Getting here is easy, no matter what mode of transportation you choose.

By Car

Approximate travel times and distances, not counting possible traffic delays:

New York, NY: 3 hours, 160 miles.

Philadelphia, PA: 1 1/2 hours, 78 miles.

Harrisburg, PA: 50 minutes, 40 miles.

Baltimore, MD: 1 1/2 hours, 75 miles.

Washington, DC: 2 1/2 hours, 120 miles.

From the East, there are two common routes: via the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76) and Route 222, and by U.S. Route 30. Of the two, we prefer taking the Pennsylvania Turnpike to Exit 286 and then Route 222 South. It takes you directly to Route 30 and from there you can easily go into Lancaster city or continue a few miles east into the heart of the tourist area or elsewhere. The roads are four-lane limited-access all the way with few stop lights. However, a word of warning: Route 222 always seems to have construction projects in progress; they are usually few in number and cause only short delays.

The alternative to getting here on the PA Turnpike/222 route is to take Route 30. It goes all the way from near Philadelphia to Lancaster and beyond. However, from a point a little over twenty miles east of Lancaster city the road is only two lanes with heavy truck and car traffic and fairly frequent stop lights. Motels, shops, restaurants, and attractions dot the highway and can contribute to slow going. We suggest taking this route only if you are staying overnight in accommodations well east of the city or if that is where you plan to spend most of your time.

From the North, getting here by either Route 222 or Route 283 is fine, depending on whether you're coming from the northeast or the northwest. Both are four-lane limited-access and will take you to Route 30 or elsewhere.

From the West there is only one route, vie Route 30. It's four-lane limited-access from York to Lancaster.

From the South there are two ways of getting here: one recommended and one not. The recommended route is via I-83 to York's Exit 9 and then Route 30 East. It's all four-lane and except Route 30 immediately after you get on at York, it's limited-access. The not recommended alternative is to take I-95 followed by Routes 272 and 222 to Lancaster. If you want a pretty drive in the country it's fine, but it isn't fast, has few places to pass slow moving vehicles, and it can be tricky driving.

ROAD CONDITIONS: You can check out Pennsylvania's road conditions - accidents, construction, and weather related - on a web site called 511PA - Travel Info To Go. It's at 511PA - Travel Info To Go

CAUTION.Wherever you drive in the county, but particularly in the eastern and southeastern portions, be on the watch for Amish buggies. They are slow moving and can be difficult to see, especially at night - despite the flashing lights, reflective tape, and red danger triangle they display. In addition, the horses can be skittish no matter how well trained they are. When you encounter one give them plenty of room when passing, keep your headlights on low beam, and at most use your horn to give only one toot. I remember several years ago coming up on a wagon driven by a teen and pulled by four horses in tandem. Just as I started to pass the teen decided to turn left across the road and into a farm. Something spooked the the horses and the whole team suddenly reared up and panicked. They wove back and forth across the road, terrified, until they were finally brought under control in a field on the right side of the road. Scary! Please be careful.

Getting here by bus, train, or plane

By Bus: Greyhound Bus runs services between Lancaster and many other locations. The bus station is located at the train station on the northern side of Lancaster city, about a mile south of Route 30.The schedule and other information is available at Greyhound Bus

By Plane: If you plan to get here, the general area that is, by plane, you have a choice of four airports for your terminus - Harrisburg (MDT), Baltimore (BWI), Philadelphia (PHL), and Lancaster (LNS).

Harrisburg. It's a mid-size airport with a relatively new terminal, the employees are friendly, and it's very convenient. It's also the closest to Lancaster, being only about 30 miles to the northwest (40 minutes) by car. Being smaller it doesn't service all the airlines, and prices tend to be a little higher, but the other factors make it our clear first choice and we suggest trying them first.

Our second choice is Baltimore, even though it's a bit farther than Philadelphia. It serves most of the airlines, is laid out well, and - for an airport - has reasonably priced parking and restaurants. We use it when we can't find the flights we want out of Harrisburg.

Philadelphia is a fine airport, but we find it inconvenient to get around. Like all large city airports it is expensive and not particularly friendly. It does offer service by most of the major airlines. We use it only when all else fails.

Unfortunately, you can pretty much forget Lancaster's airport; it's a small airport for private planes, air charters, and air taxis. It does, however have limited service to BWI on Cape Air.

Getting Around Locally

Rental Cars: If you need a rental car it's your choice, we have no favorite. Avis, Hertz, and Enterprise all have multiple offices in the area.

Need a Taxi? The yellow pages list several taxi companies in the county, but on the few occasions our friends need one they mostly call Friendly Transportation. Why not, it's a long established company with a good reputation. You can call them at 717-397-4246 or use the Friendly Transportation site.

Bus Service? We have that too and it serves the whole county. You can find route information and schedules at locations all over, or you can call them at 717-397-4246. Or, you can visit them on line at Red Rose Transit Authority.

Click to return to Home from Getting Here