New York City question

[hutt90]

Ok, here is my issue, we are leaving out of New York City on June 8th. Plan on driving to New York a few days early to explore the city a bit. Never been there before. Parking is super expensive at the port. My question is are there any hotels in New Jersey perhaps that we could stay at and park during the cruise and then pick up car on the way home. Will need a way to get to port from the hotel on the day the cruise leaves. I am a small town girl so any help would be appreciated. thanks very much

[ahl]

Ok, here is my issue, we are leaving out of New York City on June 8th. Plan on driving to New York a few days early to explore the city a bit. Never been there before. Parking is super expensive at the port. My question is are there any hotels in New Jersey perhaps that we could stay at and park during the cruise and then pick up car on the way home. Will need a way to get to port from the hotel on the day the cruise leaves. I am a small town girl so any help would be appreciated. thanks very much

 

When we visit New York City we always stay at a hotel in the Harmon Meadow area of Secaucus, NJ. (Harmon Meadow is a large shopping and office complex.) Parking is free in an adjacent parking gararge. We then take a New Jersey Transit bus into New York City, to the Port Authority Bus Terminal near Times Square. It's worked very well for visits to the city and for a pre-cruise overnight. I recommend that option for a pre-cruise visit.

 

I don't know if they would permit your car to remain in the parking garage for a week, though. (There is no hotel parking permit required, you just park there. But, the garage is always patrolled.) We're from the Washington, DC, suburbs, so I suppose the parking fee at the New York Cruise Terminal doesn't seem as exorbitant as it might to others.

[hutt90]

Its not so much the fee that bothers me, it's the driving into New York City. Seems a little overwhelming to me.

[mommyto2girls]

Homewood Suites Edgewater NJ you can leave the car and take the ferry right across to the port or a car service. It is just the other side of the Hudson River look up the website for Hilton and you will see it.

[GTJ]

Your concerns about driving in New York City are well-placed; even native New Yorkers don't do that well of a job driving here. Once on foot in New York, you might find the sidewalks crowded but I think that is a lot less intimidating than driving here.

 

But even in New Jersey, approaching New York, driving it likely much more challenging than driving in Ohio. A key consideration to your inquiry is just how far out of New York would you like to stay so as to avoid those challenges? The further out you go, the more expensive the transportation into New York, and the less likely that you would be able to enjoy yourselves fully on the days before or after the cruise by sightseeing in the City.

 

It has been suggested that you consider staying along the waterfront or in Secaucus. The waterfront is very convenient to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal in New York, but driving there is only somewhat easier than driving in New York. Driving to Secaucus is easier than the waterfront, but you would still be confronting significant New York-bound traffic; transportation to New York is somewhat less convenient than from the waterfront.

 

You may want to consider staying in some of the suburbs a bit further removed from New York and Newark, perhaps even communities in more rural parts of New Jersey (or Pennsylvania) if the concern about driving ability is strong. Many parts of northern New Jersey--including rural areas--have regular, frequent, and direct bus or train service into either Port Authority Bus Terminal or Pennsylvania Station. Likewise for the Poconos in northeastern Pennsylvania. It is a very short taxi ride (or pleasant stroll with light luggage) between either of these two transportation terminals and the Manhattan Cruise Terminal.

 

I'm sure that many here can give specific recommendations as to where to stay in northern New Jersey (or in Pennsylvania), but you can also search for good deals online with one or more of the hotel and travel sites. If you get a few candidates and post them here you are likely to get much advice as to whether or not they are convenient to any of the aforementioned buses and trains to New York.

[hutt90]

I really don't have issues with the driving as my husband will be the one driving and I love my GPS. I just don't really prefer to drive in downtown Manhattan. We go to Washington Dc every year and handle that ok, so I think we can get to a nice hotel in New Jersey. I am just trying to find a hotel I can leave the car at for the week and get transportation into New York for sightseeing and to the port. Yesterday I looked at an Embassy Suites Secaucus that looked nice and has a bus stop right there. Any thoughts?

[BlueHerons]

Ok, here is my issue, we are leaving out of New York City on June 8th. Plan on driving to New York a few days early to explore the city a bit. Never been there before. Parking is super expensive at the port. My question is are there any hotels in New Jersey perhaps that we could stay at and park during the cruise and then pick up car on the way home. Will need a way to get to port from the hotel on the day the cruise leaves. I am a small town girl so any help would be appreciated. thanks very much

 

This is just my two cents. If you are going to Manhattan to explore and see Manhattan and other parts of New York City, why don't you stay in NYC?

 

Can you take the train in from Ohio? Sometimes the commute can be such a PIA that it isn't worth any money you save. Also, there is a lot to be said for being able to run back to the hotel in the middle of the day to drop off packages, rest your feet for a while, freshen up for dinner or a show, etc.

 

Even the best of commutes are 30-60 minutes because you have to factor in wait time.

[greatam]

I really don't have issues with the driving as my husband will be the one driving and I love my GPS. I just don't really prefer to drive in downtown Manhattan. We go to Washington Dc every year and handle that ok, so I think we can get to a nice hotel in New Jersey. I am just trying to find a hotel I can leave the car at for the week and get transportation into New York for sightseeing and to the port. Yesterday I looked at an Embassy Suites Secaucus that looked nice and has a bus stop right there. Any thoughts?

 

I agree with Blue Herons for the most part. You DON'T want to be riding the bus back from NYC late at night (after 9PM). You will NOT want to try to schlepp luggage to the port on the bus or the train (if you have more than a carryon). So you will have to take a taxi/car service (about $40-50 each way from the Secaucus area).

 

When you return from NYC on your sightseeing days, you will want to take the express train to Secaucus Junction (where you can park the car to return to your hotel).

 

There are only a few hotels that allow you to leave your car for a week. Have you checked with Embassy Suites (I doubt they will allow it-that is a busy hotel)?

 

If it was my trip, I would find a hotel in Manhattan (use Priceline bidding 4* if there are only two of you). Parking will be about $25-30.00 per day at most hotels. Park the car and take public transport for sightseeing. Then drive to the port and park there for your cruise. All in all, with the transport costs for sightseeing, it will work out about the same money wise. AND it will be a darn sight easier on you for all the reasons Blue Herons mentioned.

[ahl]

Its not so much the fee that bothers me, it's the driving into New York City. Seems a little overwhelming to me.

 

I didn't find there was that much Manhattan driving involved in reaching the New York Cruise Terminal from New Jersey. You take the Lincoln Tunnel to Manahttan. The exit and approach for the Lincoln Tunnel from the New Jersey Turnpike is well marked. There is a wonderful view across the Hudson of midtown as you go up and around to enter the tunnel. You can see the ships in port. There can be a lot of traffic waiting to enter the tunnel. The entrance goes down to two lanes, but everyone gets through. Probably better at mid-day when you would be boarding than at rush hour.

 

Once through the tunnel, the exit brings you out near the Javits Convention Center. Follow signs to 42nd Street. Turn left on 42nd Street. Turn right on 12th Avenue. Go up to about 55th Street and you're there! Left turn into the terminal. The return is very well marked.

[BlueHerons]

I didn't find there was that much Manhattan driving involved in reaching the New York Cruise Terminal from New Jersey. You take the Lincoln Tunnel to Manahttan. The exit and approach for the Lincoln Tunnel from the New Jersey Turnpike is well marked. There is a wonderful view across the Hudson of midtown as you go up and around to enter the tunnel. You can see the ships in port. There can be a lot of traffic waiting to enter the tunnel. The entrance goes down to two lanes, but everyone gets through. Probably better at mid-day when you would be boarding than at rush hour.

 

Once through the tunnel, the exit brings you out near the Javits Convention Center. Follow signs to 42nd Street. Turn left on 42nd Street. Turn right on 12th Avenue. Go up to about 55th Street and you're there! Left turn into the terminal. The return is very well marked.

 

Manhattan traffic is more hype than anything else. I've driven in Manhattan in rush hour traffic and quite frankly I found Charlotte, NC and Atlanta, GA traffic much much worse.

[MarlboroBell]

Manhattan traffic is more hype than anything else. I've driven in Manhattan in rush hour traffic and quite frankly I found Charlotte, NC and Atlanta, GA traffic much much worse.

 

Manhattan isn't great, but it could be a lot worse -- plus from the Lincoln Tunnel to the cruise terminal, you're only doing an itty bit of Manhattan, and most of it is the West Side Highway, which is probably the easiest part of Manhattan to drive in.

 

Personally, I'd stay somewhere outside NYC with free parking and easy/frequent transit links into town (Jersey City, Harmon Meadow or similar) for the NYC days, and then park the car at the cruise port for the duration -- but others may differ. For sure compare the price/hassle of parking at the port with the price/hassle of parking elsewhere and taking some form of transit to the port.

 

Others have suggested parking at Port Imperial or Lincoln Harbor in the past -- both are right across the river from Midtown with ferries that take you to within a fairly short walk of the ship. (See this thread, for instance.) Be aware that the Lincoln Harbor ferry doesn't run at weekends -- but the Port Imperial and Hoboken ferries do, and the light rail connects both to Lincoln Harbor.

[GTJ]

I really don't have issues with the driving as my husband will be the one driving and I love my GPS. I just don't really prefer to drive in downtown Manhattan.

 

Your original post sounded as though the concerns might have been greater, but you sound a bit more relaxed here. For many people it is not so much "getting lost" and needing a GPS system to find the way. Manhattan is actually quite easy to get around because nearly all the streets are through and are part of a uniform grid. In that respect Manhattan is much easier than virtually all suburban areas. What is difficult is that there are so many visual distractions coming at the driver all at once. There are so many signs that regulate or give direction, there are so many people, bicycles, and other motor vehicles, there are so many sounds, etc., that it can be difficult for some people to be able to drive safely with all this coming at once.

 

Also, be careful with terminology. Most people do not go to downtown Manhattan, and neither is the cruise terminal there. "Downtown Manhattan" (sometimes referred to as "Lower Manhattan" or "Wall Street") is the historic center of the city, located on the southernmost tip of the island. While still the seat for finance and government, most business and commerce is conducted in midtown Manhattan. If you were to ask directions to "Downtown," you might be directed to where you don't want to go.

 

We go to Washington Dc every year and handle that ok, so I think we can get to a nice hotel in New Jersey. I am just trying to find a hotel I can leave the car at for the week and get transportation into New York for sightseeing and to the port. Yesterday I looked at an Embassy Suites Secaucus that looked nice and has a bus stop right there. Any thoughts?

 

The bus service to and from the Embassy Suites is quite convenient. It operates regularly and until late at night. It is route 320, operated by New Jersey Transit. The trip takes about 20 minutes and it costs $3.15 per person each way. When boarding in Secaucus you need not concern yourself with having exact fare since the bus driver will make change for you. When returning from New York you will need to stop at the ticket window to buy tickets. Get a schedule here: http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/bus/T0320.pdf

 

That being said, the hotel is in a rather boring area, with a few big box stores and not much else. It is in an area not particularly oriented towards pedestrians and has little distinctive character; it is a place for cars. On the other hand, the hotels being suggested on the New Jersey waterfront have nice views, one can easily walk around, there is some character and history in the area, and transportation to New York is even more convenient and less expensive. But driving is not as convenient.

[hutt90]

Yikes getting confused. Let me try and get the gist. Pretty set on staying in NJ. Thinking of arriving on sunday before cruise leaves. that will give us Sunday evening and all day Monday to sort of explore a small amount of the city. Here is the question. Maybe the "best" spot to stay in order to get transportation to the city to explore,and then on Tuesday morning to get transportation to the port to board for our cruise. I'm sure we can get to the hotel with no problem. Not sure where in New York we want to try and check out yet but will figure that out after I get the hotel thing done. Sorry if I am being such a big pain but it is nice to talk to someone with the knowledge. Thanks very much for all your help. Jen

[greatam]

Yikes getting confused. Let me try and get the gist. Pretty set on staying in NJ. Thinking of arriving on sunday before cruise leaves. that will give us Sunday evening and all day Monday to sort of explore a small amount of the city. Here is the question. Maybe the "best" spot to stay in order to get transportation to the city to explore,and then on Tuesday morning to get transportation to the port to board for our cruise. I'm sure we can get to the hotel with no problem. Not sure where in New York we want to try and check out yet but will figure that out after I get the hotel thing done. Sorry if I am being such a big pain but it is nice to talk to someone with the knowledge. Thanks very much for all your help. Jen

 

If you are set on staying in NJ, you will have to find a hotel that will allow you to keep your car there for a week. Getting in and out of the city for sightseeing will depend on where you stay-ferry, bus or train. I DO NOT recommend taking the bus from NYC to Secaucus late at night (after 9PM).

 

Unless you can handle all your luggage by yourself on a city bus/commuter train, plan on taking a car service to the port-as posted previously, it will cost you at least $100 RT from a NJ hotel to the NY port (again, depends on where you stay-Secaucus area-$100 plus tip and toll, Elizabeth area-approx $130 + tip and tolls.)

 

Here is a pretty good map of the area around Embassy Suites and the car service I use a lot. Also, info about tolls (you pay RT tolls on a trip into NYC, so essentially you will pay the one way toll x 4), tipping, etc. Pay particular attention to the article "NYC, the Magic Pumpkin" and how NYC cab drivers DO NOT have to take you to NJ (except the airport).

 

http://secaucustaxi.*****.com/

[madelinerose]

This is just my two cents. If you are going to Manhattan to explore and see Manhattan and other parts of New York City, why don't you stay in NYC?

 

Sometimes the commute can be such a PIA that it isn't worth any money you save. Also, there is a lot to be said for being able to run back to the hotel in the middle of the day to drop off packages, rest your feet for a while, freshen up for dinner or a show, etc.

 

 

Agree 100%! Keep it simple and enjoy your time. ;)

[greatam]

Agree 100%! Keep it simple and enjoy your time. ;)

 

I agree 100%. GTJ makes the commute into the City seem easy. It is, if you live there or have been there lots of times. But I think this line from the OP is telling:"I am a small town girl".

 

I sure think it would be a darn sight easier to park the car ONCE in NYC for a hotel and then move it to the cruise port, rather than trying to negotiate public transport across state lines for sightseeing, hiring a car service to the port and trying to deal with luggage. That to a first timer can be a much more daunting proposition than driving into Manhattan to a hotel. JMHO

[madelinerose]

But I think this line from the OP is telling:"I am a small town girl".

 

I sure think it would be a darn sight easier to park the car ONCE in NYC for a hotel and then move it to the cruise port, rather than trying to negotiate public transport across state lines for sightseeing, hiring a car service to the port and trying to deal with luggage. That to a first timer can be a much more daunting proposition than driving into Manhattan to a hotel. JMHO

 

Again, totally agree. Just reading about all the schlepping, public transportation, crossing state lines, hiring cars, this train, this bus, this transfer, etc. wears me out and I know my way around Manhattan! :rolleyes:

 

hutt90, all kidding aside, DC to me, is one of the most confusing cities for driving. Between NE, SE, NW, SW, etc., I can't tell you how many times I've driven in complete circles and I live an hour away. :D

 

Manhattan is another animal indeed and an expensive one at that. However, sometimes convenience outweighs cost....at least it does for DH and me. Good luck with everything. ;)

[uppertank]

I was just investigating this myself, as I was considering driving out from Chi for a July cruise.

 

Regarding parking at a hotel; the Holiday Inn near Newark Airport let's you park for a week if you stay a night.

 

Here's a link to that and other parking only options: http://www.longtermparking.com/newjer.htm

[greatam]

I was just investigating this myself, as I was considering driving out from Chi for a July cruise.

 

Regarding parking at a hotel; the Holiday Inn near Newark Airport let's you park for a week if you stay a night.

 

Here's a link to that and other parking only options: http://www.longtermparking.com/newjer.htm

 

Where are you cruising from? Manhattan. Brooklyn or Bayonne

 

There are plenty of parking options around Newark airport. BUT by the time you park at an off airport lot AND get to the cruise port, you have generally spent as much if not more than just driving your car to the cruise port. Bayonne-$19.00 per day to park. Transfer from Newark Airport to Bayonne-$40-50 EACH WAY. Manhattan and Brooklyn cruise ports are even more expensive-plan on about $200 or more for RT transportation.

[greatam]

I was just investigating this myself, as I was considering driving out from Chi for a July cruise.

 

Regarding parking at a hotel; the Holiday Inn near Newark Airport let's you park for a week if you stay a night.

 

Here's a link to that and other parking only options: http://www.longtermparking.com/newjer.htm

 

I just checked that Holiday Inn. The link takes you to one in Carteret/Rahway, which is South from the cruise port (about 15 miles). So even if you have free parking, you will most likely incur additional charges getting to the cruise port.

 

The Holiday Inn at the airport is no longer a Holiday Inn. It is now a Ramada.

[VAL57SMITH]

Trying to get to that Holday Inn in Newark makes driving in Manhattan a breeze. We were leaving out of Bayonne 2 years ago and driving in Northern New Jersey was such a nightmare. I don't think GPS would even work there.

[GTJ]

GTJ makes the commute into the City seem easy. It is, if you live there or have been there lots of times. But I think this line from the OP is telling: "I am a small town girl".

 

The bus from the Embassy Suites into New York City is extremely easy. Perhaps one of the easiest trips that one could make using public transportation, even if one does not ordinarily travel as such. Certainly easier than driving. Walk outside the hotel and across the street, slightly to the right, is a bus stop shelter. When a bus approaches with a sign that reads route 320 to New York City, board the bus. Pay the fare to the driver, find a seat and sit down. When the bus gets to the last stop, New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal, stand up and alight. On the way back, board the bus by purchasing a ticket at the ground floor ticket windows and then following the signs in the terminal to gate 231 (or after 10:00 p.m., to gate 320); this is no different than following the signs to departure gates at an airport. It's difficult to see how this could be much simpler.

 

I DO NOT recommend taking the bus from NYC to Secaucus late at night (after 9PM)

 

I disagree here. New York has much to do both day and night that there should be little concern about leaving in the middle of the evening. Indeed, many people in Manhattan are only going out to dinner at 9 p.m. Granted, the bus back to Secaucus does not operate 24 hours a day, but the last bus back is at 1:00 a.m. (12:35 a.m. on Sunday nights), giving you plenty of time to enjoy yourself in this great city. Eat dinner out at a nice restaurant, enjoy the theatre on Broadway. Have fun. But don't worry about staying up too late!

 

I sure think it would be a darn sight easier to park the car ONCE in NYC for a hotel and then move it to the cruise port, rather than trying to negotiate public transport across state lines for sightseeing, hiring a car service to the port and trying to deal with luggage. That to a first timer can be a much more daunting proposition than driving into Manhattan to a hotel. JMHO

 

I think that leaving the driving to a bus driver and to a taxi driver is easier than doing the driving oneself. The bus and taxi drivers know their way around the area, while the out-of-town visitor likely does not. Parking the car once at a suburban New Jersey hotel, and then using (1) a bus to and from New York City and (2) a taxi to and from Bayonne, I think is easier. Since something "easy" appears to be the primary criterion here, I agree with the OP's plan to stay in New Jersey and park the car once.

[greatam]

 

I disagree here. New York has much to do both day and night that there should be little concern about leaving in the middle of the evening. Indeed, many people in Manhattan are only going out to dinner at 9 p.m. Granted, the bus back to Secaucus does not operate 24 hours a day, but the last bus back is at 1:00 a.m. (12:35 a.m. on Sunday nights), giving you plenty of time to enjoy yourself in this great city. Eat dinner out at a nice restaurant, enjoy the theatre on Broadway. Have fun. But don't worry about staying up too late!

 

No one said there wasn't plenty to do in NYC 24/7. What I said was the bus into Secaucus after 9:00PM leaves a lot to be desired and I sure wouldn't ride the bus in that area after 9PM. The train to Secaucus junction-yes. The bus-no. The 320 bus outside Embassy Suites is the local bus that winds through the shopping center area. To get the Express Bus, you have to walk up to Rt 3 south on Harmon Plaza Blvd.

 

 

I think that leaving the driving to a bus driver and to a taxi driver is easier than doing the driving oneself. The bus and taxi drivers know their way around the area, while the out-of-town visitor likely does not. Parking the car once at a suburban New Jersey hotel, and then using (1) a bus to and from New York City and (2) a taxi to and from Bayonne, I think is easier. Since something "easy" appears to be the primary criterion here, I agree with the OP's plan to stay in New Jersey and park the car once.

 

The OP STILL has to find a place to park the car for a week. Embassy Suites generally doesn't allow parking for that long in most of their locations because they have such a high turnover and occupancy rate. Plus they don't own the parking garage. It is owned by the mall owners and services LA Fitness, the Convention Center, Courtyard and all the little businesses around there. So the OP is going to have to determine if it is possible and how much it is going to be to park there for a week in addition to hotel location before any firm plans can be made.

 

The OP is cruising out of Manhattan, NOT Bayonne, which makes a world of difference.

[Got2Cruise]

To someone not familiar with the area, driving around NJ suburbs can be taxing also, it is very congested compared to other areas of the country. I think the OP would be better off staying maybe two hours out of NY the night before and then driving into Manhattan, which is not difficult, because the port is very near the Lincoln Tunnel so there is not much driving. jmo

[madelinerose]

likely does not. Parking the car once at a suburban New Jersey hotel, and then using (1) a bus to and from New York City and (2) a taxi to and from Bayonne, I think is easier. Since something "easy" appears to be the primary criterion here, I agree with the OP's plan to stay in New Jersey and park the car once.

 

Bayonne is not part of this equation. The OP is leaving from Manhattan. ;)