Time Zone: Eastern
Getting Around: More than 80 percent of Atlantic City’s visitors
are day-trippers who arrive by car or charter bus and never leave the casinos.
Visitors traveling by air can fly into Philadelphia International Airport,
where they can rent a car or utilize New Jersey Transit bus service to
Atlantic City. Atlantic City International Airport, which is in nearby
Pomona, is a $28 cab ride from the city.
Once in town, nearly all of the casinos and attractions
are within walking distance along the 4.5-mile Boardwalk. One of the grand
traditions from Atlantic City history is a ride in the Rolling Chairs –
wicker vehicles that cruise the Boardwalk and can be hired for a mere $5
per trip. Jitneys, or shuttle buses, are another basic means of transportation
in Atlantic City. Taxis are also available; the best way to catch one is
to line up at a taxi queue or make telephone arrangements. Finally, a car
is an absolute necessity if you wish to leave the casino/Boardwalk area
and venture off Absecon Island to visit some of the region’s other attractions.
Weather: The ocean acts as an insulator, keeping Atlantic City
a bit warmer in the winter and a bit cooler in the summer. Still, expect
lows in the 20s and 30s in the gray winter months, a mild and rainy spring,
and a temperate autumn with distinct possibility of “Indian summer” weather.
Summers are sunny, hot and can be humid, especially in August, though the
sea breezes are refreshing.
