Quick question on Pennsylvania

[PrincessCKNY]

How far is Philadelphia International airport from Hershey, PA? I am ******ed and had my flight going there for my Penn State interview. How much would it cost me to travel by shuttle?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[SolidGold]

I think that Hershey is about 2 hours west of Philadelphia but I don't know what the cheapest form of transportation is going to be.

 

[CaNEM]

You should fly into Harrisburg, not Philly. Philly isn't exactly next door to Hershey, and there's not much as far as public transport going into Hershey. Perhaps you could find a bus to Harrisburg from Philly, then take a cab?

 

[SolidGold]

Originally posted by CaNEM
You should fly into Harrisburg, not Philly. Philly isn't exactly next door to Hershey, and there's not much as far as public transport going into Hershey. Perhaps you could find a bus to Harrisburg from Philly, then take a cab?

I think its already too late for that because she admitted she was "retarted" and booked a flight to Philly International instaed of Harrisburg. It might be hard to find public transportation from Philly to Hershey and a cab is going to cost you an arm and a leg. Is there any way you could change your flight plans PrincessCYNY?

 

[Katie]

you can take the Amtrak train from Philly's 30th St station directly to Harrisburg and from there take a cab to Hershey. Amtrak can be a little pricey, but no question flying into Harrisburg is usually even more ridiculously expensive. Best to ask someone else from CA though for more info, I drove <90 minutes to Hershey from my old home in Baltimore and know nothing about Philly Int'l Airport. Not that this is relevant, but to answer some possibly pre-emptive questions, yes, I interviewed at PSU when I applied, yes, I liked it, no I didn't get in ("hold" category), and I'm a former Maryland resident with average stats.

 

[X]

Yahoo (my old friend) tells me that its about 95 miles. I would say change your ticket, but you probably bought one of those cheap tickets online (which we have to we are all poor), so that probably isn't an option. My advice would be just rent a car. It will be so much less hassle to drive there than go by some other form of transportation and that will be worth the few dollars you might save going any other way. And a car shouldn't be too expensive and will allow you to go around the area too (what an added bonus ).

X

 

[Nefertari]

You can see if a "shuttle" flight from Phila to Hbg would be cheaper than train/bus. Even if a little more, it might save you some time. The train ride is fun, though (I confess, I used to live in God-forsaken harrisburg, PA!).

Katie's right--a direct flight there is much more expensive than transferring in phila.

 

[Jet915]

I would rent a car. At my interviews, I have rented a car just because I dont want to hassle with shuttles/taxis. The only downside now is probably the weather cause it might snow but since you are in a jam, I would just go for the car. For one day, if you are under 25, it will probably be about 50 - 60 bucks. Good luck.

Jetson

 

[Random Access]

Originally posted by Jet915
since you are in a jam, I would just go for the car. For one day, if you are under 25, it will probably be about 50 - 60 bucks. Good luck.

It can be cheaper than that too. I rented for around $30/day once (that was when I was 19 or so though). He forgot to charge me for being underage, which was 21 for that company (don't remember which one). So realistically, maybe more like $40 and up.

 

[PrincessCKNY]

hmm...I also forgot to mention that I am also "******ed" when it comes to directions and areas I am not familiar with. So, I am deathly afraid of renting a car or taking the public transportation system.

Maybe I should make my incoming flight to Harrisburg Airport (Penn State interview), and take a short shuttle flight from Harrisburg Airport to Philly Intl (JMC interview)?

Btw, thanks to all of you for your help and advice. I really appreciate it.

 

[Katie]

ok, I seem to remember that the packet I got with my interview said that a cab ride from the train station to Hershey would cost about $15-25, which to me does not sound awful. I don't know exactly what Amtrak prices are, but I have ridden Amtrak one way to Baltimore from Boston for <$70 (nope, no student discount!). I seriously doubt that an Amtrak train ride from Philly to Harrisburg (about 1/2 the distance) round trip is going to cost more than $200, unless you travel at an off time like the Thanksgiving Holiday. On the other hand, "puddle jumper" flights that make the <15 minute flight from Philly to H-burg are more than likely going to be at limited times since it's such a short distance, and they are probably not going to be cheap. Also, you will probably be flying in a very small plane, which is a little scary, especially if you get snow (yay, just a few more hours til starts falling in Boston, can't wait!). You are also right to be cautious about the possibility of renting a car; I would guess that rental companies will not only charge more b/c you are <25, but b/c you are female and are therefore thought to be more likely to get into an accident by insurance companies. Also, driving in the snow is not cool unless you have done it before and can handle it. If you do rent a car, I'd suggest splitting the rental with someone interviewing around the same time you are, or bringing a friend/bf/parent along to help navigate. Greyhound bus is not bad or horribly expensive either. Good luck!