Post Captain
-
Posts
1,058 -
Joined
Content Type
Forums
Store
Blogs
Downloads
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by Post Captain
-
-
I'm also not sure how the ferry's work in December...will they still be something to do with the family in the cold?
NY Waterway ferries operate on the same schedule during the winter as they do the rest of the year. However, service can be affected if there is a lot of ice in the Hudson River (rare, but it happens) or during a major nor'easter or hurricane.
Most tourists (and many regular passengers) prefer to ride topside, on the open deck, where you will get great views of the river and the New York City skyline. However, in cold or otherwise inclement weather, you will be more comfortable sitting inside the large, enclosed, heated cabin on the lower deck, although your views will probably be somewhat obscured by the fogged and/or dirty windows.
-
Ok, I can buy multiple tickets at once and just worry about validating them. There was also mention of stations having several validation machines and a problem of validating then the train not coming on time and having to buy another ticket.
How do you feel about the metrocard for the subway/PATH?
Sent from my iPhone 6+ using Tapatalk
Ok, I can buy multiple tickets at once and just worry about validating them. There was also mention of stations having several validation machines and a problem of validating then the train not coming on time and having to buy another ticket.How do you feel about the metrocard for the subway/PATH?
As Carol says, the ticket machines for the light rail are very easy to use; you will see them either at the entrance to the light rail platform or on the platform itself, depending on the particular station. The validation machines are usually right next to, or very close to, the ticket machines; they are bright orange. You just stick the ticket into the slot in the validation machine, and then pull it out again; the machine automatically stamps the ticket with the date and a specific time.
If I recall correctly, the time stamped on the ticket is an hour or so later than the time at which you have validated the ticket, which gives you plenty of time for your journey. Trains run every few minutes; I've never had any worries that the ticket would "expire" before my train arrived--it's never happened to me. (The only potential problem I ever had was with a validation machine that had run out of ink; the validation machine "clicked" when I inserted the ticket, but the time stamp did not print out on the ticket, although a faint impression was visible on the ticket.)
Tickets are rarely inspected; in fact, you probably won't ever encounter a ticket inspector--there are just occasional spot checks, to deter deliberate "fare jumping" by those few people who might be inclined not to pay for their journey. (Every so often there's some kid who thinks it's cool to ride without paying for a ticket, but the overwhelming majority of passengers are honest.)
By the way, if you're going into Manhattan on the PATH train, you really won't need to use the light rail at all for that journey. The Exchange Place PATH station is just a 7- or 8-minutes walk from the Candlewood Suites.
As for using a metrocard for the PATH trains and the New York City subways: Depending on how many trips you make, there usually is a savings to buying a multiple-trip card as opposed to paying for each trip individually. (Plus, it's more convenient to purchase one card that will cover all of your trips, rather than buying an individual ticket each time.) Try to estimate in advance how many total rides you and your husband expect to make, then decide which option will work best for you. Also remember: Two riders can use the same multi-trip metrocard; you don't need to purchase a separate metrocard for each person.
For more information about buying and using metrocards, see:
http://web.mta.info/metrocard/
http://web.mta.info/metrocard/mcCombinationValue.htm
-
khrivnak ~
Just for your orientation, this map shows the relative locations of Secaucus and Pier 88 in Manhattan, and the route from the La Quinta Inn & Suites in Secaucus to the pier:
The Plaza at Harmon Meadow is another conveniently located hotel, not far from the La Quinta, though (just at a guess, without checking) it's probably more expensive.
Just for orientation, again, this shows Ridgefield Park in relation to Manhattan, and the route from Ridgefield Park to the pier:
I'm not at all familiar with Ridgefield Park, so can't offer any opinion about staying there. But one of the Secaucus hotels would be a good choice if any members of your group want to go into Manhattan for sightseeing, pre-cruise. A direct bus to and from Manhattan stops near the La Quinta and the Harmon Meadows hotels.
I have no exact idea what a car service to the pier will cost, but it will definitely more than $12.50!
I absolutely agree with everyone else that Secaucus is a far better place to stay than Carteret, for a number of reasons.
-
I don't do the Cross Bronx or I84 west of Hartford either. I have had good success with the Holland Tunnel (sneaking in on Marin Blvd at the Tunnel entrance) and going up West St/12th Ave to get on the West Side Highway/Henry Hudson Parkway to the Cross County Parkway to the Hutchinson River Parkway to the Merritt Parkway. It isn't always perfect, but the odds are good. Traffic reports will be the determining factor. I usually don't recommend this route to others who don't know the area.
Carol ~ Although I don't drive between NJ & NYC anymore (I used to, through the Lincoln Tunnel), I listen to New York radio stations most mornings, so am exposed to frequent rush-hour traffic reports. The three Hudson River crossings (GWB, Holland & Lincoln tunnels) invariably seem to have morning rush-hour backups of anywhere from 10-15 minutes (typical) to an hour (if something really goes awry on the roads), but my general sense is that the Holland Tunnel usually has the fewest problems of the three.
For what it's worth, a day or two ago the traffic reports warned of major backups of an hour on the GWB & GWB approaches into NYC. This morning, the longest reported delay was at the Lincoln Tunnel (supposedly a half hour, due to an accident on the 495 approach to the tunnel). Of course, just as in the financial markets, past performance is no guarantee of future results.
I agree that taking the Holland Tunnel probably makes the most sense if you're coming from Bayonne--all the more so as you're familiar and comfortable with the route.
Good luck, & bon voyage!
-
My wife & I are very saddened to learn of Gina's passing. We met her and her husband during on board the QE2 (crossing from Southampton to New York) in January 2006--she was a member of that famous informal group of intrepid North Atlantic voyagers, the Winter Crossing Club.
Although we didn't keep in touch afterward, I was always delighted to read her postings on Cruise Critic, even when she was addressing a topic that didn't directly concern me. Her style was completely sui generis.
Those who followed her posts here will know that she was a feisty, fearless lady who ran a successful international business and who traveled the world to do work that most of us would find daunting. Her business often took her to dangerous corners of the globe, including Iraq and Afghanistan; I recall one particular posting of hers, from a military base, that went beyond mere travelogue and gave a rare personal glimpse into actual conditions "on the ground" in a war zone.
Amidst this busy life, while dealing with the daily intricacies of her own complex business, she showed great generosity in her willingness to share her extensive first-hand practical knowledge of travel and transportation with strangers online. She didn't mince words, and her opinions and advice didn't always please everyone. (Personally, I found her attitude refreshing.) But she knew that life can only be lived to the fullest when we face the truth and deal with it. That certainly is a quality to be admired and celebrated.
-
Island_gerl ~
Just a thought: You might consider driving down to the Branford/ Guilford/ Madison CT area (just east of New Haven) and staying overnight at one of the several inexpensive hotels/motels (Holiday Inn Express, etc) there, off of I-95 or Route 1.
Then, next morning, take the Shore Line East train to New Haven (Union Station) and change there for a Metro North train into NYC.
There are train stations at all three of these towns (Branford/ Guilford/ Madison), with free parking at each of them. The hitch is that station parking is in open lots, with no visible security, so I can well understand if you are reluctant to leave your car out in the open for ten days.
I'm very familiar with Branford; the station is in a generally safe area. For what it's worth, on numerous occasions my brother has left his car there for extended periods with no problems.
The Shore Line East train from Branford takes only 15 minutes to New Haven; the fare is $3.25, and children under 11 travel free. If I recall correctly, you can purchase a combined Shore Line/ Metro North ticket to NYC from the conductor on the Shore Line train. The Metro North train to NYC generally departs from Union Station directly across the platform from where the Shore Line train pulls in, so you don't have to haul luggage up and down stairs.
http://www.shorelineeast.com/index.php
If you would rather not leave your car in the Branford station lot, you can drive to New Haven and park in the garage at Union Station; I believe the cost is $18 per day, so obviously this would add $180 to your overall cost:
http://nhparking.com/DETAILS.aspx?id=20&zoom=14
Our preferred route driving from coastal Maine to the Branford area is I-95>495>290>395>95. From Portland, this usually takes around 5 hours, depending on traffic.
-
Get out of town? Really? I had no clue and I have lived in Stamford all my life. My only concern is getting on that train with all our cruise luggage. I'm sure we will have 3 bags (and not small ones).
It's a well-kept secret.;) I know from long personal experience that native Nutmeg Staters consider New Jersey to be a strange and foreign land, and New Jerseyans likewise regard Connecticut as a different country. (I speak as someone who grew up in your neck of the woods and didn't set foot in NJ until middle age, and then only with great trepidation.:eek::D)
I see luggage-laden travelers going to & from EWR on the train all the time; indeed, my wife & I routinely travel to/from EWR by train. Newark Liberty Airport station is virtually adjacent to the airport; a connecting monorail (the "airtrain") designed for travelers with luggage runs between all three EWR terminals and the station and takes just a few minutes. Everything is well signposted, and there are convenient elevators as well as escalators, so no stairs to climb at any point of the journey.
-
If we fly back into NYC we will have to get car service to Stamford and that's not cheap. Actually will probably cost just as much as the flight.
Just an idea: If you fly into Newark (EWR) instead of LGA, you can take Amtrak from the airport station to Stamford for as little as $28 per person.
My brother in CT, a frequent flier, prefers to fly in and out of EWR rather than LGA or JFK mainly because of the ease of train travel between CT & EWR.
-
Stay at EWR and Uber to NYC.
HOboken can get randy esprcially on the weekends
No doubt some guys get randy, and some get rowdy.;) After all, there is a bar scene in this mile-square town, with the attendant Saturday-night randiness and occasional rowdiness among certain bar-hoppers. But Hoboken is a highly gentrified town now, home to upwardly mobile young families (Walls Street types and other professionals) living in upscale brownstones and expensive waterfront condos. There are numerous restaurants, and a modern high-rise W hotel overlooking the Hudson. I've never encountered any trouble in Hoboken, day or night--but alas, my randy and rowdy days are long past.:D
In any case, I wouldn't hesitate to stay in Hoboken, and I'd certainly prefer to be here than at a Newark Airport hotel.
-
#4'smom ~
As Carol (138east) noted, the address you posted is definitely in Union City, not in Hoboken. I haven't been up there in some years; as I recall (aided by a quick look around the neighborhood on Google Streetview), it's a fairly pleasant although not scenic residential area:
In any case, however, this is a far less convenient location for traveling back & forth to Manhattan and to Bayonne than would be an actual Hoboken or Jersey City address. From what I can figure out using the New Jersey Transit online travel planner, the trip into and out of Manhattan would involve a change of bus en route. (There might well be a direct bus, as you have been told, but I haven't been able to find the route or any information.) Personally, I would be somewhat hesitant about renting a house in this location, simply because of the logistics.
The Jersey City/ Newport hotels recommended by Carol are all in excellent locations, with easy travel options to/from Manhattan. If any of those hotels have rooms that suit your budget, I would not hesitate to book them.
-
I bite my tongue every time someone posts that they want to find a hotel "close to the port" in Manhattan. If I were ever to stay in a Manhattan hotel pre cruise (highly unlikely), that area would be near the bottom of my list.
Indeed! :D
Like you, I haven't ever had the need to stay in a Manhattan hotel overnight. (Home is just a short train ride away from midtown.) But if I did, and if money were no object--a very big "if"--I would choose the East Side over the West Side every time. Either someplace in or near Murray Hill (the East 30s/Madison, Park, or Lexington Avenues), or the Upper East Side (anywhere from the Waldorf Astoria on Park between E 49th-50th, up to the Wales on Madison & E 92nd, or any of the swank hotels overlooking Central Park. After all, who hasn't ever wanted to stay at the Plaza?:)) While none of these locations is "near" the Hudson River piers, they aren't really a great distance away--a reasonably shortish cab ride.
Of course, prices at most of those establishments range from very expensive to out of this world, which puts them out of consideration for budget travelers.
For what it's worth, on the Upper West Side I'd probably choose the Beacon or the Empire; or (not quite Upper West Side, but near Carnegie Hall) the Wellington.
But money being an object, as it is for many travelers, in the real world I'd probably end up at a Hampton Inn/ Holiday Inn Express/ Courtyard or a similar chain hotel. These are in plentiful supply in west midtown, and would probably suit most travelers on a relatively modest budget who want to spend a night or two in Manhattan before a cruise.
Just my three cents' worth.
-
Just my two cents' worth:
I think too many cruisers from out of town get hung up on the idea of finding a hotel "close to the port." Given the plethora of public transportation options in Manhattan, you're never really that far from the Upper West Side piers wherever you stay in midtown or downtown.
For someone who only wants to visit the 9/11 Memorial before the cruise, a downtown (Lower Manhattan) hotel as suggested by bda73 would not be a bad idea; in fact, I'd say it would be quite convenient. Although you'd be located four or five miles from the pier, the trip from hotel to pier would be quite easy by taxi--a straight shot up the West Side Highway (or whatever it's called these days) that would take around 25 minutes (depending on traffic).
-
For the most part, it's really more of a long, gentle, steadily upward slope than a steep hill. The walk can seem very long, especially if you're coming up from Holyrood Palace at the bottom end of the hill. (They don't call it the Royal Mile for nothing.;)) But there are lots of sights along the way, and ample opportunities for window-shopping (and for just plain shopping/ browsing), plus lots of pubs, cafes, restaurants, etc., to nip into for both liquid and solid refreshment. And then there are fascinating snickets (alleyways) to explore. You needn't make the walk into a brisk forced march unless you want to; most tourists seem to turn the peregrination into a gentle amble or even just a general milling-about.
And therein lies the problem, of a sort. It's not the length or steepness of the climb so much as the hordes of tourists milling about and fussing with their maps and mobile phones and getting in your way as you attempt to stride purposefully to your destination. The last stretch of the climb is pedestrianised, but take note that the road surface on the upper reaches is cobblestone.
But, to paraphrase the old Cunard slogan: Getting there is half the fun. Edinburgh is a fascinating city, and the castle is only a small part of it. Take your time and enjoy your visit!
PS. If you really want a climb, try going up Calton Hill. Or, better yet, Arthur's Seat!:D
-
We think we might book the Kitano
66 park ave.
Is this a OK location.
Looks like it's walking distance to ESB and Time's Sq
An excellent location. I've only been inside once (for tea, some years ago), but walk past it frequently. Just a few minutes' walk from 5th Avenue & the Empire State Building as well as the Morgan, Grand Central Station, etc.
There are a gazillion restaurants within a half-mile radius--especially on the cross streets as well as on Lexington & on Third Ave, etc. Everything from the standard fast-food chains and local delis, diners, & pubs to high-end French restaurants, and just about any sort of ethnic cuisine you can think of (and many that you can't).
(The Kitano of course is a Japanese boutique hotel and has a fine Japanese restaurant.)
-
Keksie ~
Just to add my two cents' worth to the excellent advice already provided by Carol (138east) and others...
For a quick orientation re. the immediate area around the DoubleTree, take a look at Google Maps:
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7248559,-74.0354311,17z
The DoubleTree is near the bottom center of the page, on the left-hand side of Washington Boulevard. The Newport PATH station is near the top center of the page, on the right-hand side of Washington Blvd. It's only a five or ten minutes' walk between the two, so you will have quick & easy access for traveling into Manhattan & back.
If you have a manageable amount of luggage and want to take the Light Rail most of the way to Cape Liberty (as suggested above by MarlboroBell), the Harsimus Cove Light Rail station is literally just around the corner from the DoubleTree. From here, it's just a 20-minute trip to 34th Street in Bayonne, and the fare is just $2.25 for adults, $1.10 for children/seniors (62+)/disabled. The trains run at very frequent intervals, so there's no need to worry about specific timetables. For what it's worth, DW and I always use the light rail to get to Bayonne and then catch a cab for the final two miles to the cruise terminal itself.
Incidentally, if you need any last-minute sundries or just want to go on a shopping spree before your cruise, the Newport Centre Mall has more than 100 stores, from department stores such as Macy's and Kohl's to smaller specialty shops (as well as a CVS). The mall is just a five minutes' walk from the DoubleTree.
And for terrific views of the Hudson River and Manhattan, don't forget to take a walk along the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway.
-
I'm going on a cruise with my elderly mother, husband and our 1 year old. We aren't going to be bringing a carseat and don't want to put our daughter in a taxi without one. I've looked into car service (a few will provide carseats), but with 4 people + luggage, it looks like we'd need a larger vehicle and it seems quite expensive. Tentatively, our plan is for me to take my mother via taxi with our luggage and my husband will take my daughter via public transit.
This is what I've come up with and would be very thankful for someone to confirm (as my husband always needs very accurate directions!) or correct me if I'm wrong:
From LaGuardia to hotel at 123rd West 57th Street, New York (on Wed. Dec. 2 - likely around 3 - 4 p.m.)
-Take bus Q70 to Roosevelt Avenue/74th Street (4 stops)
-Walk about a minute to subway at Jackson Heights/Roosevelt Ave
-Take F train towards Kings Hwy (4 stops)
-Exit at 57th Street (will be at 57th & 6th Street)
From Hotel (123 W 57th St) to NCL cruise terminal (711 12th Avenue) morning of Thurs. Dec. 3
-Take Bus M31 from 57th St/7th Ave toward Clinton 11 Ave (5 stops)
-Exit at 54th St/11 Ave
-Walk about 5 minutes to terminal
Just to clarify: 711 12th Avenue is the address for the vehicle entrance to the cruise terminals complex. Taxis enter the terminals complex via an elevated roadway from 12th Ave & 54th St and then drop you off at the entrance to the pier itself (Pier 88.)
But: If taking the M31 bus to West 54th St/11th Ave as described above, you would then walk to the pedestrian entrance of Pier 88 at West 48th St and 12th Ave--not to the vehicle entrance. So, this is a bit of a longer walk--I'd say 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the pace.
As a possible alternative to the M31 bus, you could take the M12 bus from Columbus Circle to the bus stop at West 48th St and 11th Ave. This involves a slightly longer walk from your hotel to where you board the bus, but gets you much closer to Pier 88. Plus, you'd be boarding the bus at the start of the route, so would be quite likely to get seats.
You can download bus timetables in pdf form here:
http://web.mta.info/nyct/service/bus/mhtnsch.htm
From cruise terminal to Newark Airport (Sun. Dec. 13)
I'm not sure about this one?
-Go to Port Authority Bus Terminal (likely walk - about 25 minutes) at 41st Street between 8th and 9th
-Take Coach Bus to Newark
Yes, that sounds about right. Walking time again will depend on your pace & the route you take. For what it's worth, Google Maps estimates the walking time as 17 minutes, but I'd say that's probably a bit optimistic with a 1-year-old and grandmother in your group.
The airport bus leaves from outside the Port Authority Bus Terminal; the website says the pickup point is on "the Port Authority side of 41st Street between 8th and 9th Avenue." See these web pages for more information:
http://www.coachusa.com/info/olympia/ss.toolkit.wheretobuy.asp
Any help (confirmation/suggestions) is greatly appreciated!
Hope the information I've provided above is helpful. Bon voyage!
-
Both Macy's and Kohls offer all sorts of coupons on a daily basis. Sign up to receive in your email. I would never pay full price for anything at Kohls. Some luxury brands at Macy's never go on sale but they offer great sales too.
The Mrs has made clipping coupons for Macy's and Kohl's a full-time hobby. I just go along for the ride.:D
-
So you can take your luggage with you on the water ferry? We will have 2 of the 28" pieces.
Yes indeed--not a problem. There are no stairs to climb at either end of the ride. You simply roll your luggage onto and off the ferry via a gentle ramp when the ferry docks at the terminal.
This short video gives a glimpse of the ferries and of the Port Imperial (Weehawken) and 39th Street (Manhattan) terminals:
-
vondofife ~
Just to add my two cents'/ tuppence' worth: You might well be able to find everything you're looking for, and more, at the Newport Centre Mall. As Carol mentioned, it's very close to the Hyatt Regency--a quick trip on the light rail, or a 15-minute walk.
My own (& my wife's) shopping experiences at the Newport mall generally center on Macy's and Kohl's, two large department stores with extensive selections of clothing and housewares... Altogether the mall has more than 130 stores & shops, indeed including (according to the list linked below) a Yankee Candle Shop. (I've never noticed it myself, but that may be because I haven't ever gone searching for candles.:D)
http://www.simon.com/mall/newport-centre/map
http://www.simon.com/mall/newport-centre/stores
Hope this helps.
-
hmmerr01 ~
I have no personal knowledge of any such tours from Dover to the Warner Bros studio, but based on the location of the studio--near Watford, some 20 miles northwest of London--it seems extremely unlikely to me that any such tours would originate in Dover. In other words, Watford isn't on the way to London from Dover--it is clear on the other side of London, necessitating a longish drive on the M25 to skirt London.
Assuming that you will be spending at least one night in London after your cruise, you would be much better off taking the train from London Euston to Watford Junction, from where there is a shuttle bus to the studio:
-
I guess you learn something every day. I've never seen the separate NJ Transit waiting area...and it's not as if it's been years since I've used NJ Transit. I always wait in the Amtrak area.
Frankly I can't even form a mental picture of where it is. The Amtrak waiting room is so close to the tracks normally used by NJ Transit it wouldn't even occur to me to look for another waiting room.
When you enter Penn Station at the main 7th Avenue entrance and go down the escalator or stairs to the upper level, it will be off to your left (off the main east-west corridor) just after you pass the first couple of shops.
Also, the station entrance at the corner of 7th Ave & 31st St leads directly to the NJ Transit enclave:
There are actually about three distinct sub-sections (connected to each other by steps/ramps) to the NJ Transit enclave. You can also enter each section directly from the central corridor.
The ticket window area:
Of course, the place is a madhouse during the evening rush hours:
So you might well be better off sticking to the "secret" route down to the trains from the Amtrak end of the station! ;)
Personally, when I take the train into Penn Station from NJ, I always walk back along the platform (toward the rear of the train) and use the stairs that come up into the lower level of the station beneath the Amtrak waiting area or (depending on the track and/or the particular stairway) directly into the Amtrak area on the upper level.
Given how confusing Penn Station can be even for people who pass through it regularly, I can only imagine how bewildering it can be for first-time tourists arriving or departing there.
-
Has NY Penn Station changed? I used to take Amtrak from Boston to NYPS and NJ Transit to Princeton and vice versa and never left the Amtrak area of the station. There used to be a NJ Transit ticket area there where you could buy a ticket from the machine and with an Amtrak ticket you could use the Amtak waiting area. No need to ever move to the NJ Transit area when coming off an Amtrak train.
NJ Transit has had its own separate waiting & boarding area for a number of years now, in the southeast corner of Penn Station (near the 7th Avenue exits), whereas the Amtrak waiting/boarding area occupies the western side of the station (near the 8th Avenue exits). The NJ Transit section has its own (much more attractive) interior design and feels like a completely different place from the Amtrak area.
It is possible to access the tracks for NJ Transit trains via the lower level passageway beneath the Amtrak boarding area--but you really have to know your way around the "hidden" parts of the station. I wouldn't recommend that tourists try to get down to the tracks this way. ;)
And then there's the Long Island RR section, which I won't even try to describe! :eek::D
-
We live in southwestern Ontario and are cruising out of Bayonne this January. I don't fly so we were going to drive to Newark but have decided to take Amtrak from Buffalo to New York. We can get to Newark Penn Station - where we've booked the Hilton right at the station, but it's a 1 hour and 20 minute wait for the connection with Amtrak, according to their schedule - for a 17 minute trip - and I've heard that the trains (Amtrak) often run late. Sooooo, can we get to Newark Penn Station via a train that isn't Amtrak? It looks like it from your comment above, but I just wanted to make sure - and how often do they run? We'd take a bus also - we'll have a backpack each plus a large duffle bag on wheels each. Is that an issue?
Marion
Just to expand a bit on the information already given by Carol and chengkp75: Yes, you can easily change to an NJ Transit train at New York Penn Station.
Amtrak and NJ Transit have their own separate and distinct areas within Penn Station. When you disembark from your Amtrak train, go up the escalators from the platform to the main level of Penn Station and then follow the signs to the NJ Transit waiting area. (If you don't see such signs, just follow the signs toward the 7th Avenue exit. The NJ Transit section of the station is on the right hand side as you approach the main 7th Avenue exit.)
This diagram of the upper level of Penn Station shows the relative locations of the Amtrak and NJ Transit sections within the station:
http://jasongibbs.com/pennstation/#upper
The following video should also give you a pretty clear idea of the station layout--it takes you from an Amtrak platform to the point (at about 3 minutes into the video) where the NJ Transit area is located. (No need to watch much past the 3-minute mark as the camera person exits the station.)
There are NJ Transit ticket windows and ticket machines in this area. The one-way fare is $5.25 for adults; $2.45 child/ senior (62+)/ disabled, and the trip takes less than 20 minutes. Depending on the time of day, there are usually about four or five trains an hour that stop at Newark Penn Station, so you shouldn't have a long wait for the next departure. Your ticket will be good on any train.
The track number for each NJ Transit train is posted and announced about ten minutes or so before departure. The moment this happens, there's usually a mad dash down the escalators or stairs to the platform. To avoid this bit of controlled chaos, take the elevator down to the platform.
I often travel with luggage on these trains. It's not the most comfortable way to travel, but for the short ride from New York to Newark, you should be fine with a backpack & duffel bag.
-
NJ, you are right in that I'm really used to urban traffic; however, taking the taxi to 55th Street is a much better idea for us. The difference in cab fare is nothing compared to trying to navigate many lanes of traffic pulling suitcases. Would you still go up another street other than 12th? I hope the cabbie understands that I need to pass the NCL pier to get to 55th Street where he can enter. Thank you for your able assistance.
Any NYC cabbie worth his or her salt should know that the motor vehicle entrance to the piers is at 12th Ave & West 55th Street.
The road entrance to the terminal is well signposted. Here we are (going north) at 12th & W 54th:
At 12th & W 55th, the driver makes a left and goes across the opposite (southbound) lanes of 12th Ave to the service approach road to the piers (aka "Ship Terminal"):
So you're now going south on the service road, and in another hundred yards or so you're here:
Straight up the ramp--the gate will be open--and you'll be deposited right at the doorway to the pier. Easy peasy.
Traffic shouldn't be heavy on a Sunday, so it won't make much difference if the driver goes up 12th Avenue, or if he goes up 10th or 8th and cuts across on 55th. It's the same distance either way. (In general, I'd say that traffic is heaviest on 8th Ave.)
Store near Port of NEw York?
in East Coast Departures
Posted
I'll say! :D I'm a dedicated walker, and not averse to a gentle amble of eight or ten miles in the English countryside. Indeed, I used to think nothing of walking from Midtown Manhattan to Lower Manhattan. But the highways around LaGuardia ain't the sort of roads I'd want to be walking on! :eek: Especially hauling luggage for a cruise. ;)
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/LaGuardia+Airport,+New+York+11371,+United+States/40.7656981,-73.9980342/@40.764843,-73.9688064,13z/data=!4m9!4m8!1m5!1m1!1s0x89c25f8983424db5:0x772fc4660e9666b3!2m2!1d-73.8739659!2d40.7769271!1m0!3e2
(On the other hand, the composer Percy Grainger thought nothing of walking from his home in White Plains to Carnegie Hall to give a concert; then, after the concert, he'd walk back home--a round trip of about 45 miles. Admittedly, he was a bit of an eccentric.)