Originally Posted by pappyvanmorgan
just thought I'd ask if anyone has done this before?
A few forum-goers went in the opposite direction, on the way to Boston. I believe they did Philly-->NYC in one day, but that's a long ride. Here's their blog of the trip, including all of the juicy details:
http://bangboston.blogspot.com/
Originally Posted by pappyvanmorgan
I also heard the Ben Franklin Bridge path closes at 7 pm. I'm thinking i'll probably be getting there at about this time of day, any alternatives over the river other than the Patco, just in case i don't make it?
They aren't incredibly consistent about the closing time; they say 7pm, but it's more like 7pm-ish (sometimes earlier, sometimes later). Patco is great and it's bike friendly. You can pick it up at the Broadway station in Camden. It's not the best area to be after dark, but it's not the worst place in Camden. I worked in Camden for two years or so and I commuted by bike/train and never had a problem. I believe it's $1.15 to get from Camden to Philly; the change/ticket machines in Camden are often broken, so be sure to have exact change (the ticket machines don't take bills).
When are you going? If I'm free, and you're in a pinch, I have a car with a bike rack and would be happy to give you a ride over the bridge. PM me if you're interested and we can trade contact info.
Worst case you can call a cab, but cabs in Philly usually have a flat rate of $20 if you want to throw a bike in the back, even if it's a short ride.
Are you going to have GPS? It's a life saver. A friend of mine and I recently rode from Philly-->Virginia; you can find some of our tips
here.
Any plans while you're in town? There's something bike-related almost every night of the week. Let me or any other Philly people know if you need some ideas and/or want a tour.