Where can I find details about the Pontiff’s schedule?
The best place to find the Pope’s itinerary is on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Web site.

Will I be able to see the Pope in New York City?
The Pope is scheduled to arrive in New York City late afternoon on Thursday, September 24. He is scheduled to attend several events Thursday evening and Friday. NJ TRANSIT will provide extra capacity via rail and bus into and out of New York while the Pope is scheduled to be in New York.

My friends and I plan on going to see the Pope in Philadelphia. What should we know?
The Papal visit is a huge honor for the region and we know that you are very excited to see His Holiness. Before you come, it is imperative that you plan in advance. It’s estimated that upwards of a million people will travel to the area to see the Pope, 50 percent of those arriving by car. It's expected to be tens of thousands of extra cars and buses on the road. Combine that with the expected bridge closings and gridlock is expected. Travelers with elderly passengers and/or small children should be especially mindful.

The City of Philadelphia has set up a text alert system specifically for the Papal visit. You may sign up by texting "papalvisit" to 888777. The text alerts will provide information on weather, travel information as well as any possible emergency information. These alerts also will provide traffic information in the Philadelphia area and may not include traffic conditions in New Jersey. Message and data rates may apply depending upon your plan with your service provider.

Is there parking in Camden
There will be 8,500 parking spaces available in Camden. The Waterfront parking lots, which will be open from 6 am to 2 am, can accommodate up to 25,000 people. No overnight parking in vehicles and parking lots will be allowed. Camping is also prohibited. Parking passes can be purchased online prior to the days of Pope Francis' visit on September 26 and 27.

When should I leave?
We expect that visitors will begin arriving as early as Wednesday. Obviously the earlier in the week you leave, the easier your travel will be.

Due to security and safety issues, several roads will be closed, as well as the Ben Franklin Bridge, for Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia starting on Friday, September 25th, at 10 pm:

In New Jersey:

• I-676 northbound will be closed from Exit 3 to the Ben Franklin Bridge
• Route 30 westbound from Airport Circle (Route 38/Route 130) will be closed to the Ben Franklin Bridge
• Other impacted roads include I-295 and Routes 38, 42, 45, 47, 55, 70, 73, 76, 90, 130, 168 and 322
• Roadways such as I-95, I-195 and Route 1 also may see significant traffic impacts

In Pennsylvania:

• I-76 eastbound from I-476 to I-95 and I-76 westbound from I-95 to U.S. Route 1 (Roosevelt Extension);
• I-676 in both directions from I-76 to I-95; and
• U.S. Route 1 in both directions from U.S. 30 to Belmont Avenue

I-95 will remain open to traffic with only selected ramps closed due to street closures within the city and security needs.

Local Conditions (pdf 2.1m)

Where can I get the most up to date traffic information?

• 511NJ’s Web site will have up to the minute traffic information.
• Your favorite area radio station will also have traffic information.
• We also recommend downloading the free Safe Trip NJ application. This app is hands free and eyes free and will have the most up to date traffic information.
• Receive text alerts from the City of Philadelphia by texting "papalvisit" to 888777. The text alerts will provide information on weather, travel information as well as any possible emergency information. These alerts also will provide traffic information in the Philadelphia area and may not include traffic conditions in New Jersey. Message and data rates may apply depending upon your plan with your service provider.

Will there be construction activities in the area?
In order to minimize the impact to motorists in the immediate area of the Papal Visit in Philadelphia, the New Jersey Department of Transportation will not allow temporary lane and shoulder closures or perform moving operations along these roadways beginning Thursday, September 24 at 5 am until Monday, September 28 at 9 pm. Work behind concrete barriers on projects on these roadways will be permitted.

Construction Activities (pdf 1m)

What if I plan to take a charter or private bus?
If your bus arrives in the city during the Papal Weekend it will NOT be allowed entry unless it is registered. ONLY REGISTERED BUSES WILL BE ALLOWED ENTRY DURING THE PAPAL WEEKEND. If, however, you are traveling into Philadelphia during the week of September 22nd to September 25th, your bus does not need to be registered.

Can I ride my bicycle?
Bicycles will be allowed with pedestrians on the Ben Franklin Bridge, however, riders must get off and walk their bikes across the bridge. There is no dedicated bicycle parking in Camden.

Once we get to Philadelphia, what should we expect?
The city will be largely inaccessible to vehicles during the Papal visit and transportation to the event areas will be limited to the public transportation offered by the City of Philadelphia so please keep the following in mind:

• Wear comfortable shoes.
• You may be walking back at night, so wear light colored clothing and pack a flashlight.
• Bring extra bottled water.
• Fully charge your mobile phone. Leave it off or on airplane mode to preserve battery life.
• Take a photo of where you parked with nearest street signs so as to find your way back to your car more easily.
• If you require medication, please bring extra just in case.

The following are some of the items that will not be permitted past security checkpoints per the United States Secret Service. For the full prohibited item list, please visit the World Meeting of Families Web site.

• Backpacks and bags exceeding the size restrictions (18" x 13" x 7")
• Balloons
• Bicycles
• Coolers
• Glass, thermal or metal containers
• Packages
• Selfie sticks
• Signs exceeding the size restrictions (5' x 3' x 1/4") made of anything except cardboard, poster board or cloth

Be prepared for a lengthy walk! Please keep this in mind ESPECIALLY if you are traveling with senior citizens and/or small children. For walking distances and maps, visit Camden's Gateway to the Pope Web site.