Getting from Newark Airport to Cape Liberty

[GMomKassie]

We are considering taking Amtrak to Newark  airport, and looking for suggestions on getting to port.  We are sailing Jan 16, 2025

[Another_Critic]

8 minutes ago, GMomKassie said:

We are considering taking Amtrak to Newark  airport, and looking for suggestions on getting to port.  We are sailing Jan 16, 2025

Take Amtrak to Newark Penn Station, not the airport.  Uber/Lyft to/from the port.

 

Also see discussions at https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/317-east-coast-departures/

 

Edited June 13 by Another_Critic

[meadowlander]

Newark Airport train station is closer to Cape Liberty than Newark Penn Station. Estimate $35 for taxi or Uber from EWR to CL. Amtrak likely has more trains stopping at NPS .

[Another_Critic]

I've heard that while EWR station is closer, it is more hassle to get ground transportation from there. 

[Host Kat]

3 hours ago, GMomKassie said:

We are considering taking Amtrak to Newark  airport, and looking for suggestions on getting to port.  We are sailing Jan 16, 2025

 

Hello @GMomKassie

 

Thank you for your new thread. However, it was posted on an incorrect forum and was off topic there. To help you out, your inquiry has been moved to the North American Homeports - East Coast Departures forum where it will be on topic. Browse through the thread titles on this forum looking for threads of interest. You may find your fellow Cruise Critic members have already posted questions and received answers that may be of interest to you.

 

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Happy sails,

 

Host Kat

[njhorseman]

3 hours ago, meadowlander said:

Newark Airport train station is closer to Cape Liberty than Newark Penn Station. Estimate $35 for taxi or Uber from EWR to CL. Amtrak likely has more trains stopping at NPS .

 

2 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

I've heard that while EWR station is closer, it is more hassle to get ground transportation from there. 

 

4 hours ago, GMomKassie said:

We are considering taking Amtrak to Newark  airport, and looking for suggestions on getting to port.  We are sailing Jan 16, 2025

It's preferrable to take the train to Newark Penn Station rather than EWR.

 

At present there is still no ground transportation access available at the EWR train station, although that is supposed to change in the future. Until that future construction project is finished...reportedly in 2026, one has to take the AirTrain from the EWR rail station into the airport itself in order to get a taxi or Uber. 

[meadowlander]

7 hours ago, njhorseman said:

 

 

It's preferrable to take the train to Newark Penn Station rather than EWR.

 

At present there is still no ground transportation access available at the EWR train station, although that is supposed to change in the future. Until that future construction project is finished...reportedly in 2026, one has to take the AirTrain from the EWR rail station into the airport itself in order to get a taxi or Uber. 

Took the free monorail, though some posters prefer to insist there is a cost to ride the monorail which serves only to confuse visitors, 3 weeks ago. Took a total of 3 minutes from the EWR airport train station to a terminal.

 

The EWR station is closest to Cape Liberty in  Bayonne.

[njhorseman]

55 minutes ago, meadowlander said:

Took the free monorail, though some posters prefer to insist there is a cost to ride the monorail which serves only to confuse visitors, 3 weeks ago. Took a total of 3 minutes from the EWR airport train station to a terminal.

 

The EWR station is closest to Cape Liberty in  Bayonne.

If one is riding NJ Transit there certainly is an additional cost to riding the AirTrain . There's an $8.50 surcharge on the price of your ticket. For example an adult one way ticket from Trenton to EWR is $21, while the ticket price from Trenton to Newark Penn $12.50...and Newark Penn is further from Trenton than the EWR station. (Note that I did not mention any surcharge for Amtrak tickets here or in my original reply.)

 

While EWR is about 3 miles closer to Cape Liberty that doesn't translate into a cheaper Uber fare because there's a $2.50 access fee that every FHV has to pay to pick up or drop off passengers at the airport.  As I write this the quoted fare for an UberX from EWR Terminal C to Cape Liberty is about $3 higher than the quoted fare from Newark Penn Station to Cape Liberty.

 

 

[megr1125]

1 hour ago, meadowlander said:

Took the free monorail, though some posters prefer to insist there is a cost to ride the monorail which serves only to confuse visitors, 3 weeks ago. Took a total of 3 minutes from the EWR airport train station to a terminal.

 

The EWR station is closest to Cape Liberty in  Bayonne.

There is.  It's built into the cost of either the Amtrak or NJ Transit ticket, which you as a resident of New Jersey should know.  You must scan and/or show the ticket at the fare gates to get through into the AirTrain terminal.

OP: Every Amtrak train does not stop at EWR airport station either.  ALSO, I will die on this hill...but DO NOT take the train into the area on the same day.  The rails have been a crap show for MONTHS and ONE downed power line or stuck bridge or trespasser fatality or broken down train and you are SOL.

 

If you don't believe me. google search the Delayed on NJ Transit Support Group which is on a site that shall remain nameless.  NJT and Amtrak share tracks, and Amtrak owns them.  Yes Amtrak gets priority but scroll around that page for a few days.

 

And it's NOT just summer.  In winter, switches freeze (we don't have the same badass switch heaters here that they do in other parts of the country.)

 

I once was heading home from Baltimore and lo and behold, a freight train derailed.  I was not able to get home by rail for TWO days since everything was shut down north of DC.  

Really, don't place 100% faith in Amtrak to be on time.  TRY to come in a day ahead.

 

Going to put on my flameproof suit now. 

 

Edited June 14 by megr1125

[mjkacmom]

Another vote for Penn station (I’m local).

[princeton123211]

2 hours ago, megr1125 said:

Really, don't place 100% faith in Amtrak to be on time.  TRY to come in a day ahead.

On the Northeast Corridor-- Acela or Northeast Regionals-- that doesn't really hold up. Major delays are rare. I would feel very comfortable taking a NEC train same day to a cruise out of NYC or NJ. 

[meadowlander]

6 hours ago, njhorseman said:

If one is riding NJ Transit there certainly is an additional cost to riding the AirTrain . There's an $8.50 surcharge on the price of your ticket. For example an adult one way ticket from Trenton to EWR is $21, while the ticket price from Trenton to Newark Penn $12.50...and Newark Penn is further from Trenton than the EWR station. (Note that I did not mention any surcharge for Amtrak tickets here or in my original reply.)

 

While EWR is about 3 miles closer to Cape Liberty that doesn't translate into a cheaper Uber fare because there's a $2.50 access fee that every FHV has to pay to pick up or drop off passengers at the airport.  As I write this the quoted fare for an UberX from EWR Terminal C to Cape Liberty is about $3 higher than the quoted fare from Newark Penn Station to Cape Liberty.

 

 

Where in this thread did anyone post about riding NJT to EWR train station? The overwhelming majority of travelers at EWR do not use NJT such as the original poster. Posts that claim there is a charge for using AirTrain (monorail) only confuses visitors. No ticket is required to ride the free monorail including to the EWR train station. 
 

For anyone flying into EWR and using AirTrain between terminals, to the shuttle pick up station, to the rental car location you will not be charged despite posts in this thread stating Air Train is not free.

 

Thanks for confirming that Newark Penn Station is further to Cape Liberty.

 

 

Edited June 14 by meadowlander

[meadowlander]

5 hours ago, megr1125 said:

There is.  It's built into the cost of either the Amtrak or NJ Transit ticket, which you as a resident of New Jersey should know.  You must scan and/or show the ticket at the fare gates to get through into the AirTrain terminal.

OP: Every Amtrak train does not stop at EWR airport station either.  ALSO, I will die on this hill...but DO NOT take the train into the area on the same day.  The rails have been a crap show for MONTHS and ONE downed power line or stuck bridge or trespasser fatality or broken down train and you are SOL.

 

 

I do know there is a surcharge added to NJT tickets for service to EWR train station. I incurred that fee a few weeks back. What’s your point?

 

Are you also falsely claiming users of Air Train between terminals at EWR have to pay to ride transportation? They don’t. You as a NJ resident should know that.

 

If you noticed, I stated to the op more Amtrak trains likely stop at NPS but I appreciate your confirmation too.

 

I took Amtrak from Newark Penn in the winter to Baltimore on the same day of a cruise. No problem, train arrived earlier than scheduled. The only delay encountered was in the Uber driving to the port due to a road closure. I do agree with the advice of arriving in a port city prior to sailing day. 
 

Also encountered no delay returning to Newark Penn early afternoon from Baltimore in the winter. As I exited NPS I did encounter a man on his way in who asked me for money for his train ticket. He was not homeless, dressed no worse than me. He turned direction and proceeded to follow me stating reasons why I should give him money. Thankfully the Uber arrived exactly when I reached the pick up location. 

 

 

Edited June 14 by meadowlander

[mjkacmom]

40 minutes ago, meadowlander said:

Where in this thread did anyone post about riding NJT to EWR train station? The overwhelming majority of travelers at EWR do not use NJT such as the original poster. Posts that claim there is a charge for using AirTrain (monorail) only confuses visitors. No ticket is required to ride the free monorail including to the EWR train station. 
 

For anyone flying into EWR and using AirTrain between terminals, to the shuttle pick up station, to the rental car location you will not be charged despite posts in this thread stating Air Train is not free.

 

Thanks for confirming that Newark Penn Station is further to Cape Liberty.

 

 

Actually the airport is 10 miles and Penn station is 9.8 miles. Right now it will take one 7 extra minutes in an Uber to go from Penn to cape liberty, however I do believe it’s easier and faster to get to that Uber from Penn.

[meadowlander]

12 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

Actually the airport is 10 miles and Penn station is 9.8 miles. Right now it will take one 7 extra minutes in an Uber to go from Penn to cape liberty, however I do believe it’s easier and faster to get to that Uber from Penn.

Actually it’s not., you have your mileage numbers wrong. I’m local.

Edited June 14 by meadowlander

[njhorseman]

43 minutes ago, meadowlander said:

Where in this thread did anyone post about riding NJT to EWR train station? The overwhelming majority of travelers at EWR do not use NJT such as the original poster. Posts that claim there is a charge for using AirTrain (monorail) only confuses visitors. No ticket is required to ride the free monorail including to the EWR train station. 
 

For anyone flying into EWR and using AirTrain between terminals, to the shuttle pick up station, to the rental car location you will not be charged despite posts in this thread stating Air Train is not free.

 

Thanks for confirming that Newark Penn Station is further to Cape Liberty.

 

 

Your first post is what caused the potential confusion and potential misunderstanding of when a surcharge applies because of your statement:

 

"Took the free monorail, though some posters prefer to insist there is a cost to ride the monorail which serves only to confuse visitors, 3 weeks ago."

 

You didn't say under what circumstances the AirTrain is free. There are three possibilities:

 

(1) Were you just riding AirTrain within the airport grounds? Yes, it's free for that.

(2) Were you using it to connect to an Amtrak train? Yes it's free for that. 

(3) Were you connecting to an NJT train ? No...it isn't free for that. It costs $8.50 for an adult. That $8.50 is built into the fare for your NJT ticket.

 

You know that, I know that, but do people coming here for travel advice know that? Likely not...and that's why your blanket statement about it being a "free monorail' is incorrect.

 

There are many, many passengers who use NJT for transportation to and from EWR. Members of my family certainly have. The OP appears to be from PA, so it's not impossible that the OP could take NJT from Trenton via a SEPTA connection if they live in the Philadelphia area. That's why the mention of NJT and the AirTrain the surcharge is not inappropriate.

[mjkacmom]

I’m also local, 7 miles from Penn station.

[princeton123211]

1 hour ago, mjkacmom said:

I’m also local, 7 miles from Penn station.

What you aren't taking into consideration is you can't actually take any ground transportation directly from EWR rail station. You need to take the escalator upstairs, go through the turnstiles, get on the slow AirTrain monorail, go to a terminal, walk through that terminal, and then find a taxi or Uber. 

 

Newark Penn Station you literally go downstairs from the platform and out front. 

 

Let's say it's 7 minutes faster driving from EWR-- even so you spend at least 20-25 minutes getting to the actual car that will drive you vs less than 5 with Newark Penn. 

 

Another thing to consider for folks joining a cruise is that Newark Penn Station has Redcap service which will help you with your luggage through the station vs that not being available at EWR train station. 

[mjkacmom]

29 minutes ago, princeton123211 said:

What you aren't taking into consideration is you can't actually take any ground transportation directly from EWR rail station. You need to take the escalator upstairs, go through the turnstiles, get on the slow AirTrain monorail, go to a terminal, walk through that terminal, and then find a taxi or Uber. 

 

Newark Penn Station you literally go downstairs from the platform and out front. 

 

Let's say it's 7 minutes faster driving from EWR-- even so you spend at least 20-25 minutes getting to the actual car that will drive you vs less than 5 with Newark Penn. 

 

Another thing to consider for folks joining a cruise is that Newark Penn Station has Redcap service which will help you with your luggage through the station vs that not being available at EWR train station. 

I think you quoted the wrong person, I suggested Penn over EWR for these reasons.

[meadowlander]

23 hours ago, njhorseman said:

Your first post is what caused the potential confusion and potential misunderstanding of when a surcharge applies because of your statement:

 

"Took the free monorail, though some posters prefer to insist there is a cost to ride the monorail which serves only to confuse visitors, 3 weeks ago."

 

You didn't say under what circumstances the AirTrain is free. There are three possibilities:

 

(1) Were you just riding AirTrain within the airport grounds? Yes, it's free for that.

(2) Were you using it to connect to an Amtrak train? Yes it's free for that. 

(3) Were you connecting to an NJT train ? No...it isn't free for that. It costs $8.50 for an adult. That $8.50 is built into the fare for your NJT ticket.

 

You know that, I know that, but do people coming here for travel advice know that? Likely not...and that's why your blanket statement about it being a "free monorail' is incorrect.

 

There are many, many passengers who use NJT for transportation to and from EWR. Members of my family certainly have. The OP appears to be from PA, so it's not impossible that the OP could take NJT from Trenton via a SEPTA connection if they live in the Philadelphia area. That's why the mention of NJT and the AirTrain the surcharge is not inappropriate.

Based on the replies the only potential confusion is from those living in NJ and local too.

 

No ticket is needed to ride the free monorail. No monorail ticket is sold anywhere at EWR for patrons to be able to use the monorail nor do monorail riders need to possess a ticket to board or exit the monorail. It is only NJT tickets for trains servicing EWR airport station that are incur a surcharge and by the way, the surcharge is not paid separately as it is included in the fare of the NJT ticket, not that it matters(as it did not to me weeks ago) other than it is the cost of the NJT train ride not the monorail ride.

 

I am aware of at least 2 out of state posters, who because local people posted of the surcharge imposed by NJT on their customers only, who thought there is a fee to use Air Train.

 

As you stated in # 16...

"were you riding Air Train within the grounds? Yes it's free for that"

 

...which confirms what I wrote post 3 yet you felt the need to correct what I wrote but now agree. Thanks.

 

Out of town visitors could care less that there is a surcharge only for NJ Transit EWR train station users. They do care if they are mislead into thinking from what they read on this board that there is a fee associated if using the monorail. They now have my post and your post confirming they will not incur a fee.