# free overnight parking on Keystone line



## Jim (Aug 8, 2015)

Does anybody know if any of the stations east of Lancaster have free parking, allowing your vehicle to stay overnight? I know a lot of rail stations won't allow parking from roughly 2-4am each night. I'm going to be taking a weeklong trip in September. Exton would be perfect, but I can depart from any of those stations heading east.


----------



## BCL (Aug 8, 2015)

I can't find anything other than a description that long-term spaces are available at Harrisburg, Middletown, and Elizabethtown - but not Mount Joy.


----------



## BCL (Aug 8, 2015)

Someone in this TripAdvisor thread says that parking is free at Elizabethtown, but you may need to use a gravel overflow lot.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g52819-i197-k6535048-RE_Parking_in_Elizabethtown_Amtrak_Station-Hershey_Pennsylvania.html

On second thought, I'm bringing up stations that are west of Lancaster. Not enough coffee.


----------



## BCL (Aug 8, 2015)

OK - I've strangely enough been to Exton, but that was on a Sunday and the lot was almost empty.

Parking is administered by SEPTA at many of those stations. It's not free, but it is $1 per day. It also says no receipt, which seems kind of fishy. Several other stations seem to use an envelope system where you mark your space, license plate number, and when you parked, then you deposit it into a lockbox. Others have electronic ticket machines. Also free on weekends.

http://www.septa.org/parking/overnight.html

So - not exactly free, but $1 a day is pretty close. They have a phone number to call at the bottom of their parking info page.


----------



## Mystic River Dragon (Aug 8, 2015)

Just want to make sure--your trip isn't during the time the Pope will be in Philadelphia (September 26 and 27)?

I realize I am sounding like a broken record because I mention this on every thread that talks about September and eastern Pennsylvania, but I don't want anyone to get caught in the travel nightmare then.


----------



## Jim (Aug 11, 2015)

BCL, The ELT station was redone about 2 years ago, and has a nice new paved long term lot that replaced (instead of supplemented) the old gravel lot. The problem is it's usually filled with commuter cars. The EXT lot is a lot smaller by space numbers on the website, so I'm not too confident there. LNC is $10/day, but very hit and miss to find a spot.

I'll likely end up bugging a friend for a ride to LNC. It would be nice if one could be confident in finding a spot, but 15 mins before the train comes isn't the right time to realize the lot is full...........I've been there


----------

