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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Camden, New Jersey
Camden, NJ
Give Camden one day on the waterfront, not a night: aquarium, battleship and river views, then sleep in Philadelphia or Collingswood.
Camden sits across the Delaware River from Philadelphia and its draw is a compact, patrolled waterfront: the Adventure Aquarium, the battleship USS New Jersey, Wiggins Park and a concert amphitheatre, all with the Philadelphia skyline in view. Downtown holds the Rutgers campus and a small business district. Outside those two zones the city is poor and has a long record of violent crime, so most visitors see Camden as a daytime add-on to a Philadelphia trip, or sleep in a neighbouring town and drive in.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Camden, NJ
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat and humidity), Jan–Feb (cold, few outdoor events)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
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 $60–90 excl. bed · Mid $90–150 excl. bed · High $150+ 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
- 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 | $3–6 |
| Pizza slice | $2.50–4 |
| Cheesesteak (Camden style, on a roll) | $10–16 |
| Lunch special, Dominican or deli | $6–12 |
| Draught beer / cocktail | $5–8 / $10–14 |
| PATCO ride within the system | $1.40–1.60 |
| River Line one-way, Trenton–Camden | $1.50 |
| Adventure Aquarium adult ticket | $31–50 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PHL · Philadelphia International
- About 20 min by car; SEPTA Airport Line to Jefferson Station, then walk about five blocks to 8th and Market for PATCO into Camden.
- TTN · Trenton–Mercer
- Smaller; River Line light rail links Trenton and Camden.
Typical fares
- PATCO Philadelphia → Camden
- about $1.40, 10–15 min
- River Line Trenton → Camden
- about $1.50, every 15 min at rush hour
- RiverLink Ferry, Penn's Landing ↔ Camden waterfront
- about $7 round trip, hourly, May–September
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
Walk the waterfront and Rutgers cluster once parked; parking is ample there. PATCO Hi-Speed Line links Center City Philadelphia with City Hall and Broadway stations in Camden, and the River Line light rail runs to the Walter Rand Transportation Center. NJ Transit buses cover the rest of the city. A car is easiest for anything off the waterfront.
See and do
Known for
- Adventure Aquarium
- USS Battleship New Jersey
- Wiggins Park and the RiverLink Ferry
- Freedom Mortgage Pavilion concerts
- Walt Whitman House
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | PATCO Hi-Speed Line from City Hall or Broadway to Center City, or drive the Ben Franklin Bridge | About 15–25 min |
| Collingswood | PATCO Hi-Speed Line southeast from Camden | About 10–15 min |
| Cherry Hill | Drive via I-676 and Route 70, or NJ Transit bus | About 15–25 min |
| Haddonfield | PATCO to Haddonfield station, then walk | About 20–25 min |
| Lindenwold | PATCO Hi-Speed Line to its southeastern terminus | About 25–30 min |
| Pennsauken | River Line light rail or drive via Route 130 | About 15–20 min |
Sleep
- Camden waterfront
- One hotel (Hilton Garden Inn) beside the aquarium and battleship; paid parking, walkable to the day's sights.
- Downtown / Rutgers
- Victor Lofts building has a pub and food at 1 Market Street; quiet and empty after offices close.
- Collingswood or Cherry Hill
- PATCO or a short drive in; safer streets, more beds and better evening food.
- Philadelphia (Center City)
- PATCO Hi-Speed Line runs 24 h to Camden; the usual base for a Camden day.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the PATCO station? | Where is the PATCO station? |
| One ticket, please | One ticket, please |
| Is it safe to walk there? | Is it safe to walk there? |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Call 911 | Call 911 |
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
- Stay in the waterfront and downtown/Rutgers zones; do not walk alone at night elsewhere.
- Downtown empties after offices and the university close; do not wander there after dark.
- Do not display valuables; keep phones and cameras out of sight.
- River Line trains stop early on most nights (about 22:00) and about 01:00 on Saturdays — check the last train.
- Some sights keep limited hours or close for renovation: check before you go.
Camden has a long record of violent crime and is one of the poorest cities in the country, but the waterfront and downtown/Rutgers areas are patrolled and fine by day. Stay in those zones, keep valuables out of sight, and do not walk alone at night.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Camden, New Jersey yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Adventure Aquarium
- USS Battleship New Jersey
- Wiggins Park and the RiverLink Ferry
- Freedom Mortgage Pavilion concerts
- Walt Whitman House
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Camden: www.ci.camden.nj.us/
- Adventure Aquarium: www.adventureaquarium.com/
- Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial: www.battleshipnewjersey.org/
- PATCO Hi-Speed Line: www.ridepatco.org
- NJ Transit: www.njtransit.com
- RiverLink Ferry: www.riverlinkferry.org
- Camden County parks — Wiggins Waterfront Park: www.camdencounty.com/service/parks/wiggins-waterfront-park/
- Walt Whitman Association — Whitman House: thewaltwhitmanassociation.org/visiting-the-whitman-house/
- Wikivoyage: Camden (New Jersey), revision 5237256 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5237256
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Camden, New JerseyCamden, NJ
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies in Camden; consulates-general are in Philadelphia and New York.
US tipping: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/camden-new-jersey). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.