The distance from Georgia's capital -- Atlanta -- to Pennsylvania’s largest city -- Philadelphia -- is a hair short of 800 miles. Family ties, business and tourism are common reasons for trips between the city that rose from ashes to become the symbol of the New South and the nation’s first capital. With a well-developed network of ground and air connections between these cities, you simply need to choose which mode fits your wallet and your schedule.

Flight time between the two cities is just under two hours. Atlanta's airport is the hub for Delta (delta.com), an airline with multiple daily nonstop and connecting flights to Philadelphia. At the time of publication, Delta offered the earliest direct flight from Atlanta to Philadelphia with a departure close to 7 a.m. You can also take US Airways (usairways.com) nonstop from Atlanta. This airline uses Philadelphia as its hub. Alternatives include connecting flights on United (united.com) and direct flights on Air Tran (airtran.com). This airline’s 10 p.m. flight is the latest on this route.

Board Amtrak's (amtrak.com) train at its station on Peachtree Street at Deering Road, Atlanta’s departure point for the Southern Crescent route. Amtrak runs one train daily from Atlanta to Philadelphia. The travel time is approximately 16 hours. For the departure at 8 p.m., the scheduled arrival time is 12:30 p.m. the following day at Philadelphia's 30th Street Station. Sleeping and dining cars, along with a lounge, are features that make this 16-hour journey more pleasant.

Greyhound (greyhound.com) has daily bus service from Atlanta to Philadelphia, leaving from the main station near MARTA's Garnett Street train station. The five scheduled departures include two express buses. Total travel time ranges from 17.5 to 22.5 hours, and all trips require transfers along the route. Greyhound has web specials, companion fares and discounted fares for seniors, military personnel, veterans and children. For an additional fee, you get priority boarding with reserved seats.

The ultra low-cost bus service, Megabus, (megabus.com) has regular service between Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina – a four-hour ride. The Charlotte to Washington, D.C., bus leaves approximately one hour after the Atlanta bus arrives and pulls into Washington eight hours later. One hour later, you can catch the Washington to Philadelphia bus, a three-hour trip. Megabus has no physical ticket offices in most cities; trips require an online purchase.

A road trip gives you privacy, control over your rest stops and opportunities for side trips. Although the route is not scenic, the interstate highways in the states you will travel through are safe and usually well maintained. The most common route starts on I-85 in Atlanta and ends on I-95 in Philadelphia. Perimeter highways along the route keep you out of traffic congestion by taking you around metropolitan areas. This drive takes approximately 13 hours without stops for refueling and rest. Check with an auto club or state highway patrols for information on construction delays.
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