it so much that I have decided to move there this fall. I've narrowed it down to either Rittenhouse Square or Washington Square, but being able to afford the city will require me to sell my car. So my question is, where could I travel to on a 3-day weekend?

I have heard that you can get to NYC, Atlantic City, and DC rather easily but are there any other cool travel areas that are easily accessible by train or bus? I'm not the type of person to fly a plane sober and I'm just looking for a list of places I could go if I felt spontaneous.

I’m sure you can catch buses to the Poconos. NJ Transit buses can also take you to other Shore towns besides Atlantic City. But I would recommend a Zipcar membership.

[rainrock]

In the summer the South Jersey + Delaware beach towns are nice getaways if you are into sunshine and relaxation. Cape May, Ocean City,Sea Isle City, Stone Harbor,Avalon are in NJ. Rehobeth + Dewey Beaches in DEL.. If you prefer free beaches the Wildwoods(NJ) are still free and very nice.

North of the city in PA Jim Thorpe,Bethlehem,Stroudsburg are nice little mountain towns.The small village of Jim Thorpe sits down in a mountain gorge resembling a mini me version Swiss Alp setting. There is the wildernistic Lehigh River Gorge trail that runs down from White Haven down to Jim Thorpe.Biking,hiking,rafting,kayaking etc .. Delaware Water Gap, Bushkill Falls, Nascar 500 in Long Pond are additional Pocono destinations.

Casino hotel resorts are in Mount Airy + Wilkes Barre. Water Parks at Cambelback + Kalahari(Mount Pocono)

[Philly Joe]

Originally Posted by Axl1156

I previously posted on this forum asking for neighborhood advice and you guys were very helpful. I visited Philly earlier this week and loved it so much that I have decided to move there this fall. I've narrowed it down to either Rittenhouse Square or Washington Square, but being able to afford the city will require me to sell my car. So my question is, where could I travel to on a 3-day weekend?

I have heard that you can get to NYC, Atlantic City, and DC rather easily but are there any other cool travel areas that are easily accessible by train or bus? I'm not the type of person to fly a plane sober and I'm just looking for a list of places I could go if I felt spontaneous.

There are shore points much nicer than Atlantic City.


Cape May, NJ is beautiful. It's a little bit farther, but worth it. If you're traveling during peak season make sure you avoid Sunday, that's when everyone comes home from the shore and the Turnpike, expressway and I-95 are jammed. Take a day off during the week and leave early in the morning if possible. I've done this myself (driven) and it was very pleasant.


Renting a car would be most convenient and quicker, but there is a direct bus that departs from Greyhound Terminal -10th St/Filbert St and arrives at Rt-109 at Schellenger Landing. The buses run every four hours and operate every day. The bus trip takes about 3.5 hours. Since the trip takes so long, I'd stay overnight.

[cpomp]

New York is also a fun weekend getaway, especially in the fall months. 1.5 Hr Amtrak.

[Patmcpsu]

DC is fun for a 3 day weekend if you haven't been there before. If you've been there before, there isn't much reason to return. And after 3 days, there isn't much left to do.

New York never gets old, it just gets expensive.

Most of Atlantic City is trashy, but 3 days at the Borgata can be a lot of fun. But if you're staying there over the weekend, the Borgata gets expensive too (it's pretty affordable in the middle of the week though). That being said, it's the most accessible shore option for those who don't have a car. If you want to stay by the beach, the Hyatt is your best hotel, Caesars is your best ambiance, and the Tropicana is your best value. I would agree with others though that it would probably be worth renting a car to go to an actual "beach town".

Speaking of "mostly trashy but has a bright spot", Baltimore's Inner Harbor is an accessible jaunt. It's touristy, but there are decent options if you do your research. And Camden Yards is right there.

If you're renting a car though, your options expand to other places like the Brandywine Valley, New Hope, Hershey/Lancaster, The Poconos, State College and the Chesapeake Bay.

This is going to sound crazy, but Pittsburgh is actually a fun town that's accessible by train. There aren't many sights to see but, during the summer, there are some cool places (Southside, Station Square) to go eat/drink and watch a baseball game. It's almost a cheaper, lower-key version of Chicago. I wouldn't visit there outside of baseball season though.

[Wells5]

Originally Posted by Patmcpsu

This is going to sound crazy, but Pittsburgh is actually a fun town that's accessible by train. There aren't many sights to see but, during the summer, there are some cool places (Southside, Station Square) to go eat/drink and watch a baseball game. It's almost a cheaper, lower-key version of Chicago. I wouldn't visit there outside of baseball season though.

Pittsburgh has some of the finest museums in the USA if that's your thing.


https://carnegiemuseums.org/


Also an up and comer in the restaurant scene if that's also your thing.


//www.city-data.com/forum/pitts...staurants.html

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by Patmcpsu

DC is fun for a 3 day weekend if you haven't been there before. If you've been there before, there isn't much reason to return. And after 3 days, there isn't much left to do.

I've been to DC more than a few times and there are plenty of things that I haven't seen, visited, done.

[FrankInPhilly]

Originally Posted by Axl1156

I previously posted on this forum asking for neighborhood advice and you guys were very helpful. I visited Philly earlier this week and loved it so much that I have decided to move there this fall. I've narrowed it down to either Rittenhouse Square or Washington Square, but being able to afford the city will require me to sell my car. So my question is, where could I travel to on a 3-day weekend?

I have heard that you can get to NYC, Atlantic City, and DC rather easily but are there any other cool travel areas that are easily accessible by train or bus? I'm not the type of person to fly a plane sober and I'm just looking for a list of places I could go if I felt spontaneous.

You didn't state preferences so the list of destinations could be pretty long. Accessible by public transit, you have the usual suspects: NYC, DC (I'd include Newark/Ironbound as a day trip, also Harrisburg if you could time it so you could get a tour of the capital). But train and bus options are pretty limiting; I'd go by car - ZipCar or rental - and explore the Pine Barrens, Penn Dutch country, go north to Jim Thorpe/Lehigh River corridor (bring your bike along for the latter). My Google Map of places for day trips both done and yet-to-do has nearly 200 entries. Unless your preferences really skew urban, you should at least have car rental as an option.

[Maddie104]

Originally Posted by Axl1156

I previously posted on this forum asking for neighborhood advice and you guys were very helpful. I visited Philly earlier this week and loved it so much that I have decided to move there this fall. I've narrowed it down to either Rittenhouse Square or Washington Square, but being able to afford the city will require me to sell my car. So my question is, where could I travel to on a 3-day weekend?

I have heard that you can get to NYC, Atlantic City, and DC rather easily but are there any other cool travel areas that are easily accessible by train or bus? I'm not the type of person to fly a plane sober and I'm just looking for a list of places I could go if I felt spontaneous.

Boston is accessible via amtrak -- about 6 hours one way and doable for a three day weekend (discounted fares when booked two weeks in advance).