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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Bensalem
Bensalem Township
Skip as a sightseeing base: use Bensalem for 1 night of cheap beds and free parking next to I-95, then drive or take SEPTA into Philadelphia.
Bensalem is a residential township in lower Bucks County, 30 minutes by car from Center City Philadelphia on I-95 and about the same from Philadelphia International Airport. It has no walkable downtown and no rail station in the middle of it, so a car or ride-hailing is the practical way to move. What it does have is a cluster of highway-side hotels, the Parx Casino complex on Street Road, Neshaminy State Park on the Delaware, and a SEPTA park-and-ride at Cornwells Heights that puts you on the Trenton Line into Philadelphia. Treat it as a bed-and-parking base for a Philadelphia or Bucks County trip, not as a destination on its own.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Bensalem Township
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat and humidity); late Dec–Feb for outdoor plans
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $60–100 excl. bed · Mid $100–180 excl. bed · High $180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Poison Control (US) 1-800-222-1222
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $2–5 |
| Diner breakfast | $10–18 |
| Casual lunch or fast food | $10–20 |
| Sit-down dinner, before tax and tip | $18–40 |
| Draught beer at a bar | $6–9 |
| Ride-hailing, Bensalem to Center City Philadelphia | $35–60 |
| eSIM or data plan, about a week | $10–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PHL · Philadelphia International Airport
- About a 30-minute drive north on I-95; check traffic, it can double at rush hour.
- TTN · Trenton-Mercer Airport
- Smaller alternative north of Bensalem; limited routes, check schedules.
Typical fares
- SEPTA Trenton Line, Cornwells Heights → Center City
- about $8 one way (check)
- Ride-hailing, Bensalem → Center City Philadelphia
- $35–60 (check)
- PHL airport → Bensalem by car
- about 30 min on I-95; taxi or ride-hailing $45–70 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
A car is the practical default: I-95, U.S. 1 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-276) all cross the township, and Street Road (PA 132) links them. SEPTA runs buses through the township and the Trenton Line Regional Rail stops at Cornwells Heights, a large park-and-ride, for trips into Philadelphia and toward Trenton. Uber and Lyft cover the area. There is no subway or local train inside the township.
See and do
Known for
- Parx Casino and Racing
- Neshaminy State Park
- Neshaminy Mall
- Cornwells Heights SEPTA park-and-ride
- Highway-side hotels on Street Road
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | SEPTA Trenton Line from Cornwells Heights, or drive I-95 south | About 40–60 min by train; 30–50 min by car |
| New Hope | Drive via I-95 north and PA 32 along the river | About 45–60 min |
| Doylestown, Pennsylvania | Drive via the Pennsylvania Turnpike and PA 611 | About 40–50 min |
| Newtown, Pennsylvania | Drive via I-95 north and PA 332 | About 25–35 min |
| Yardley | Drive via I-95 north to PA 332 | About 25–35 min |
| Langhorne | Drive via U.S. 1 north | About 20–30 min |
Sleep
- Street Road / Neshaminy corridor
- The main hotel strip: chain hotels, free parking, Neshaminy Mall and Parx Casino within a short drive. Best for one night with a car.
- Bristol Pike / Cornwells Heights
- Closer to the SEPTA Trenton Line park-and-ride at 700 Station Avenue, so you can leave the car and ride into Philadelphia.
- Old Street Road area
- Quieter motel and suite cluster; still car-dependent for food and shops.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the train station? | Where is the train station? |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Is parking free here? | Is parking free here? |
| I need a taxi | I need a taxi |
| Where is the restroom? | Where is the restroom? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- No walkable centre: plan on a car, bus or ride-hailing for every meal and errand.
- Street Road and Bristol Pike traffic is heavy at rush hour; add time for any airport or Philadelphia run.
- Casino floors and bars are 21+; bring photo ID.
- Hotel rates spike on casino event and concert nights: book ahead or check dates.
- Neshaminy State Park closes at sunset; gates are locked after that.
Bensalem is a normal American suburb and generally safe for visitors; the practical risks are road traffic on Street Road and I-95, unlit park paths after sunset, and drinking or gambling venues that need photo ID. Keep valuables out of sight in parked cars.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Bensalem yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Parx Casino and Racing
- Neshaminy State Park
- Neshaminy Mall
- Cornwells Heights SEPTA park-and-ride
- Highway-side hotels on Street Road
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- SEPTA — Cornwells Heights station: www.septa.org/stations/rail/cornwellsheights.html
- SEPTA bus service: www.septa.org/service/bus/
- Neshaminy State Park (Pennsylvania DCNR): www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/neshaminy/index.htm
- Wikivoyage: Bensalem, revision 5240629 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5240629
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
BensalemBensalem Township
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Poison Control (US)1-800-222-1222
No embassies in Bensalem; national embassies are in Washington, DC, with many consulates in Philadelphia and New York.
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% for taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/bensalem). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.