Newark Airport to Long Island - How ?

For our second visit to New York, in eight weeks time, we decided to spend a week relaxing and getting over the jetlag before spending a week in NYC. For our first week we have been considering the North Fork part of Long Island and more specifically Greenport.

My question then is how to get there. Flying from Bristol in the UK, Continental only fly in to Newark so this is our only option as we don%26#39;t want to fly from a London airport. We will be hiring a car during our first week only.

There are 4 of us, two adults and two teenagers and we will be arriving at Newark at 1.30 on a Sunday afternoon, so will probably be through customs etc by 3pm.

Option 1 was hire a car at Newark and drive from there, but I don%26#39;t want to do drive through Manhattan and I don%26#39;t want to have to drop the car somewhere else and pay a one way charge.

Option 2 is to get the train from Newark to Penn Station and then the LIRR from Penn Station to somewhere on Long Island I can collect a car late on a Sunday afternoon such as MacArthur Airport. Unfortunately it appears the LIRR doesn%26#39;t go as far as Greenport on a Sunday afternoon.

Option 3, take the shuttle ($24 each) between Newark and JFK and pick up a hire car at JFK.

Option 4 is to get a limo service car (not stretched, just ordinary car) from Newark to JFK or MacArthur Airport and pick up a hire car.

The cheapest option I reckon would be 2, but I was worried that, whilst the train from Newark to Penn Station will be geared up for passengers with luggage, will the same apply to the LIRR which is really a commuter train and not sure it would cope with all our baggage.

Please can I have opinions on 1, 2, 3 or 4 above or if you have a number 5, I would welcome alternatives.

Having said all that, we haven%26#39;t finalised accommodation on the North Fork yet, so can anyone suggest a similar experience for our first week but South or North of NYC that would be easier to reach from Newark.

Thank you in advance for your time and advice.

Chris

Newark Airport to Long Island - How ?

Both the NJ Transit trains and the LIRR are commuter trains. Neither are really able to cope with luggage especially during rush hour, but since you are arriving on a Sunday, that isn%26#39;t so much an issue.

Since you don%26#39;t want to drive, for 4 people, I%26#39;d take the taxi into NYC, and then take Hampton Jitney to Greenport.

From Manhattan alone out to Greenport on the Jitney is 2hr15. A taxi from Newark into Manhattan is about 30-45 minutes depending on traffic. Total = 3hr+ if all goes well.

If you drove, that journey is about 3 hours if traffic is good. Do you really want to be doing that after an international flight ???

Newark Airport to Long Island - How ?

Keep in mind that the Long Island Rail Road hasn%26#39;t published their July and August schedule yet. It is quite possible there will be alot more trains to Greenport in July and August.

The Continental nonstop is a great option for people in Bristol, it sure beats flying from Heathrow. Newark really isn%26#39;t bad at all. Why not take the train into Penn Station from Newark and continue on the Long Island Rail Road. Trust me, you do *NOT* want to drive the Long Island Expressway (LIE) on a summer weekend if you don%26#39;t have to. The LIE is a parking lot in both directions.

While I can see how it would be nice to have a rental car (car hire) in Greenport, you really don%26#39;t need it. Greenport is a small walkable town. You can rent bikes and peddle out to Orient Point (very nice). You can bike all around Shelter Island. One day you%26#39;ll want to do the wineries. You can get a driver to take you around all day for the wineries and you%26#39;ll still be saving money. I wouldn%26#39;t bother with a car hire (rental car) at all but only you know what is best for you.

I drive very rarely, but re: option 1- I do know you do not need to drive through Manhattan to get to Long Island from Newark. In fact I believe the most logical way is The Goethals bridge to the Staten Island Expressway, actross the Verazanno Bridge to the Belt Parkway...somebody else will have to give you advice from there. While the traffic may be dense, it will be highway driving.

When you are rested, you could return the car to Newark, and proceed into Manhattan as if you%26#39;ve just arrived.

I%26#39;m not actually trying to discourage you from using public transportation. But there would be now reason to drive into Manhattan really.

Newark is pretty inconvenient for getting to Long Island. It will easily add 2 possibly 3 hrs. to a trip to Greenport vs. JFK. Does a flight from somewhere other than Bristol add that much to your trip? JFK is actually on the western end of Long Island and there are easy connections to either the Long Island railroad (without going into Manhattan) or the Hampton Jitney which services Greenport. Again, you can catch the Jitney from JFK without going into Manhattan. They have the ';airport connection'; which is a stop off the Long Island expressway about 20 mins. by cab from JFK.

www.hamptonjitney.com/PDFS/NF_20080501.pdf

The other option is to consider going somewhere on the New Jersey shore from Newark. Long Beach Island, Spring Lake...

I flew in to Newark and took the train to Penn Station and then a subway station to Long Island City just a few weeks ago with very large luggage (big bike bag) and it was fine.

In fact, at Newark, they have trolleys available (US$3.00 charge) that can be taken from baggage reclaim and on to the metrolink thing that links to the train station and then on to the platform itself.

I then noticed that the LIRR was pretty convenient at Penn Station.

Obviously there%26#39;s going to be some inconvenience as oppossed to getting a hire car at Newark but I think I%26#39;d rather do this than drive through Manhattan or Staten Island after a longish flight.

Guys, thanks for the advice.

I agree Broadwaynyc, I don%26#39;t think we would be up for a long drive getting straight off the plane though having looked at the route from Newark, as you say JAWP, your route does look easy and avoids Manhattan.

Whilst the Jitny looks good and would give us a chance to watch the world go by, I am not sure we would want to sit on a coach for another 2 plus hours, whereas with a car, at least we can take stop and take a break if needed.

I must admit to favouring 2 (thanks NFMac, that is encouraging) or 3 at the moment.

MoreFFMiles %26amp; Whiz, the Bristol flights direct to New York are so convenient for us folk in the UK West Country. The price isn%26#39;t really an issue, there isn%26#39;t much in it. The convenience that Bristol provides is not having to do the 4 hour plus drive at the start and end of our holiday to and from a London airport. I will also now look NJ.

Any more comments eagerly awaited.

PS, do the Jitney and LIRR have rest rooms on board as they could both be long journeys.

Yes, the Long Island Rail Road trains have nice clean restrooms. I believe the Jitneys do too.

There are some nice places around Sandy Hook NJ and all the way south along the Jersey Shore. Cape May NJ, Cape May Courthouse, etc.

The North Fork of Long Island is very nice, I wouldn%26#39;t turn down the North Fork simply because NYC stands between Newark and your destination. The New Jersey Coast doesn%26#39;t offer the wineries the North Fork offers. You%26#39;ve also got Shelter Island and Orient Point.

#1 question is when are you doing this? The south Jersey Shore (Atlantic or Cape May County) is about 2 - 2 1/2 hours from Newark. And the winery comment....Atlantic County has 2 wineries and Cape May County has 3. But summer, 2008 will be very rented by now, so availability may be a big issue.

MoreFFmiles, thanks for the info on the LIRR and Jitney. A great comfort ! I do think we are being hooked by the North Fork.

Frank, we are flying in to Newark at the end of July.