Hey, I wanted to check if the cheapest option (without a car) to get from baltimore to philadelphia is AmTrak at Penn Station? (With the condition of needing to book early. The ticket price seems to be $20.)

And would you recommend booking online?

Comments

Murph1908 t1_j1xg83d wrote on December 28, 2022 at 2:52 AM

You might be able to find cheaper busses, but Amtrak is fast, reliable, and not sketchy.

I used to go to Philly once or twice a month for work.

NewrytStarcommander t1_j1xekj6 wrote on December 28, 2022 at 2:39 AM

Peter Pan is as low as $8 if you buy ahead. Greyhound is more but can be less than Amtrak- both leave from near Downtown (not like Megabus that doesn't really serve Baltimore but claims to). But for my money I'd take Amtrak.

notm27 t1_j1xr5r1 wrote on December 28, 2022 at 4:23 AM

definitely Amtrak! not sure if its the cheapest compared to bus prices, but I've done it over ten times to Philly! I book with their app! When I book early it's always super cheap but honestly when I head to Philly or NYC I take the 6 AM train and it's always super cheap haha. Never had a problem, just sleep on the train! Being from Dallas, I'm always super impressed and thankful for this kind of public transportation/infrastructure.

KierkeBored t1_j1yhxtm wrote on December 28, 2022 at 9:36 AM

(Technically speaking, walking is cheapest, but I wouldn’t recommend it…😅)

KingBooRadley t1_j1zc5fo wrote on December 28, 2022 at 3:03 PM

Look at Mr. Fancy Pants over here with his shoe leather budget. I prefer to wait for plate tectonic shifts to get me from place to place. Slower than walking but the price is right.

Bebinn t1_j1ygw98 wrote on December 28, 2022 at 9:21 AM

Train will be a lot more comfortable. Busses are cheaper sometimes but way too crowded.

No-Lunch4249 t1_j2168mm wrote on December 28, 2022 at 10:26 PM

Absolute cheapest: bus

Amtrak Northeast Regional is well worth the extra $10-15 over the bus ticket though, in terms of both speed and reliability.

mobtownie11 t1_j217xxk wrote on December 28, 2022 at 10:38 PM

MARC to Perryville > Cecil Transit to Newark > SEPTA to Philly

timmyintransit t1_j21q1kc wrote on December 29, 2022 at 12:46 AM

As everyone else is saying: if you can stomach the cost, go with Amtrak. It's literally one hour door to door. A bus is half the cost but twice as long

Dp530 t1_j21nm1p wrote on December 29, 2022 at 12:29 AM

Megabus

CaptainObvious110 t1_j234b17 wrote on December 29, 2022 at 8:21 AM

Flix bus is an option as well. $15.99 Not sure how convenient this option is to your destination but at least it's something.

I've used it to go to DC from Baltimore and vice versa but never anywhere else. I do know that lots of people use it to go from NYC to DC and back and that's definitely a lot longer than from Baltimore and Philadelphia.

Beneficial_Truth4351 t1_j251hou wrote on December 29, 2022 at 6:38 PM

Amtrak never checks tickets anyway.