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Brunt-FCA-285 t1_j9n4fig wrote

So, you’re correct that you can buy a ticket into Center City AFTER getting on the train in Paoli and getting off the train in Center City. According to the Regional Rail fare section on SEPTA’s website, your options are as follows:

> SEPTA accepts cash for travel on any Regional Rail line. Exact fare is not required. The conductor can make change, but bills larger than $20 are not accepted. The cost of the trip is higher when paying cash on board.

> Customers may purchase a Quick Trip ticket from a Center City Regional Rail station. The ticket is good for a single one-way ride from Center City to any outlying station and must be used on the date of purchase.

> Customers arriving in Center City without having provided a fare onboard must purchase an Exit Quick Trip at an Exit Fare Kiosk and must be used within two hours of purchase.

If your visit to Philadelphia is a one-time thing, I recommend the Exit Quick Trip option for entering the city on Saturday and the regular Quick Trip for leaving the city on Sunday. If you plan on returning here in the future, or even if you plan on moving about town, I’d recommend that you invest in a SEPTA Key card. It’s cheaper than paying cash on the train, and you can just put money on the card and use it for whatever mode of transportation you need to use. It is definitely a pain to not be able to buy the Key card at a Regional Rail stop, but the sales kiosk at the King of Prussia transfer center by the mall isn’t too far from Paoli.

I hope you enjoy your visit here.

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TheOperaGhostofKinja OP t1_j9n60fz wrote

Thanks a lot! This is only a quick trip (no pun intended) for a theater show Saturday night, with a small bit of walking around Sunday morning so I was figuring the QuickTrip/paying cash would be the best option. And your explanation matched what I was reading.

I guess I still don’t quite understand how the exit Quick Trip system is regulated. Couldn’t people just lie about what zone they started in and pay the lower fare?

And I do want to come back at some point in the future. Other than grade school field trips to the Liberty Bell and Franklin Institute, (and driving through on the way to the shore) I’ve never gotten to explore Philly.

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PatientNice t1_j9ojhic wrote

If your mother is old enough to qualify, she can get a SEPTA Senior Key card. She wouldn’t have to pay anything.

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