To all that stayed at Holiday Inn Philly

[Susie]

We are headed to see Dr. Kozin and will be staying at the Holiday Inn as someone recommended here. We plan to catch a cab from there to the hospital. Does anyone know how far in advance we should leave the hotel or call the cab to get to the hospital on time??? We plan to rent a car but not until we go to Hershey for some family fun. Do you think catching cabs to and from the hosptial is a good idea or should we get the car sooner? We are planning to get a cab from the airport as well since the hotel has car rentals available.

[katep]

How many extra days would you need to have the car for the doctor's appointments? Shriner's is in a NOT NICE part of town. You might appreciate being free to come and go without having to worry about waiting for a cab. I'll bet that the cab ride between the hotel and Shriner's is at least $20 each way, so you are getting into rental expense range anyway. I'm not sure what the cab ride from the airport to the Holiday Inn is, it was $20 fixed from the airport to downtown, to Holiday Inn is further.

Kate

[admin]

i agree with everything kate said. personally, i would rent a car. i know when we went to shriner's to see dr kozin, we were held up for some time because he had an emergency. there is a parking garage to park the car because like kate said it isn't in the nicest of areas, but if you park the car in the garage and head into the hospital, you won't have to deal with anything outside of the hospital.

have fun in hershey, we'll be spending time there in september when we head to see dr kozin for our followup

[Shannon03]

We went ahead and got the rental car right away (as soon as we got off of the plane). We figured the rental fees were comparable to the cost of taxi fare (plus the added convenience of coming and going whenever you please, a necessity with kidos). I shopped around on the internet and used orbitz to book our rental. I can't remember the exact price, but we rented a Dodge Grand caravan for 4 days and it cost about $180. For us, we couldn't imagine relying on a taxi for multiple shuttles. But, there are families that have posted here who have only used taxis. Hopefully they will see your post soon too. Have a safe trip!

[BIGJAVSMOM]

Don't forget that Shriner's has shuttle services.

P.S I live across the bridge from Philly and while Shriner's is not in the "best" part of town, it ertainly looks a whole lot worse than it actually is. Shriner's is right near Temple University. Lots of people around all the time. So, enjoy your stay in PA and best of luck with the appoinment.

[jamielane]

Hi,
We drove from Georgia to Philly in June, I loved the fact that we drove and had a car!!! I'll tell you what..when we first got to our hotel I was kinda scared, (we stayed at a inn on Temple campus). After the first night it was fine. It looks scarier than it really is. It was nice with a 2yr old to be able to come and go without waiting for shuttles and cabs. Naps in the car while we drove around saved our lives too! The city is not hard to find your way around if you have a local map. It was actually fun!
Good Luck, I love Dr. Kozin and his entire staff!!!
Jamie

[Samsmom]

If you are going to Shriners during rush hour plan on a 35min. drive. If it's not during rush hour it only took us about 10min. to get there from the Holiday Inn. Although, I would give yourself at least 20min. extra time, so you don't feel rushed.
We had a rental car and really liked the freedom of having our own vehicle. Good luck! We will be back to see Dr. Kozin in September. He is very organized and gave us a detailed plan.

[Trent's mom]

I agree with what everyone said- get a car. It is not the best part of town, but you will be fine. I wouldn't say it looks worse than it is, b/c it is a pretty tough section. There are tons of people around and when you park at the hospital you don't have to pay and you never leave the building from the time you drive your car in until you leave. I would not recommened getting a cab. Best of luck you will like Dr. Kozin.
Anita