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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Intercourse
Intercourse, Pennsylvania
Give Intercourse half a day, or one night if you want a buggy ride or farm tour: the village core is walkable in 15 minutes and the farmland around it is the draw.
Intercourse is a village of about 1,500 people in eastern Lancaster County, 10 mi (16 km) east of Lancaster city on Route 340, the Old Philadelphia Pike. It was founded in 1754 as Cross Keys and later renamed for a racecourse that stood here. Visitors come for the Amish and Mennonite farms and shops along Route 340, and for the name. The sights are small and close together, so most people see the village in two to four hours and use it as a stop between Bird-in-Hand and Strasburg rather than a multi-night base.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Intercourse, Pennsylvania
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug heat and crowds; late Nov–Mar many shops on short hours
- 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 $60–110 excl. bed · Mid $110–200 excl. bed · High $200+ 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 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 | $2–4 |
| Soft pretzel | $3–6 |
| Breakfast or lunch plate | $10–18 |
| Sit-down dinner, per person | $18–35 |
| Quilt or handmade craft | $50–500+ |
| Buggy ride | $15–40 per person |
| Museum entry | $5–12 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PHL · Philadelphia International
- About 60 mi (97 km) east; 1 h 15 min–1 h 45 min by car depending on traffic.About 60 mi (60 mi) east; 1 h 15 min–1 h 45 min by car depending on traffic.
- MDT · Harrisburg International
- About 40 mi (64 km) west; roughly 50 min by car.About 40 mi (40 mi) west; roughly 50 min by car.
- LNS · Lancaster Airport
- Small field about 10 mi (16 km) northwest; few scheduled flights.Small field about 10 mi (9.9 mi) northwest; few scheduled flights.
Typical fares
- PHL airport → Intercourse by car
- about 60 mi (97 km), 1 h 15 min–1 h 45 minabout 60 mi (60 mi), 1 h 15 min–1 h 45 min
- Lancaster city → Intercourse by car
- 10 mi (16 km), about 25 min10 mi (9.9 mi), about 25 min
- Rideshare Lancaster → Intercourse
- $25–40
Get around
A car is the practical choice: Route 340 links Intercourse with Bird-in-Hand to the west and Strasburg to the south, and the farms, shops and parking lots sit along it. The village core is walkable in 10–15 minutes end to end. Red Rose Transit runs a bus route along the corridor (listed as Route 13, White Horse) — check current schedules and stops before relying on it. Buggies share the road; pass slowly and wide.
See and do
Known for
- Amish and Mennonite farm country on Route 340
- Kitchen Kettle Village shops
- Old Country Store and quilt museum
- Buggy rides and Amish farm tours
- The village name
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bird-in-Hand | Drive or cycle 2 mi (3 km) west on Route 340Drive or cycle 2 mi (1.9 mi) west on Route 340 | 10 min |
| Strasburg | Drive 5 mi (8 km) south via Route 896 and Route 741Drive 5 mi (5 mi) south via Route 896 and Route 741 | 15 min |
| Lancaster city | Drive 10 mi (16 km) west on Route 340 then Route 30Drive 10 mi (9.9 mi) west on Route 340 then Route 30 | 25–35 min |
| Lititz | Drive about 15 mi (24 km) northwest via Route 772Drive about 15 mi (15 mi) northwest via Route 772 | 30 min |
| Ephrata | Drive about 15 mi (24 km) north via Route 772 and Route 272Drive about 15 mi (15 mi) north via Route 772 and Route 272 | 30 min |
| Elizabethtown | Drive about 25 mi (40 km) west via Route 283Drive about 25 mi (25 mi) west via Route 283 | 35–45 min |
Sleep
- Route 340 through the village
- Inns and motels within walking distance of the shops; book early for fall weekends.
- Bird-in-Hand, 2 mi west
- Motels and a bakery on the same road; often cheaper than in-village rooms.
- Ronks and Strasburg, 3–5 mi south
- Train-themed motels and family lodging near the Strasburg Rail Road.
- Lancaster city, 10 mi west
- Full hotel choice and restaurants; you drive in each day.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the parking? | Where is the parking? |
| Can I take a photo? | May I take your picture? |
| Card or cash? | Do you take cards? |
| 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
- Route 340 traffic backs up on summer and fall weekends; arrive before 10:00 or after 15:00.
- Many shops close on Sunday and some close Saturday afternoon; the Amish do not work Sundays.
- Do not photograph Amish people, homes or children without asking; many decline, and it is a real offence to them.
- Parking is free but small; lots fill by mid-morning in leaf season.
- Buggy horses on the shoulder: slow down, no horn.
Very safe for a rural tourist village; the real risks are road traffic on Route 340, buggies on the shoulder and summer heat. Lock your car and keep valuables out of sight in the shop lots.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Intercourse yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Amish and Mennonite farm country on Route 340
- Kitchen Kettle Village shops
- Old Country Store and quilt museum
- Buggy rides and Amish farm tours
- The village name
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Village of Intercourse: www.villageofintercourse.com/
- Discover Lancaster — official county tourism: discoverlancaster.com/
- Kitchen Kettle Village: www.kitchenkettle.com/
- Red Rose Transit Authority: www.redrosetransit.com/
- Wikivoyage: Intercourse, revision 5252696 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5252696
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
IntercourseIntercourse, Pennsylvania
Please take me to this address
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Poison control1-800-222-1222
No embassies here; they are in Washington, DC, with consulates in Philadelphia and New York.
Tipping: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, $2–5 for hotel housekeeping.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/intercourse). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.