Question for Frequent Travelers to NYC from Northeast

[Pat]

We will be crusing from BCT on MSC in April.   We will be traveling from NH to NY by car.   We have frequently gone out of MCT on NCL and are familiar with that route.  We are older and do not enjoy rush hours or heavy traffic.    We need to spend one night somewhere outside the city and drive in the next morning for embarkation at BCT.  For those of you that know,  what do you think would be our best travel/hotel options for reaching BCT mid morning.    If you had a choice and lots of time, would you go down through Connecticut,  stop around Stamford and spend the night and drive down Hutchinson River Parkway  in the morning (a Saturday morning)  or would it be nicer for us to make our way to Yonkers, spend the night and drive down Rt. 9 in the morning?  When we are going to MCT we usually stay in Stamford.  Way back when someone posted a great route guide to the MCT with step by step instructions.  Anything like that out there for the BCT?  TIA (sorry to be so long worded...........)    Pat

[lx200gps]

We sailed for the first time out of the BCT last September, driving down from Montreal. We chose to drive directly down and stay in northern New Jersey rather than pay the very high hotel rates in either Manhattan or Brooklyn. We used a great Marriot just off the west end of the GW bridge. The morning of the cruise, we left the hotel around 8:30AM, completely misjudging how much traffic there would be and got to the BCT before 9AM. We drove down the Hudson Parkway along the west side of Manhattan, through the Battery tunnel, and a short drive to Red Hook. Since we were driving Manhattan early on a Saturday morning, the traffic was not bad at all. We hate heavy traffic as much as you, but we wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

 

While northern New Jersey wouldn't be ideal for you as you're coming from farther east, I guess my point is that you don't necessarily need to fear Manhattan traffic if you're coming in to (or leaving)  the BCT early on a weekend morning

[princeton123211]

12 hours ago, Pat said:

When we are going to MCT we usually stay in Stamford.  Way back when someone posted a great route guide to the MCT with step by step instructions.  Anything like that out there for the BCT?  TIA (sorry to be so long worded...........)

If you've stayed somewhere in Stamford before that you liked I would do the same thing here. The drive from Stamford to the BCT isn't terribly different from the one to the MCT until you get to Manhattan (where you can either drive down the East Side and take the Battery Tunnel over to Brooklyn or you can just stay on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway essentially straight in). 

 

Coming in on a Saturday you will not have any significant traffic unless there is some sort of major accident. Yonkers, while certainly doable, would be a little bit out of the way coming down from NH. Stamford would be along your normal route. 

[mking8288]

OP, since you are sailing out of BCT on a Saturday morning, traffic is going to be "typicall" weekend light inbound from CT,  If you are comfortable staying in Stamford, easy/off & on I-95, you are looking at about 1 hour of travel or driving time to Red Hook, Brooklyn.  You were referring to 138East / Carol that had a regular & steady presence here over the past decade - she & others put together some of the best tips, advice & guides to Cape Liberty as well as MCT ... 

 

I looked at Waze/Google Navigation - recommended route is to stay on I-95 and continue to the Hutch' River Pkwy, across the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge (thus, bypass or avoid going across Yonkers & down upper Manhattan on the Henry Hudson for downtown Manhattan via the FDR, etc.) but rather thru Queens to Brooklyn, either toward the Grand Central Pkwy in the direction of LGA Airport or via I-495, Long Island Expwy (West) toward I-278 West to Brooklyn.  EZ-Pass or Toll by Mail is about $6 or $10 if you do not have an account. 

 

As you approach downtown Brooklyn - there might be a slight bottleneck with 3 lanes merging into 2, ahead of and near the exit for Red Hook to BCT ... we use this route to get from/to Queens & Brooklyn all the time on weekends, early/mid weekend morning, usually not a problem or at most, a minimal 5 minutes extra time in rubbernecking traffic.  

 

You can do a virtual drive on your tablet/iPad or smart/i/Phone using Google Maps to check out this route and see whether you are comfortable doing the drive.  It should be quite simply and not any more complicated than the route down the HRP to Cross County Pkwy & Henry Hudson Pkwy to MCT.  

[Nitemare]

When we lived near Boston we drove to Manhattan or Queens 5-6/year on Saturday mornings and can't recall traffic more than once or twice in all those trips.  I'm sure going to Brooklyn won't be any different.

 

Stamford would be a good place to spend the night on Friday, lots of good restaurants in walking distance from the hotels near I-95, and then go to BCT either via Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge, or cross into Queens on the Whitestone Bridge and work your way to the terminal.  Chose whatever Google Maps or Waze recommends when you are leaving

[Pat]

Thanks to all you experienced NYC drivers.  I appreciate the info,  I believe we will stay in Stamford and leave there early enough in the morning to get the BCT in plenty of time.  As always I appreciate all the good information.