Driving to manhatten mid January from Burlington ont

[White123]

Any suggestions welcome re route, thruways leaving the car etc.   thank you.  

[CDNPolar]

Having done this drive many times, I think that they only route unless you want to have a leisurely scenic drive and stay over a night or two is to cross at Buffalo and take 1-90.  (See attached below). This alone will be an 8-9 hour drive without stops.

 

Regarding the car?  What do you mean leaving the car?  Are you boarding a ship?  How long will you be gone?

 

[White123]

Thanks for your reply.  We are boarding Venezia on Jan 23.   I am thinking we should drive and stay somewhere before manhatten.   Drive into manhatten the morning of the cruise, and park at the port.   

[Janedoe2012]

Have you considered driving to the Amtrak station near the Buffalo airport and taking the train into Manhattan? 

[LHT28]

Leave  enough time  in case of snow storms  especially in NYS  

Consider taking the train

https://reservia.viarail.ca/en/booking/create/trip/1?type=oneWay&ADT=2&travels=ALDR_NEWY_2024-01-22

 

https://www.amtrak.com/tickets/schedule-results.html

 

Take the GO to Union Station then fly Porter  to EWR

 

[CDNPolar]

Now knowing when you are travelling.... Personally I would not venture that drive in the winter unless I was allowing for several days advance arrival in case of bad storms.

 

Even when we are flying out of Toronto that has very low incidence of closure in the winter, for a cruise we always fly in at least one day early to ensure that weather delays don't put a damper on our arrival.  

 

Personally, I would GO to Union and Porter to the US - but at least one day early and stay overnight in New York.

[d9704011]

I'd choose an alternate means of getting from Burlington to Manhattan in January but you may have your own specific reasons for wanting to do it.

 

In any event, you should know the I90 (New York Thruway) is an electronic toll road.  All the toll gates have been removed in favour of cameras... like the 417 but much less expensive.

 

Just before you hit the road, you may want to pre-register your car at the following site to avoid any issues with the toll cops - and who knows abou any other US authority with access to a computer - later in life. 

 

https://www.tollsbymailny.com/vector/videotolls/paytollnow/signup.do?locale=en_US&from=Home

[White123]

Thanks for your reply.  We are boarding Venezia on Jan 23.   I am thinking we should drive and stay somewhere before manhatten.   Drive into manhatten the morning of the cruise, and park at the port.   

[LHT28]

40 minutes ago, White123 said:

Thanks for your reply.  We are boarding Venezia on Jan 23.   I am thinking we should drive and stay somewhere before manhatten.   Drive into manhatten the morning of the cruise, and park at the port.   

Just curious  why would you want to drive  all day  in iffy weather in winter?

 

I would allow  a few days  driving in Jan  if you insist on driving to NYC

Check the  East Cost  departures forum  for suggestions on staying the night before

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/317-east-coast-departures/

Good luck

 

[*Miss G*]

It sounds like you will have an adventure!

 

Obtain an E-Z Pass for the tolls.  It gets you big discounts on the bridges, thruways, and tunnels.  It comes with a Velcro adhesive for your window but I purchased a suction cup holder so it doesn’t leave a residue and to easily move it to a different vehicle.  You can get them at any CAA/AAA store.

 

The I-90 is prone to lake-effect snow from Lake Ontario but the eastbound route is not as bad as westbound along Lake Erie.  In other words, allow for an extra day for the thruway, alone, like the others say.  Buffalo is between the two so it gets hit pretty hard when the conditions are right.  Monitor the conditions prior to your departure date so you can plan ahead, and stick to the main arteries so you have easy access to service centres for food and gas.  Snow removal will be prioritized in these areas.

 

Hotels will jack their prices exponentially during winter advisory conditions so make sure you book ahead and monitor pricing in case there’s a drop.  You can easily cancel an existing reservation and book a discounted price instead, as long as you’re within the cancellation window.  Never pre-pay for a discounted rate and don’t use a third-party booking site.  Go directly to the source.  (Eg, use the Marriott site vs Expedia)

 

For this route, at this time of year, I would book a room about the halfway point of your drive to your final hotel.  Then I would book another room for the night before embarkation.  The Residence Inn/Central Park is a great option if you want to stay close to the port the night before.  That will get all the city traffic and tunnels behind you and you can have a peaceful start to your voyage on the day of embarkation.  It is literally two minutes to the port.

 

Enjoy your trip!

[cmich068]

I've done the TO-NYC drive several times during winter.

 

Thruway (90 to 87) all the way is the best idea if weather is a concern.

 

If weather looks good, I prefer to go 90-81-380-80 through the Poconos. 

 

90-81-86/17 is another popular route, and probably the most direct of the options, but very few services or towns along 86/17 so again, not my pick for winter. 

Edited November 22, 2023 by cmich068

[White123]

Thanks.  I will talk to my son in law.    The driver and try to figure it all out.

having nightmares already.  

[*Miss G*]

On 11/23/2023 at 1:05 PM, White123 said:

Thanks.  I will talk to my son in law.    The driver and try to figure it all out.

having nightmares already.  

 

If it makes you feel any better, I have been driving the Washington, DC/Toronto corridor every month for the past 14 years.  I used to fly but spent more time at the airport — and getting to and from the airport — than it did for me to drive.  In all that time, there has been only one time where I have made an unplanned stop overnight due to snow.  

 

And now I have probably jinxed myself for December’s road trip.  😂

[White123]

Please let me know how it goes

[*Miss G*]

4 hours ago, White123 said:

Please let me know how it goes

 

Okay, will do.  I’m sure it will be fine, though.  NY State is used to dealing with snow and handles it effectively.  Now, if you were traveling further south, all deals are off.  They aren’t equipped to handle snow, nor do they have the familiarity, expertise, or equipment.  You’ll be fine.  🙂

[acruisingcouple]

We’ve parked at Port Imperial in NJ and taken ferry to Manhattan.  We stayed in Times Square.  Parking much cheaper than Manhattan and very easy to get back and forth.

[*Miss G*]

On 11/24/2023 at 4:34 PM, White123 said:

Please let me know how it goes

 

My drive to Canada went well.  The drive back to DC was a different story.  Due to driving rain and fog the entire leg, what normally takes me four hours took eight.  This is why I break the trip into two parts.  If I had planned to drive the entire 8+ hour journey in one leg, I would have ended up having to stop overnight anyway.  Let us know how it goes and enjoy your cruise.

 

One other note:  Make sure you plan to arrive at your destination during daylight hours.  The deer come out during twilight and dusk,  making them very hard to see.  I have seen a car hit a deer on the highway and the damage to the vehicle was significant.  Luckily, there was no personal injury to either the driver or other travelers.

 

Edited January 2 by *Miss G*

[White123]

The point is now mute my son in law was t boned by a crazy driver car is totaled.  We now have to fly.  Luckily he is ok.  Could have been way way worse.   

[*Miss G*]

I am so very sorry to hear that and very thankful that no one was hurt.  As you say, it could have been so much worse.  Enjoy your cruise and all the best for 2024.

[White123]

Thanks for your good wishes. Have to go with the flow 

[grimpil]

On 11/22/2023 at 9:26 AM, White123 said:

Thanks for your reply.  We are boarding Venezia on Jan 23.   I am thinking we should drive and stay somewhere before manhatten.   Drive into manhatten the morning of the cruise, and park at the port.   

We are on the cruise after you. We are driving to BUF and flying to LGA. The flights from BUF were less than half the price from YYZ.

[grimpil]

Just read your next post....glad everyone is okay. Have a great flight and enjoy the cruise