Northeast college tour planning questions

Parent Cafe
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<p>I need a little logistical help from those familiar with the Philadelphia area.</p>

<p>DD, DW, and I plan on visiting UPenn, Haverford, Lafayette, and Vassar next week, and would also like to visit DS at Princeton. </p>

<p>If this seems like a strange group of colleges, the common denominator is they all have NCAA fencing programs.</p>

<p>We fly into PHL Tuesday night, out of PHL Saturday late afternoon.</p>

<p>First thought was to rent a car at the airport, get a hotel in downtown Philadelphia 1st night, Wednesday visit Haverford and Penn, drive to Princeton Wednesday night to see DS, drive to Easton Thursday morning to see Lafayette, then drive to Vassar for a Friday visit, then drive back to PHL.</p>

<p>A friend who knows something of the area tells me the trip to Poughkeepsie is better by train than car, so we’re now thinking we should forget the car and do trains as much as possible, ie. SEPTA from PHL to downtown Philadelphia on Tuesday night, SEPTA to/from Haverford, visit Penn, and Amtrak to Poughkeepsie all on Wednesday, then Amtrak maybe to Newark where we could rent a car to drive to Easton to visit Lafayette, then return the car in Newark and train the rest of the way or do a one way rental and drop the car at PHL.</p>

<p>I love train travel and I don’t mind driving. I like the idea of having a car for flexibility and luggage storage.</p>

<p>I am unfamiliar with all of these environs and would greatly appreciate any advice.</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

<p>Edit: I meant to post this in the parents forum; I’ve re-posted there, Sorry.</p>

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<p>The drive up to Poughkeepsie from Philly isn’t bad. You just zip up the NJ Turnpike and hop on the Garden State Parkway to the NY Turnpike, cross over the Hudson on I-84. I mean, sure, could you get stuck in traffic on a Friday afternoon rush hour or if there’s a big wreck? Sure. But, nine times out of ten I’ve done that drive, it’s been fine.</p>

<p>The train from Philly to Poughkeepsie is a fairly long slog. You have to go into NYC and then out to Poughkeepsie and the train doesn’t take you right to Vassar.</p>

<p>Where you might not want the car is getting around Philly. Haverford to downtown to Penn can all be done on the trains, conveniently.</p>

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<p>Are you visiting Penn State as well when you are on Pennsylvania? I understand they have one of the best programs in the country.</p>