CAPE LIBERTY 411 - Version 3!

[queenL]

Newark airport. We are planning on catching a 4 or 5pm flight. Yes, we are on Quantum. I will likely book the ships tour I was just hoping there were some other tour options that might stop at a few more places.

[mikegrip]

Hi there-We are going to be driving in I-78 from the PA Turnpike and was wondering what hotels would be good to stay at before getting to Newark Airport area-is Basking Ridge a nice area? Thanks in advance for the help :)

[maggieq]

It's a no frills company that can arrange varying sized cars to accommodate groups. They don't have a web site. You have to call them 4-6 weeks ahead to make a reservation. They should be able to accommodate your group of six. Folks have been very happy with them.

 

Independent driver - 888-816-0973

 

Hello, do you know their coverage area? Looking fir a car service to take us home from Bayonne in November. Thanks!

[138east]

Hi there-We are going to be driving in I-78 from the PA Turnpike and was wondering what hotels would be good to stay at before getting to Newark Airport area-is Basking Ridge a nice area? Thanks in advance for the help :)

 

What is your exact date and how many people? Basking Ridge is definitely a very nice area- we haven't had too many inquiries about it, but I know it is nice. I checked Hotwire and the hotels are inexpensive on the weekends at least and very highly rated. The only disadvantage in booking a blind hotel would be that you have to drive a few miles out of your way.

[138east]

Hello, do you know their coverage area? Looking fir a car service to take us home from Bayonne in November. Thanks!

 

My impression is that they are primarily a local NY metro area service. Where do you need to go? I would call them and ask.

[cidymom]

I'm planning on staying at the Residence Inn Newark Elizabeth/Liberty International Airport pre-cruise for a couple of days as the hotels are cheaper than in NYC. However, we would like to get into NYC to see the sights. I understand there is a train from Newark into NYC. Can someone tell me: (1) where the train station is in Newark (2) how far is it from the Residence Inn, is it within walking distance (3) how long is the train ride into NYC (4) where does it arrive in NYC (4) is there a place to pick up groceries near the Residence Inn. Thank you everyone in advance for your help.

[138east]

I'm planning on staying at the Residence Inn Newark Elizabeth/Liberty International Airport pre-cruise for a couple of days as the hotels are cheaper than in NYC. However, we would like to get into NYC to see the sights. I understand there is a train from Newark into NYC. Can someone tell me: (1) where the train station is in Newark (2) how far is it from the Residence Inn, is it within walking distance (3) how long is the train ride into NYC (4) where does it arrive in NYC (4) is there a place to pick up groceries near the Residence Inn. Thank you everyone in advance for your help.

 

1). There are two train stations in Newark - Newark International Airport Station andNewark Penn Station

2). You can get to Newark Airport Station by taking your hotel shuttle back to the P4 Airtrain station and the free Airtrain to the Newark Airport Station which has no vehicle access. Newark Penn Station would be accessible only by cab or by local bus from the airport terminals. Train is $12.50/pp each way from the airport station and $5 each way from Newark Penn Station.

3). The train ride is about 22+ minutes with about 4 trains/hour. Google NJTransit for more details.

4). The train arrives at New York Penn Station (32nd between 7th & 8th Aves)

4). There is no place to pick up groceries near Residence Inn.

 

What are your exact dates? What are you paying for Residence Inn? Did you consider hotels in Jersey City instead of the airport?

 

If you are going to downtown Manhattan on a weekday, PATH trains from Newark Penn Station are the better way to get to downtown Manhattan.

[cidymom]

Thank you so much for your detailed reply. I haven't booked the Residence Inn yet for April 2015 but was considering it because it had a free shuttle to the airport and close to the outlet mall. How far is Jersey City to Newark Airport? I haven't heard of the PATH trains. Are they quicker than the other trains? Where do they end up in NYC? How long do they take to get into NYC? Also, can you provide some names of hotels in the Jersey City area. Unfortunately I'm not familiar with this area as it will be our first time there. Many thanks for your helpful advice.

[138east]

Thank you so much for your detailed reply. I haven't booked the Residence Inn yet for April 2015 but was considering it because it had a free shuttle to the airport and close to the outlet mall. How far is Jersey City to Newark Airport? I haven't heard of the PATH trains. Are they quicker than the other trains? Where do they end up in NYC? How long do they take to get into NYC? Also, can you provide some names of hotels in the Jersey City area. Unfortunately I'm not familiar with this area as it will be our first time there. Many thanks for your helpful advice.

 

If you also want to sightsee in NYC, you should consider other options in order to balance time, money, and stress. Some folks are looking for the cheapest options, but others are willing to spend a bit more on a hotel to get an overall plan that is a better balance of these three objectives.

 

1). Hotels in Jersey City - Courtyard, Candlewood Suites, Doubletree, Westin, and Hyatt.

 

2) PATH trains are a NJ "subway" system with four routes - Newark to WTC, Journal Square (Jersey city) to 33rd St (Herald Square)', Hoboken to WTC, and Hoboken to 33rd. These trains will be running 7x24 in April 2015. http://www.panynj.gov/path/. Cost is $2.50/pp

 

3) To get from the airport to Jersey City you have to pay about $55 for a taxi or car service.

 

4). There are two Path Stations in the Newport area of Jersey City - Newport/Pavonia and Exchange Place (Grove is close too). The ride from Exchange Place to World Trade is 5 minutes. The ride from Newport to 33rd St is 15 minutes and about 7 minutes to WTC.

 

If you stay in this area, you have the option of hopping on the light rail with your luggage to go to 34th St in Bayonne for $2.10/pp. From there you call a cab to go into the port for $10-15. Otherwise you need another car service for about $55.

 

It will cost you $50 and an hour+ each way to go in and out of New York from the Residence Inn. If you take the train to Newark Penn Station and Path to WTC, it will cost you $10.75 each way.

 

The Newport Mall has no tax on clothes and a special low sales tax of 3.75% on other goods.

 

So when you figure out all the costs, the time, and the possible stress, you can determine if it is worth it to spend a bit more money for the convenience of Jersey City. I recently spent three nights in the Courtyard and met folks who were running in and out of the city twice a day because the location was so convenient.

Edited October 2, 2014 by 138east

[internetwhiz]

We are using points to stay in NYC. 40th street not far from the Port Bus Terminal. 35,000 pts a night is better than paying.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Post Captain]

I haven't heard of the PATH trains. Are they quicker than the other trains? Where do they end up in NYC? How long do they take to get into NYC?

The following video (among others) will give you a good idea of what the PATH system & PATH trains are like:

 

 

On weekdays, the trains do get quite crowded during rush hour (especially going from New Jersey to Manhattan from, say, 7:30 to 9:30 in the morning, and from Manhattan to New Jersey from 4:30 to 6:30 or thereabouts in the evening), but otherwise you shouldn't have trouble getting a seat.

 

Incidentally, the fare just went up this week; it's now $2.75 one-way, with another increase promised (:rolleyes:) next year.

[ACL]

We are sailing on the Quantum in Feb. What would be a reasonable flight departure time? There was one at 12:25pm but when doing the on-line check in they suggested a departure time after 1pm.

[cidymom]

Many thanks for the helpful advice from Carol (138east) and others. I've been thinking about what Carol said about paying a bit more for the convenience and being stress-free especially when we are travelling with a young child. My family's main objective is to do the touristy thing in NYC for a couple of days and for me personally to visit the outlet mall. I've been rethinking our itinerary. Should we just pay the extra and stay in NYC for a couple of days to get the tourist things out of the way and then 1 day before the cruise stay at a hotel close to the outlet mall so I can indulge in my shopping habit while the rest of the family can relax at the hotel. How far is the area near the outlet mall to the Cape Liberty Cruise Port? What other hotels besides Residence Inn are in that area? Do hotels in that area provide shuttles to the cruise port? or best to call a taxi or car service? How does that plan sound? Thank you in advance for your advice.

[138east]

We are sailing on the Quantum in Feb. What would be a reasonable flight departure time? There was one at 12:25pm but when doing the on-line check in they suggested a departure time after 1pm.

 

12:25 should be fine for a domestic flight from Newark Airport.

[138east]

Many thanks for the helpful advice from Carol (138east) and others. I've been thinking about what Carol said about paying a bit more for the convenience and being stress-free especially when we are travelling with a young child. My family's main objective is to do the touristy thing in NYC for a couple of days and for me personally to visit the outlet mall. I've been rethinking our itinerary. Should we just pay the extra and stay in NYC for a couple of days to get the tourist things out of the way and then 1 day before the cruise stay at a hotel close to the outlet mall so I can indulge in my shopping habit while the rest of the family can relax at the hotel. How far is the area near the outlet mall to the Cape Liberty Cruise Port? What other hotels besides Residence Inn are in that area? Do hotels in that area provide shuttles to the cruise port? or best to call a taxi or car service? How does that plan sound? Thank you in advance for your advice.

 

How old is your child? Sounds like you need some outlet mall advice and unfortunately I can't give that to you. I do know that my family was underwhelmed by the Jersey Gardens Mall near the airport. However, there are outlet malls in Secaucus (Harmon Cove comes to mind), which could be a good alternative because of there are nice hotels and restaurants there and the distance and cost to Cape Liberty is similar. I can tell you my family shopped at the Newport Mall and was very happy with it, but I'm not sure if it qualifies as an outlet mall. What are you shopping for? We stayed at the Courtyard and the mall entrance was literally across the street from the hotel and the PATH entrance was next door. Perhaps there are other shoppers out there who can give you advice.

 

Remember at wherever you stay in Manhattan you will always have to get someplace else, which is why staying in Jersey City can be an affordable convenient alternative. What exactly do you want to do in NYC?

 

Near the Residence Inn, the only hotel that offers a cruise package is Country Inns, but with three people you can do better arranging your own transportation.

[am+a]

Carol, thank you for all the information. I was trying to get more info on possible fares from the Hilton Newark Penn Station and Cape Liberty. I saw in a previous post that you said it would be $100-150 (I'm assuming round-trip) but the taxi fare finder site says it is only $24 one way. That's quite a difference! Any additional insight on this would be greatly appreciated!

[njhorseman]

Carol, thank you for all the information. I was trying to get more info on possible fares from the Hilton Newark Penn Station and Cape Liberty. I saw in a previous post that you said it would be $100-150 (I'm assuming round-trip) but the taxi fare finder site says it is only $24 one way. That's quite a difference! Any additional insight on this would be greatly appreciated!

 

I'm not sure that Carol ever said taxi fare from Hilton Newark Penn Station to Cape Liberty would be $100-150. It should be in the $50-60 range (one way).

 

Taxi Fare Finder is probably using a within-Newark city limits metered rate to compute the fare to Bayonne, and that is not correct. The taxi is traveling outside Newark city limits and Taxi Fare Finder in general gives incorrect results when traveling from one city to another (not just Newark to Bayonne). It shouldn't be used to estimate that type of trip.

Edited October 3, 2014 by njhorseman

[138east]

$100-150 would be $50-75 each way and folks have paid in that range. You can't use the taxi fare finder because the trip is between cities in NJ and the reports we hear back indicate that flat fares are always quoted. This is a good thing if the traffic is backed up at Cape Liberty. Many folks including myself have had the experience of spending more time in traffic on the port access road than it took them to get there from the airport area.

 

We've heard quotes of $46 for taxis from the airport recently. If you add on some tolls and tip this is up to around $55. Car services will be a bit more. The rates from the Hilton should be similar.

[am+a]

OK, thank you for the input again. I get the difference now.

[cidymom]

Carol - thank you again for the additional information. I googled the Courtyard Jersey City Hotel and the reviews are very good with easy access to the PATH train in NYC and the Newport Mall. I can't believe it only takes 10 minutes to get into Manhattan. At least there is a mall there so I can still do a bit of shopping. I'm not looking to buy anything specific, perhaps some Nike running shoes for myself and my son but I just enjoy checking out the shops wherever I travel. I'm glad you brought up this alternative. Thanks!

[138east]

I stayed at the Courtyard for a family wedding in the beginning of Sep for three nights with DH, DS, DD, and 6 mo old DGD. We had a large spacious room with two queens and a sofabed that was perfect for us - it even came with a view of the Freedom Tower! The weekend price was $240 tax included, which was a steal for us with 5 people needing 3 beds. Otherwise we would have had to book two rooms. I know we couldn't have stayed in NYC with cars for anywhere near that price because we watched rates for months.

 

I was very happy with the hotel and the surrounding area. The lodging for our cars was $18/day/car, which is very reasonable (now up to $22). Hotel lobby area was spacious. Beds were comfortable. There is a pool and a fenced in outdoor courtyard. Food was expensive, but there are nearby alternatives (unlike the airport). I have no hesitation in recommending the property.

 

Marriott Courtyard Jersey City

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2100825

[cidymom]

Hi Carol. Another question - how far is it from the Courtyard in Jersey to the Jersey Outlet Mall? Can I easily take a taxi there? Approximately how much taxi fare do you think it would be? As you can see, I'm still focused on outlet shopping (bad habit of mine)! Thanks again.

[njhorseman]

Hi Carol. Another question - how far is it from the Courtyard in Jersey to the Jersey Outlet Mall? Can I easily take a taxi there? Approximately how much taxi fare do you think it would be? As you can see, I'm still focused on outlet shopping (bad habit of mine)! Thanks again.

 

If you don't mind my poking my nose in for Carol..it's about 13 miles to Jersey Gardens Outlet...a 20-25 minute car ride and with the high taxi prices in that area of NJ it will probably cost close to $50 in each direction!

[cidymom]

I appreciate everyone's advice/comments on the CC Boards. I guess I will be shopping at the Newport Mall instead but at least no travel time. Yikes, travelling by taxi anywhere is going to be expensive!

[138east]

The beauty of the Newport Mall is that you can shop there in the evening and not waste valuable daytime sightseeing time. Macy's always has some good deals. You might want to get a Macy's credit card if possible and watch their web site for coupons. I have 4 coupons sitting at home which expire In Oct and I am certainly going to take advantage of them if I can. There is also a Penneys which also offers similar deals. The reviews on Jersey Gardens Mall have been mixed, but it is the only game in town at the airport. As I said before, my family was underwhelmed by the mall.

 

I have had similar experiences in other parts of the country while traveling. I once went to and outlet mall in Texas and did not find a single store of interest. Here in New England it is hit or miss. Folks in our area used to go to the Conway area in NH or Kittery Maine for outlet shopping, but now we have two Premium Outlet Malls closer to Boston, one of which is across the road from where I work. It more than satisfies my need for outlet shopping.