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The teams at Greater Philadelphia’s hotels, restaurants, attractions and transportation agencies are getting prepped and excited to welcome visitors back for a fun and safe summer.
This season, look forward to an increased focus on cleanliness and social distancing at some of the region’s famous sights, hip restaurants, sleek hotels and more.
That means spreading out safely on Amtrak and Megabus; feeling the wind in your hair again on the Spirit of Philadelphia and toasting at Parks on Tap; setting up a homebase at one of the city’s great hotels and strolling through the historic cobblestoned streets; and enjoying a cocktail and dinner at one of dozens of restaurants and bars offering socially distant outdoor dining and drinking.
All those businesses are following guidelines set by organizations like the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Lodging Association, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the City of Philadelphia, which announced that masks would be required in many public spaces as of late June 2020. That includes our colleagues at the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, who are collaborating with their members on the PHL Health Pledge.
Read on for more on how Philly is getting ready to safely welcome you back.
Welcome back, visitors!
The teams behind Greater Philadelphia’s planes, trains and automobiles are ready to help residents and visitors get where they’re going — and do so safely.
Whether it’s visitors arriving at the Philadelphia International Airport or residents exploring the city via SEPTA, the region’s transportation providers have put into place new safety guidelines to help guests travel responsibly. That includes:
Amtrak
Amtrak — Photo courtesy Amtrak
Amtrak is limiting ticket sales, allowing for plenty of space for physical distancing. And don’t forget your mask — they’re required for all riders (and employees, too). The team at Amtrak has also ramped up the frequency and intensity of cleaning, and, for now, it’s cashless payments exclusively. Bonus: Amtrak is waiving change fees on all reservations booked through August 31, 2020.
Lyft, Taxis and Uber
Ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft are back with enhanced safety protocols that keep both riders and drivers safe. Following guidance from the city, those services and taxis have installed plastic barriers and will require riders to sit in the backseat.
Megabus
Hopping on a blue Megabus to visit the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love? Every rider will have an empty seat next to them thanks to the 50% capacity restriction. Additional policies include: face masks for employees and passengers, contactless ticketing and enhanced cleaning.
Philadelphia International Airport
— Photo courtesy the Philadelphia International Airport
Two of the most notable new features at the Philadelphia International Airport: motion sensor-activated technology in public areas, including doors, faucets, soap dispensers, flush valves, paper towel dispensers and doors, as well as the Grab app, a contactless food-ordering platform that enables guests to order food and bypass long lines without ever pulling out a credit card.
SEPTA
— Photo courtesy SEPTA
Back to its regular schedule (except for some lines on the Regional Rail), SEPTA is sanitizing each vehicle twice a day. Passenger limits have also been set so riders can spread out and stay physically distant.
Hotels — both those in Philly and in surrounding Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties — are taking proactive steps to ensure residents and visitors have a safe, fun stay at their properties in the coming months.
Those hotels — many of which are new or newly renovated — are following guidance from the city of Philadelphia as well as guidelines set by their brands and organizations like the American Hotel Lodging Association (which released these Stay Safe guidelines).
— Rendering courtesy Hilton
Additional steps being taken by hotels include:
Hilton — Photo courtesy Hilton
Cambria Hotel Philadelphia Downtown Center City — Photo by Visit Philadelphia
Bonus: Stay tuned for more hotels set to open this year in the region, including Philly’s first W and Element hotels; the luxurious new River House at Odette’s in New Hope; and a rustic-chic extended-stay property on the Schuylkill in the Residence Inn by Marriott Philadelphia/Bala Cynwyd.
Dining outdoors is back in Philadelphia and the Countryside — and indoor dining is available in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties.
As of June 2020, outdoor dining returned — with precautions to keep everyone safe — to restaurants, bars, breweries and more in the five-county region.
Restaurants and bars in Philadelphia and the Countryside are now allowed to seat and serve guests on their gorgeous patios, quaint sidewalks and new “streeteries” (i.e. the city’s term for parking spots converted into outdoor seating).
Morgan's Pier — Photo courtesy Morgan's Pier
Indoor dining is also back — at 50% capacity — at restaurants in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties. (And remember your mask, as they’re required for indoor dining.)
So how are restaurants and bars keeping residents and visitors safe?
Museums and attractions in the region are on a rolling reopening, with some open now and others prepping to welcome visitors later in the summer.
New safety precautions abound at the region’s stunning museums and attractions that are currently open or opening soon.
Pro tip: Plan your visit ahead of time, as many attractions require timed tickets or reservations.
Select outdoor attractions have already begun to welcome back excited guests with new safety measures in place:
Peddler's Village — Photo by Melina Triantos
Shofuso Japanese House & Garden — Photo by J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia
Plus, Greater Philadelphia’s bountiful outdoor spaces offer outstanding opportunities for responsible recreation.
Enjoy places like picnic-perfect Clark Park, the exercise-friendly Manayunk Towpath and massive Fairmount Park, which stretches from just behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art all the way to Northwest Philly.
Click the button below to learn more about how and where to get outside safely during Greater Philadelphia’s yellow phase.
Behind Fairmount Water Works — Photo by Visit Philadelphia
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