Washington, DC vs Philadelphia for Business Travel

Which is the easier business trip — Washington, DC or Philadelphia? Airports, getting around, and what’s actually there, compared.

Two very different business-travel cities. Here is the honest side-by-side, the airports, whether you can skip the rental, and how much is actually headquartered there.

Which is easier to get around?

Washington. National on Metro, Terminal 2 connected directly and Terminal 1 by shuttle bus; Dulles on the Silver Line at $6.75 to Metro Center through a 600-foot tunnel. Fares $2.25 to $6.75 on weekdays.

Philadelphia. SEPTA’s Airport Line calls at four terminal stations every 30 minutes from 5 a.m. to midnight, every day. Buy before boarding: $8.75 advance, $11.00 on board. And note the two roadways — ride apps are on S. Commercial Road behind baggage claim, not the arrivals curb where the buses are.

So which is the better business trip?

Philadelphia, for a single downtown meeting. Four station stops across the terminals and a train every half hour is about as little as an airport transfer can ask of you.

Washington, for a real working week. Metro reaches the suburban addresses that generate most of the travel, and a second rail-served airport is a genuine safety net. Philadelphia’s advantage is confined to the arrival; Washington’s compounds across every day of the trip.