Use the CTRL + F function to search this page for any place you might want to visit, or go to the main transportation pages linked on this page to search their sites for anything I might have missed.
Transportation Methods
Bike
The award-winning (Best Pedal Power, South Jersey Magazine, 2013) Collingswood Bike Share has been operating successfully since 2008. As you might expect, it's run by an intergenerational band of maverick volunteers. Wheels and deals are made, but the basic rules are these: any Collingswood (or nearby) resident can rent a bike for $25/year, which includes repairs and replacement parts for no extra charge. Kids' bikes are free. The Share does not sell bikes or make it a priority to fix non-Bike Share bikes, but if you have your own bike you can use their tools/pumps, buy inner tubes or whatever replacement parts you need from a local hardware or bike store (Freeride in Haddonfield is one), and ask Share volunteers for help/advice fixing it.The rental bikes are not the uniform black and silver dealios you'll find in Philly. Each is unique, and there's a selection to choose from (mountain bikes, road bikes; coaster brakes and multi-speeds; vintage and newish). Most are fixed up from donated bikes and lovingly named when appropriate.
The Share is open when the volunteers can stand to be outside. Some online sources say it operates parallel to the Farmers' Market, but the Share typically opens earlier, around March when it starts getting warm enough. Like the Market, it closes around Thanksgiving. It's found along the speedline, a little bit west of the Collingswood station, in a green-painted garage. Hours are from 10 AM - 12 PM on Saturday and 6 PM - 8 PM on Tuesday. On the off hours, you can use a bike repair stand located at the garage, or comment on the Collingswood Bike Share Facebook Page, where someone will usually volunteer to meet up and help.
Here's a more official Bike Share page, though some information is stale.
Car
Collingswood is one of the only (if not the only) South Jersey towns to participate in the Zipcar car sharing program. I don't drive, so I can't say much about it other than it exists. Check out their website for more details.We have parking meters in Collingswood, so plan your trip accordingly. You can sometimes find free parking at the speedline, but that's an every-man-for-himself situation.
Bus
The New Jersey Transit 450 bus from the Cherry Hill Mall to Camden and the 451 bus from the Voorhees Town Center to Camden both stop in Collingswood. The 450 schedule on their website omits the Collingswood stop, but it's there. Look for the bus stop signs along Haddon Avenue, and use Google Maps or the NJ Transit Schedules to plan your trip.NJ Transit Website
Train
The PATCO train's convenience is one of the reasons I moved to the area. It runs frequently all day and night long and can get you to Philadelphia in 10 to 15 minutes, also it offers connections/easy access to other trains/buses that can take you anywhere you want to go (except Presidential Lakes, NJ). The Collingswood station is close to the main street action. The Ferry Avenue station in Camden is closer to certain parts of Collingswood such as the vet. There have been a couple violent incidents at the Ferry Avenue station, including one murder/car theft that occurred after midnight about 10 years ago. The station is safe during the day, though, and close to a hospital. That means many nurses and doctors get on and off there.PATCO Website
Plane
See the destination section below for information on accessing the Philadelphia Airport from Collingswood.DESTINATIONS (in rough order of closeness)
Westmont and Haddonfield, our neighboring small towns
Citizens of our small town Philly burb trifecta might talk smack about neighboring towns, but Westmont and Haddonfield are nice to walk around and similar to Collingswood in that way. Haddonfield has a quiet and peaceful public library I especially enjoy, a Quaker meeting and a main street of cafes, restaurants, small businesses and the best antique stores of the three towns. It's hard to tell where Westmont begins and ends, but they have a seafood store called Sea-Lect which I frequent, a trading card store, a laid-back cafe (Espressit) and other mom and pop restaurants and hobby shops. Both are easy to bike to and even accessible by foot from Collingswood, but if you prefer not to work so hard the PATCO stops in both towns. Take the Lindenwold line.Cherry Hill
Cherry Hill has a big fancy mall with lots of upscale clothing choices. They used to have more fun stores like a comic book shop and toy store, but it's mostly clothes now. The DMV is also located in Cherry Hill. You can get there via the New Jersey Transit 450 route, which stops on Haddon Avenue even though the stop isn't listed on their schedule. I've been on that bus, so I know it stops in Collingswood, and Google Maps backs me up.Camden
So you want to visit Camden. The PATCO has easy access to the Camden Waterfront, Rutgers, Adventure Aquarium and more. See the "Joy Rides" section of their website for information on how to get to various Camden hot spots using their system.Philadelphia
Philly is a 10-15 minute ride via PATCO, which stops in Center City Philadelphia where you'll find much of the theater, museum and restaurant action. You can easily walk to South Street from any of the stops. The end of the line is 15th/16th Locust, but if you want to go further into Philly, say to the University of Pennsylvania or 30th Street Station (the Amtrak station) or the Airport, stop at 8th and Market. That stop is inside the Gallery Mall, and you can walk to the other side of the Gallery Mall to get to the Market East SEPTA station, which has access to various universities, the Amtrak station and the airport. You may have to walk outside and find another entrance when the mall is closed, but there are signs and you'll figure it out eventually. SEPTA doesn't run as frequently as PATCO, so check Google Maps to plan your trip and give yourself plenty of time so you don't miss your flight thanks to a late or missed train.The Philadelphia Greyhound Station is on Filbert Street, right around the corner from the PATCO 8th and Market stop. It's a separate building.
Atlantic City
To get to Atlantic City, take the PATCO to Lindenwold and then take the Atlantic City Rail Line to Atlantic City. Pretty easy stuff! The rail line is in the same building as the PATCO stop. As nice as they are, rail line trains are infrequent and DO NOT run all night long, so check their website schedule or Google Maps to plan your trip.New York City
If you play your cards right, you can get from Collingswood to New York City in about two hours for about $15. Take the PATCO to 8th and Market, then make a choice: the Greyhound or the Chinatown bus. Both are just around the corner. I've done the much cheaper Chinatown bus, which is $10 to $12 depending on whether you buy a round or single trip. Few know and/or brave the Chinatown bus, and there's little information about it online. It variously calls itself Apex Bus, Happy Bus, or any number of other such names. Just walk down Arch Street and you'll see it. I used their service and rode with only three other people on the entire bus. If you take the Greyhound you'll probably have to sit next to someone. The Chinatown bus doesn't run very late, though, so plan your trip carefully or those savings will be wasted when you're forced to dish out $500 for a NYC hotel stay.Chinatown bus Yelp!
(Last updated 08/12/13)
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