flying OUT of JFK, away for 2 weeks-Hotels w/ parking?

[irisheileen]

Our family of 5 will be flying out of JFK Sat July 2 in the evening to Ireland for 2 weeks. (not a cruising vacation this time). We will drive up from NW suburbs of Philly that AM. We are now thinking that maybe we could use a hotel w/ free or reasonable parking. My Husband doesn't' want to drive through NY to the Airport. Shuttles from our area have horrible reviews.

 

So trying to figure if it is worth it to get a hotel for "the night" Saturday > park car> take hotel shuttle to JFK and reverse when arriving home.

 

Maybe North Jersey so we don't have to go into NY?

 

Any ideas or suggestions of hotels?

Thanks so much!

[njhorseman]

No hotels in NJ have shuttle service to JFK. That would generally only be available at hotels immediately adjacent to JFK...but we recommend that people avoid those hotels like the plague because NY City uses them to house temporarily homeless families.

[irisheileen]

Thanks for the advice. If we don't want to drive ourselves to the airport,

I can't think of any other idea other than getting areal limo service ($$$) from Philly to JFK. The transportation services have horrible reviews.

 

Anybody have any other ideas?

[mking8288]

How easy/difficult is it for 5 of you to get to PHL ... thinking of Amtrak to NYC's Penn Station, it's then an fairly simple transfer to the LIRR train to Jamaica, NY for the JFK AirTrain - on the assumptions that you are traveling with reasonable quantity of luggage on wheels and can manage pulling them.

 

Have not look at Amtrack schedule and costs for a Saturday - and how that would work for you ? Train schedule & on-time performance aren't the greatest but for the summer with evening flight out of JFK, you have a little bit of "room" for minor delays.

 

Once you reached NYC on train (or, even scheduled bus services ... hate to mention Greybound or Bolt Bus, etc. but if DW doesn't "like" or "want" to drive into NYC, you've taken out some options already for possible consideration, along with the local car/limo services. From NY's Penn Station, you can also take Dial7 or Carmel car services (which we just used 3 weeks ago again to get to cruise port, loved it) to JFK for slightly more than LIRR train & JFK AirTrain combo - which, actually - can be very cost effective, about $50 to $55 for the base fares, plus possible toll of under $6 as they do use EZ-Pass & only charged the discounted toll fares for us + 20% tipping.

 

Can someone drive you to PHL to make the trains - maybe an extended family member or friend, neighbors ?? - compensate them for time/expenses & fuel, etc.

[mjkacmom]

It looks like a 2 hour drive, and you shouldn't be driving through Manhattan, just a series of highways and bridges. I'd just drive and park in long term parking.

[mking8288]

For simplicity - agreed about doing that 2+ hours (allow 2.5 to 3 relaxed hours) drive on a Saturday morning - the 4th of July traffic would be gone, except those heading south for Jersey shores from NYC area - it's mostly Turnpike (NJ) driving coming up north, take one of the Staten Island bridge crossing (avoid going thru the Lincoln or Holland Tunnels via Manhattan to JFK) into the "city" and take the VZ Bridge into Brooklyn (where there's the usual traffic bottleneck, either upper or lower level, keep left for the Belt Parkway - 1st. exit off the bridge - upon crossing the bridge. Another 20 to 30 minutes depending on how bad traffic is around Coney Island area ... maybe take a rest stop for some hotdogs @ Nathans first - then, head for JFK.

 

Long-term JFK on-airport parking is "expensive" but if OP has AAA, consider booking of the off-site lots with AAA discounts (advanced reservations required - free shuttle to terminal & pickup on the return trip: 24/7/365) about $15 per day or 50% off airport rates. Return, just reverse - picked up by long-term parking's shuttle services, get into car & Belt Parkway west to SI to NJ Turnpike and homeward bound for PA destination.

 

It would get expensive for 5 people to ride Amtrak, LIRR and AirTrain, plus dealing with luggage, etc. If early @ JFK - there are places to eat a good meal at nearby Howard Beach or even Sheepshead Bay off the Belt Parkway for some fresh seafood first. Fancy linens at 30,000 ft. of gallery re-heated frozen/refrigerated meal service - even for business class, just won't do it nor pay absurd prices for food inside the airline terminals or club/lounge food ...

[thenameissimon]

Rental car. Rent for 24 hour period and return at the airport. For that duration and number of people you will save a ton of money. Save even more if you're a member of big wholesale chain or motor club etc

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[irisheileen]

Thanks all! I have to go out right now but I will explore these ideas a bit.

 

One thought now-- we won't have to drive through Manhattan or any of the very congested bumper to bumper inner city traffic? :eek: Except for the above mentioned bottleneck?

 

Take a look at these directions, please? :) Are they fairly good?

 

Kulpsville, PA

 

Get on I-476 S

3 min (1.2 mi)

 

Continue on I-476 S. Drive from I-276 E, NJ Tpke, I-95, I-278 E and Belt Pkwy to Queens, New York. Exit from Van Wyck Expy

2 h 2 min (120 mi)

 

Drive to your destination

4 min (0.6 mi)

Parking, JFK

John F. Kennedy International Airport, Terminal 1, New York, NY 11430

[mking8288]

... Take a look at these directions, please? :) Are they fairly good? ...

 

Yes, they are pretty good - and, I can tell that you used Google Map/NAV (and its companion, Waze - both on Androids & iOS for iPhones) all the time, amazing & unbelievable on how accurate it is ... 97.5% of the time (one time, we practically came upon an accident right after they collided, so got "trapped" briefly)

 

Depending on time of day when you cross into Staten Island (I-278) heading for Brooklyn - Belt Parkway / JFK Airport ... traffic might be slow due to lanes merging, but it'll move along - just heavy - as part of that is uphill toward the VZ Bridge. On weekends, the lower level of the bridge (cars only, no trucks or buses) might be closed for maintenance - use either but keep left as you get onto the bridge, signs will be for JFK/Belt Parkway ... again, it's always heavy traffic but moving. Bridge authorities have tow truck on standby to quickly clear any accidents or vehicles that broke down to keep everyone moving via live cam monitoring & patrols.

 

It will loop around as you come off the VZB onto the Belt Parkway, no directions to worry about as everyone is heading the same direction - toward Coney Island/ JFK & Long Island, it's another 15 miles or so to the airport.

 

For long-term, on airport parking, regardless of terminal - you want to follow signs for Long Term parking, lock & secure your vehicle and take the free AirTrain to all terminals (look at the digital signs ... just don't board the one that say Jamaica as that's for the LIRR/city subway & bus/transportation center to go into the "city" with a fare for exiting that station)

 

AirTrain's stop at T1 is elevated, ride the elevators with luggage on rollers/spinners down to street level, cross the street (arriving pax) into T1, look for your airline's check-in counter (upstairs on level 2, escalators or elevators) ... Unlike other major int'l airports, there are no free luggage carts for use - $6 was the recent fees, but you might be able to get 1 or 2 at the Long Term lot to use - from returning pax heading for their parked car & no longer needing/using them.

 

P.S. Long-term parking @ JFK on-airport is near "Federal Circle" just off the Van Wyck Expressway - $18 for every 24 hours and if you have EZ-Pass, it is accepted for payment. (BTW, EZ-Pass will definitely make your Turnpike & NYC bridge/tunnel crossing a lot faster/easier, with the discount, as cash-only lanes are notoriously slow & long in the summer months with out-of-town travelers not using one)