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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Media
Media, Pennsylvania
Give Media one night, or a half-day on the way to Philadelphia: State Street, the courthouse and the Route 101 trolley are the whole town.
Media is the county seat of Delaware County, 12 miles west of Philadelphia, and the last suburb in the US with a trolley running down its main street. It is a compact, walkable borough of about 6,000 people: the courthouse, State Street's restaurants and the Route 101 trolley are within 15 minutes on foot. Most travellers see it in an afternoon or use it as a cheaper, quieter base for Philadelphia.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Media, Pennsylvania
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (humid), Jan–Feb (ice on pavements)
- 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 $100–170 excl. bed · High $170+ 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 · Media Borough Police (non-emergency) 610-565-6656 · 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 | $3–6 |
| Diner breakfast | $10–16 |
| Bagel with spread | $3–6 |
| Casual lunch (sandwich, soup or pizza slice) | $10–18 |
| Sit-down dinner, mid-range, before drinks and tax | $18–35 |
| Draught beer in a State Street bar | $6–9 |
| SEPTA trolley or bus single ride | $2.50 cash / $2.00 with SEPTA Key (check) |
| SEPTA regional rail, Media to Center City Philadelphia | about $6.50 each way (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PHL · Philadelphia International Airport
- About 16 km / 10 miles away; SEPTA bus routes 110, 109 and 37 reach Media, or take the train to 69th Street and change.About 9.9 mi / 10 miles away; SEPTA bus routes 110, 109 and 37 reach Media, or take the train to 69th Street and change.
Typical fares
- PHL airport to Media by bus
- SEPTA routes 110, 109 or 37, about $2.50 cash (check)
- Media to Philadelphia, regional rail
- about $6.50 each way, 45–55 min (check)
- Route 101 trolley, State Street to 69th Street
- $2.50 cash or $2.00 with SEPTA Key (check)
Get around
On foot: the borough is compact with good pavements and a car is unnecessary for the centre. SEPTA Route 101 trolley runs along State Street to 69th Street Transportation Center; SEPTA Media/Elwyn regional rail connects to Center City Philadelphia, but weekend service is roughly hourly. Buses 110 and 118 run along Baltimore Avenue. Parking is on most side streets plus garages near the State Street business district.
See and do
Known for
- State Street dining and the Route 101 trolley
- Delaware County Courthouse (1851)
- Dining Under the Stars, Wednesday evenings in summer
- Delaware County Institute of Science
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | SEPTA Media/Elwyn regional rail from Media station to Center City | About 45–55 min |
| Swarthmore | SEPTA Media/Elwyn line one stop east, then a short walk | About 20 min |
| Chadds Ford | Car via US-1 and PA-52, about 13 kmCar via US-1 and PA-52, about 8.1 mi | About 20 min |
| Glen Mills | Car via US-1 and PA-322 | About 15 min |
| Chester | Car via I-476 and I-95, or regional rail with a change | About 25 min by car |
| Lansdowne | Car via Baltimore Avenue and Lansdowne Avenue | About 15 min |
Sleep
- State Street / downtown
- Walk to restaurants, the trolley and the courthouse; the only area worth booking for a short stay.
- Baltimore Avenue corridor
- Bus 110 and 118 run through; cheaper motels, a longer walk to the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the trolley stop? | Where is the trolley stop? |
| One ticket to Philadelphia, please | One ticket to Philadelphia, please |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Is this seat taken? | Is this seat taken? |
| The check, please | The check, please |
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
- Weekend regional-rail trains run about once an hour: check the last train before a late dinner.
- Trolley and bus fares are exact-change or SEPTA Key only; drivers do not give change.
- Dining Under the Stars closes State Street on Wednesday evenings in summer: drive around, not through.
- Suburban pavements are lit but quiet after about 22:00; walk the main streets.
A safe, quiet suburban borough; the real risks are icy pavements in winter, exact-change fares on SEPTA, and the last train leaving before your dinner ends.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Media yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- State Street dining and the Route 101 trolley
- Delaware County Courthouse (1851)
- Dining Under the Stars, Wednesday evenings in summer
- Delaware County Institute of Science
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Media PA (official borough tourism): visitmediapa.com/
- SEPTA (official regional transit): www.septa.org/
- Delaware County Institute of Science: www.delcoscience.org/
- Wikivoyage: Media, revision 5041307 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5041307
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
MediaMedia, Pennsylvania
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Media Borough Police (non-emergency)610-565-6656
- Poison control1-800-222-1222
No embassies in Media; consulates-general are in Philadelphia and embassies in Washington, DC.
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/media). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.