Philadelphia: Travel guide, prices and free housing · 2026

VBValeryia BrazdetskayaDec 9, 2019Read

What can I say about Philadelphia? According to the internet, Philadelphia is the 5th largest city in America, with about 6 million people living in the city and its suburbs. It is also one of the oldest cities in the USA, so there are plenty of monuments and historical sites here. For example, the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were signed here, which the residents are very proud of. The western part of the city is called Old City, where it all began. Here you will find many old monuments, historical buildings, and cozy cafes. This area is home to the famous Independence Hall (where the first US Constitution was signed). The central part of the city impressed me, of course, with its skyscrapers. Before this, I had only seen skyscrapers in Moscow City, and I can't wait for my trip to New York. By the way, the photo shows not just a fountain, but a real geyser located right in the city center. In my opinion, the most beautiful area is the Art Museum. This is the famous museum that Rocky Balboa ran to. It offers a wonderful view of the city center. All tourists stand with their hands raised on the rocky steps to take the famous photo. Unfortunately, we were in Philadelphia for less than a day, but we managed to visit the main attractions of the city such as: Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, walk through Love Park, find the Belarusian flag on the Avenue of Flags, and enjoy the beautiful view next to the art gallery.

KBKatsiaryna BohushNov 29, 2015Read

The next stop was a trip to the American capital – Washington, D.C. This city struck me, first and foremost, with its architecture. In my memory, the American capital will remain a city-museum. At every turn, there are majestic buildings with columns, all kinds of architectural museums, the National Gallery of Art and Sciences, the Newseum, the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of the American Indian and American History, the National Museum of African Art, the Postal Museum, and many others. If you compare Washington and New York, in my opinion, they are two completely different cities, not at all like each other. Washington has a more aristocratic, measured beauty. Streets cleaned to a shine, parks with perfectly manicured lawns – it's a perfectionist's paradise. We managed to see a lot, but the Capitol – the main strategic target for alien invasions in every movie – was, unfortunately, under renovation, so we couldn't fully enjoy the grace of its famous dome. However, we were lucky enough to visit the memorial park, walk through almost all the museums, and just soak up the atmosphere of American capital life. Next was a spontaneous and grand trip to an American football game at Metlife Stadium near New York, to see the New York Jets vs. Philadelphia Eagles match. I had dreamed of attending an American football game for a very long time, and finally, I managed to make my dream come true. The emotions were so overwhelming that I was jumping for joy like crazy, happy about everything happening. It was truly just like in the movies!

SRSergei RubanNov 14, 2015Read

Having seen everything we needed in Washington, we didn't think twice before heading to our next destination, Philadelphia. So, the city is Philadelphia, the weather is always sunny. Philadelphia became our shopping hub. The thing is, we accidentally stumbled upon a store selling brand-name items at a very low price. And there were a lot of items. A lot. And it turned out that we spent half our time in Philadelphia looking at shirts, jackets, and ties. (Shut up and take my money). Getting hungry, we rushed to find a place to satisfy our hunger. And we found one. The point of this cafe was that every slice of pizza was sold for a dollar. But the main highlight was that absolutely all the walls were covered with stickers on which different thoughts from different visitors were written. We found it very atmospheric and at least original. We didn't stay on the sidelines and left a reminder of ourselves. In Philadelphia, we didn't manage to see the sights at all. And it wasn't our fault, it was the 'Made in America' festival that coincided with our stay, because of which the entire city center was closed. But we weren't upset, because we were full, and in our bag lay brand-name items for which we would have had to pay an indecent amount of money in Russia. The next day we had to set off for New York. And at that moment, I probably hated the units of measurement and time format in the USA for the first time all summer. For those who don't know, America uses completely different, logically unjustified units of measurement. Also, they use a 12-hour time format. And so, instead of buying a ticket for 9 a.m., I buy a ticket for 9 p.m. And that means we spend another day in Philadelphia; a condition that did not suit us at all. And we had to buy another ticket and set off from where we started. (Comeback) So, the city is New York, the mood is downcast. Arriving in New York, I realized that there were only two days left before we returned to Russia, and this thought did not leave me until the very flight. First of all, we went to where we could soak up the Russian spirit – Brighton Beach. We were primarily interested in what kind of place it was and if everything there was really so Russian? It turned out that yes, but there is one problem. Russia in Brighton is the Russia of the 90s. Little Russia seemed very sad, dull, and uninteresting to us. People looked unhappy, young people were almost absent. Looking at all this, I wanted to return to America, and we did just that. We spent the second day in New York walking along Broadway. It felt like you had only arrived here yesterday and walked through these same places, but in reality, it was a distant three months ago. And each time it became more joyful for me to remember all those places that we had passed in New York. Maybe that is the magical power of this city – the more you think about it, the more you love it. At the very beginning, I said that New York disappointed. No, after all, New York charmed. And how does it manage to do that? The trip came to an end, and the captain of the New York – Moscow flight greeted us and wished us a pleasant flight. The same was done later by the captain of the Moscow – Tyumen plane. So, the city is Tyumen, the feeling is Well, that's it...

BSBulat ShaydullinFeb 1, 2015Read

From the very beginning, this city was just a stopover between Washington and Boston. Honestly, I didn't want to come here (and I still think I should have stayed in Washington for one more day to see all the museums), but I had already missed the morning bus, and no one had canceled the Philadelphia-Boston ticket, so I had to go by car with David. Tip: If you are traveling by car, be careful! Missing the right turn on the highway means losing about an hour of time to turn back and try again. Studying the map and swearing with every word we knew, we tried to bypass the Tolls (these are points on the roads where you have to pay to continue). We arrived in the city at 5:30 PM (of course, all the museums closed at 5). There are exactly 2 things to see in Philadelphia: the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Well, okay, the LOVE statue too. We saw the bell, but the Hall only from the outside; there was some construction work inside, and they weren't letting anyone in. Since we ended up in this city, I thought, we have to try a Philly cheesesteak. How much time do you think it takes for 2 more or less adult people to find a Philly cheesesteak in Philadelphia? The correct answer is 1 hour and 20 minutes) Just as we finished eating, a downpour started, and we decided to head back to the car. And suddenly, without any warning, 1,700 completely naked people on bicycles decided to ride through the main streets of the city! Such is life. It made no sense to look for accommodation for one night, so we slept in a beautiful parking lot. A very unusual experience) Philadelphia is the city where the famous movie "Rocky Balboa" was filmed. David used to box, it's his favorite movie, so we went to those very steps that Rocky climbed, from which there is a stunning view of the city. After eating some junk food, we reached the bus station and said goodbye. I didn't expect this from the city, but it was fun) Boston was ahead.

ISIuliia ShamsutdinovaFeb 1, 2015Read

On days when I only had half a day off, my friends and I usually went to the beach or attended events for tourists like the Air Show, Miss America, etc. But things could have been much more interesting if I had turned 21, as I could have visited all the city's most famous casinos, but at that time I was only 20. Since I was working two jobs, it was very hard to coordinate a travel schedule, so as soon as we had overlapping days off, my friends and I would try to leave somewhere immediately—either to nearby Ocean City, New York, or Philadelphia. The latter will forever remain in my heart; there are so many museums in that city where you can walk endlessly, admiring the canvases of famous artists—the Art Museum alone is worth it! Despite the skyscrapers and the endless flow of traffic, the atmosphere in the city is calm; people on the streets play giant chess and checkers, moving the pieces with their whole bodies. There are also many universities and historical monuments in the city. By mid-August, I started slacking off and quit my second job to travel and sunbathe more. It so happened that a friend of mine had acquaintances living and working in Connecticut, and she suggested I go there for a couple of days. Of course, I agreed, especially since I always enjoyed planning routes. We decided to go through New York by train, so we had to get to Grand Central. Fortunately, it's located a few blocks from the bus station, and we found it quickly (IF YOU ARE AT GRAND CENTRAL, BE SURE TO LOOK AT THE CEILING; IT DEPICTS A STARRY SKY WITH ZODIAC SIGNS). Upon reaching the town of Clinton, I was a bit disappointed; it seemed very boring to me, and the water was colder because the state was further north. After returning and working for about another week, we planned a trip with friends to NIAGARA FALLS. The tour was organized by a Russian guy in a minivan. It took us about 8 hours to get there, but we couldn't really sleep the whole time because it was very cramped. And so we arrived, paid for admission—it's worth noting that the admission fee also includes free access to the museum, the aquarium, and most importantly, YOU CAN RIDE THE FERRY!!!! As soon as we saw that beautiful view of Canada and Niagara Falls, all our fatigue drowned in the Mariana Trench!!! My vocabulary isn't enough to describe all the feelings of delight we experienced there! True, there were some funny moments; for example, there are a lot of Canadian flags in that place, and at some point, there are so many that my friend declares: "We crossed the border into Canada, we're going to get arrested now and have huge problems." I try to calm her down in every way: "Canada is in the other direction, you can't just take and cross the border like that," but she doesn't calm down. As luck would have it, we got a little lost, and there was no one around. Finally, having miraculously gotten out of there, to calm my friend down, I ask a police officer: "Where is the border with Canada?" to which he replies: "It's on the bridge, and you still have to go through passport control before that." At that moment, I turn to my friend and ask with a touch of sarcasm: "Well? Did you visit Canada? Now you won't even have anything to brag about!" My work permit was expiring, and there were 1.5 weeks left until my flight, so I decided to visit my parents' friends and spend the remaining time with them. They lived near Washington, so we agreed to meet in Washington and walk around the local attractions on the National Mall and, of course, see the White House! Of course, it's impossible to walk around everything in one day; we didn't go into the museums (for the record, they are very interesting, and most of them are free), and it just so happened that vandals had spray-painted the Lincoln Memorial the day before, so in all the photos, there are workers cleaning it... So, I spent the next 1.5 weeks relaxing in a small town where the only entertainment was shopping. There were a lot of outlet

YTYauheni TuravetsDec 15, 2017Read

My trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where I spent over 10 days, turned out to be unforgettable. Some say that the history of the USA begins right in Philadelphia. The city center is proof of that. Beautiful architecture, the central library, the home of the well-known Benjamin Franklin, a business district with skyscrapers—you'll find all this in the huge yet cozy Philly. And of course, I couldn't go without hockey. Seeing an NHL game with my own eyes was a long-held dream of mine! An amazing match where the Philadelphia Flyers won in overtime against the New York Rangers with a score of 5-4! It was there that I learned that any sporting event for Americans is a kind of small celebration. It's funny that at the game they were drinking beer and eating their favorite burgers. You wouldn't see that back home. Just as you wouldn't see people lying calmly right on the asphalt, lawn, or bench, with Americans just walking by as if nothing were happening. It feels like this is the norm in America. Honestly, it's a wild and slightly shocking sight. Having a great time watching a hockey game City center Cozy Philly

ЭБЭмиль БурковDec 15, 2017Read

Before heading West, we had a few days to spend as we pleased. We decided not to stay in New York, and in a couple of moments, we booked a bus tour. The tour route was as follows: Philadelphia – Washington D.C. – Niagara Falls. Along the way, we also stopped at Watkins Glen State Park, a glass museum, and visited the Canadian border. Initially, everything went off-plan. The bus from Cape Cod to New York turned out to be a completely different one and arrived at the wrong place. Instead, we ended up in a neighboring state. We had a couple of hours before the bus departure, and we were in the middle of nowhere, having absolutely no idea what to do. It was very early in the morning, and there was no one to ask. Google suggested we were near some subway station. We didn't know what kind of subway it was or where it went. We decided to just go there and ask the station staff. EZ ride Fortunately, we could catch a train directly to Brooklyn from there, and from there, we could somehow get to our bus. After figuring out the directions, we boarded the train and headed to New York. By the time we reached Brooklyn, we realized what a mess we were in. Time was tight, and we were already missing our tour. We had to call and text our guide: "Sorry, we'll be a little late, please wait for us." When we boarded the next train directly to the bus station, the guide started calling and texting incessantly. Eventually, when we reached the departure point, the bus was already gone. And again, we were incredibly lucky. My travel companion managed to find a Chinese bus a couple of meters away that was heading to Philadelphia. This was our chance! Paying about 12 bucks, we jumped on the bus and texted the guide that we would catch up with them there. We did manage to catch up with them, and by running from one bus to another, we saved the situation. We didn't really get to see Philadelphia, as they were already preparing to move on by the time we arrived. But the rest of the tour went without incident. Philadelphia: hello, goodbye I really liked the capital of the USA. Everything was perfectly clean and well-maintained, the buildings stood out for their architecture, and we saw FBI cars on the streets :) This time without delays, be more careful in the future I would have liked to stay in Washington longer. Despite the fact that we managed to see the White House, the "Pencil" (Washington Monument), the Pentagon, and the Lincoln Memorial, it wasn't enough for me. My soul craved adventure and exploration. I need to return someday and finish what I started. The Pencil looked even better from afar than up close Old man Lincoln Our next stop was Niagara Falls. The views from above were breathtaking. This waterfall is truly beautiful! It's worth seeing in real life; photos can't convey the experience. By the way, at night, the lighting turns on, and it looks completely different! Day view. I won't spoil the night one :) The tour also included a short film about the history of Niagara Falls (quite interesting), and we also took a boat ride right up to it. I don't know how my phone didn't get swept away by the water, but we were soaked to the bone. Even the raincoat given to everyone at the entrance didn't help. So, for decent photos from below, bring waterproof protection for your camera. Despite the fact that the tour was quite short, it was nice to feel the atmosphere of an endless road trip. You could turn on music, sit and look out the window, reflecting on the diversity of places in America. Not far from Niagara Watkins Glen State Park After the tour, we returned to New York happy, and the next day we headed to the airport. After arriving, we were supposed to pick up a rental car, meet some girls from our group, and set off to conquer the West Coast.

NONatalia OshaninaDec 14, 2017Read

Everyone has a different attitude toward this part of the program. Some stick to New York, some go on a cruise to the Bahamas, and some buy an all-inclusive student tour. We planned to cover as much as possible on our own (since we made it to America, we had to explore), while spending as little money as possible. For those who crave the same, I can advise only one thing: plan everything in advance. Domestic flights in the States are quite cheap, often have discounts, and you can find an airport even in a small town. Car rental companies and intercity buses also help out. But you have to remember that the main mode of transport in the USA is a personal car, and getting out of some cities can be very difficult. Think about this when choosing a place to work. And of course, travel in a group: it not only saves your budget but also adds fun to the trip. Initially, we agreed with our employer that we would finish work on September 5th (Labor Day fell on the 4th that year; it is considered the last day of the resort season, bringing in a lot of money and requiring many hands). But our return tickets were bought for September 16th, and eleven days were clearly not enough for all our grand plans... So, first, we took a few trips in the middle of summer, and second, we quit a week early. Our first serious trip was to Niagara Falls at the beginning of August. No organized tours, just us! Five people managed to take two days off at the same time, find incredible accommodation for one night (I'll tell you about that later), rent a car in a neighboring town, and cover eight hours of driving one way. There were two drivers in our group – me and Sonya. This gave us the opportunity to switch as needed: I drove for four hours, she drove for four. By the way, you don't need anything other than a Russian driver's license in the States, and if you have one, definitely try getting behind the wheel in the USA. It's an incomparable feeling – highways across the entire country where cars pass you if you drive slower than 130 km/h. Perfect asphalt, incredible landscapes, infrastructure designed to make travel as comfortable as possible... US roads will leave no one indifferent But back to Niagara. For accommodation, we chose... a real American trailer! Yes, you can find things like that on Airbnb. Its owners decided to start the business quite recently, and we were only the third guests. Yes, right on a private plot, next to the house, yes, with all the amenities! At night, we roasted marshmallows and sausages over a fire, sang songs with a guitar, and slept as soundly and carefree as we never did during workdays. It is in such trailers that Americans travel with their families The delight of checking in was replaced by the delight of the waterfall. One of our friends refused to go, saying: “eight hours of driving just to stand and look at a waterfall?” – and she was very wrong. Domestic tourism is developed in America like, perhaps, nowhere else in the world. And if you have arrived at Niagara Falls, you will definitely find something to do. Immediately after checking in, we rushed to Niagara: we arrived literally a minute before the departure of the last Maid of the Mist – the boat that sails right to the foot of the waterfalls. Luckily, it was almost empty. His Majesty Niagara Falls. The skyscrapers on the horizon are already Canada In the evening, the waterfall lights up with all the colors of the rainbow, and thunder from fireworks rings in the sky – no matter what summer day you arrive. In the morning, it is better to go to the next “attraction” – Cave of the Winds. In fact, there hasn't been a cave there for a long time, but there is a century-old elevator right in the rock and wooden ramps that allow you to walk right under the icy streams of the waterfall. Believe me – it's worth it. Raincoats and special flip-flops are included in the ticket price – but you don't think that saves you from the water, do you? Our trip was definitely a success