CAMPER TRAVEL

FOR CAMPERS FLYING TO CAMP:

We encourage all families arriving by air to arrive Monday evening BEFORE opening day on Tuesday. Flying to camp on Tuesday is still an option if campers cannot fly in on Monday. Drivers should still plan to arrive on Tuesday morning. Exact arrival time windows are provided to enrolled families in the spring!

Travel to Camp

Camp is located on the beautiful Westtown School campus, located in West Chester, PA. We know traveling to camp can be the biggest logistical challenge, so we work hard to provide a wide variety of options to make it easy as possible for our busy families!

Campers have several options for arriving at camp. Families may choose whichever method(s) fit best with their schedule, plans, and budget. General information is provided below so families can get a sense of the multiple ways to get to and from camp! While most families choose the same type of travel for both arrival and departure, you can also mix and match the type of travel you do for arrival versus departure! For instance, campers dropped off by car on Opening Day can leave via air on Closing Day and vice versa. 

Registered families should wait to book or plan their travel until after detailed instructions are provided in the early Spring (usually before the end of February). We will provide enrolled families with exact arrival and departure time windows, as well as detailed information about how to book flights for our campers traveling by air. 

For any travel-related questions, please email scitecharts@urj.org or call the main office at 410-609-9870. 

Drive to Camp

Families are welcome to drive their campers to camp. We are located on the campus of Westtown School, and check-in takes place in the morning on Opening Day (Tuesday).

Driving distance-wise we are:

    • 40 minutes from the Philadelphia International Airport
    • 2.5 hours from Washington, D.C.
    • Less than 2 hours from Baltimore, Maryland
    • 4 hours from Richmond, Virginia
    • Less than 6 hours from Boston, Massachusetts
    • 2 hours from Metro West, New Jersey
    • Less than 1 hour from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    • 35 minutes from Wilmington, Delaware
    • 2 hours from New York City, New York
    • 4.5 hours from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Enrolled families who indicate they will arrive by car will be sent a form in May to request their preferred 30-minute drop-off window.  

Families remain in the car during check-in, driving from station to station, and can exit the vehicle at the end for a big hug and kiss goodbye. 

Fly to Philadelphia International (PHL):

Camper flies alone as Unaccompanied Minor

Families getting to camp by air via Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) airport are encouraged to arrive on Monday before Opening Day. Flying to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) on Tuesday is still an option if families can’t arrive on Monday. 

Campers can fly into Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) without an adult chaperone as an “Unaccompanied Minor” (UM). As a UM, campers are greeted by Sci-Tech & Arts staff as soon as they step off the plane! For UMs, airline staff escort the child through security, pre-board them onto the plane, monitor them during the flight, and hand them over only to the designated adult at the destination.

Flying as a UM allows Sci-Tech & Arts staff to get through security, meaning a staff member will be waiting at the gate as soon as the camper lands, wearing a staff shirt and holding a clipboard containing the camper’s information and photo. Campers are then brought to baggage claim to pick up any checked bags, and then meet up with other incoming campers to take a private bus to camp.

  • Flights must arrive within the designated travel window (provided in the spring).
  • Flights should be non-stop.
  • The airline may charge an additional fee for UM travel.

Campers may also be able to fly as a "Minor traveling alone" (ages vary by airline). We will do our best to meet them at the gate, but we cannot guarantee it for minors traveling alone. 

Fly with Camper, then Handover at Airport

Parents or guardians can fly into Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) with their camper and meet a Sci-Tech & Arts staff member at baggage claim. There, the camper will meet the Sci-Tech & Arts staff member, and we will bring the camper to camp by bus with other airport arrivals. To arrange this option, families should contact scitecharts@urj.org or call the main office at 410-609-9870. Due to technical limitations, this option is not listed on the camper travel form in CampInTouch, so Sci-Tech & Arts staff must add this manually on the backend.  

Fly with Camper, then Rent a Car

Parents or guardians can fly into Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) with their camper and rent a car and drive west to camp. The trip is 30-60 minutes depending on traffic. Families choosing this option will then continue with the steps outlined in “Drive to Camp”. 

Families choosing this option must arrive on Opening Day (Tuesday). They cannot fly in the day before with the other air arrivals. When filling out the camper travel from in your CampInTouch account, you will mark it as arriving by Car NOT by Air.  

Closing Day

All families, whether they are leaving by Car or by Air, depart on Sunday morning! There are similar travel options for campers who depart camp via air, with most campers flying as Unaccompanied Minors (UM) so Sci-Tech & Arts staff can accompany them to the gate.

Luggage

There are 3 options for luggage to arrive at camp:

Option 1: Luggage can be shipped to camp ahead of time, using our luggage shipping partner or another delivery service. 

Option 2: Luggage can be brought to camp on Monday night before Opening Day.  

Option 3: Luggage can be brought on opening day, in cars or as checked bags. 

We recommend Options 1 and 2 above. This way, when a camper arrives in their room, their luggage is waiting for them!  

For Option 3, which is also a totally fine and allowed option, when luggage is dropped off with them on opening day, it may take some time for our logistics team to bring their luggage to their room. As in previous years, families driving to camp will drop their camper off and will not unpack campers in their dorms. Their counselors are trained on how to encourage camper connection while they wait for our logistics team to deliver their luggage to their dorm. 

Hotels Near Camp

A few of the closest hotels to camp are:

SpringHill Suites by Marriott Philadelphia
730 Eagle View Blvd, Exton, PA 19341
(610) 321-9300

Residence Inn by Marriott Philadelphia West
10 Pottstown Pike, Exton, PA 19341
(610) 594-9705

Residence Inn by Marriott Philadelphia Great Valley/Malvern
10 General Warren Blvd, Malvern, PA 19355
(484) 899-7800

Hilton Garden Inn Exton/West Chester
720 Eagle View Blvd E, Exton, PA 19341
(610) 458-8822

Home2Suites by Hilton Downington Exton
975 E Lancaster Ave, Downington, PA 19335
(610) 873-1200

There are lots of fun things to do in West Chester, PA, that we encourage you to check out if you have time!

 

Have Questions?

Please email scitecharts@urj.org or call the main office at 410-609-9870.