Cape Liberty/Transportation to NYC

[eurodl]

We are cruising on EOS in October. Hubby won't fly so we are taking the train to Chicago and renting a car to drive to NJ.

 

One of my questions is about transportation to NYC. We have a full day before the cruise to tour NYC and were looking at Gray Line tours. What is the best way to get from hotel (Sheraton Newark Airport) to NYC where the tour departs?

 

My other question is about getting to Cape Liberty. Our rental car drop is in Manhattan (Alamo - it was the closest to the port). What would be the best way to get to the port after dropping off the car - taxi, car service, bus, etc.... Should we drop off the bags before dropping off the rental car?

 

One other thing - if anyone is familiar with the hotel location - is there a laundromat nearby?

 

Any suggestions would be very helpful! :)

[138east]

You have several choices to get from the hotel to New York.

1) Take the hotel shuttle back to the airport (P4) and take the airtrain to Newark airport station and the train to NY - $15/pp each way.

2) Take the local bus from the Sheraton (we can research the details) to Newark Station and the train to NY - probably $6-$7/pp each way.

3) Take the local bus to Newark Station and Path to NY - probably $4-5/pp each way.

4) Take the NJ transit bus to NY from the airport

 

It depends how much money, time, and hassle you are willing to put into the trip.

 

My main question is why you are returning your car to Manhattan instead of to Newark airport? That doesn't make a lot of sense to me unless you drive into NY on your sightseeing day, drop the car, sightsee, and return by bus or train. The best way to get to the port is cab or car service. I'm sure Meg will post a response - she has a blog that has lots of useful information. The bottom line is that you don't want to have to drive into Manhattan the morning of the cruise to return a car and then get back to the port. That will be very time consuming and expensive and totally unnecessary.

 

The Sheraton has Laundry service - you might want to call them to see if they have washing machines. The Holiday Inn next door has a guest laundry - I bet you could drive over there with a suitcase full of dirty laundry and do a washing.

[eurodl]

I completely agree with you about the rental car drop. Unfortunately this was the closest one Alamo had to the port. The other one is in Iselin, NJ which is a little further according to mapquest but you don't have the drive into nyc. Would that be a better choice? They didn't have an airport location.

[138east]

Who would have thought Alamo would not service Newark Airport? Anyway, you have to return the car to NY (W. 40th St???), so you should plan to do that the day you go sightseeing. You would drive in through the Lincoln Tunnel, return the car, and spend the day in NY. The tunnel is in the west 40's, so Alamo will be within blocks of the tunnel exit. To return to the airport it makes sense to take the train. You can buy a ticket from NY to Newark for $4.00 and a ticket from Newark to Newark Airport for $7.75. If you buy NY to Newark Airport it is $15. Makes no sense at all.

 

My next question is what are your exact dates for doing all this? Also, did you pick the Sheraton for a special reason? I have stayed there and liked it, but it is still an airport hotel pretty much like every other hotel in the area. You need to get self-service laundry done and you don't want to be running around Newark doing it, so you really need a hotel with laundry machines. Also, what are your return plans? Are you going back into NY to pick up another rental car?

[eurodl]

Hi 138east!

 

The car drop for Alamo is in Manhattan - 19 E. 12th St. This was the closest one to the pier via Mapquest, but maybe not the most convenient???? This can be changed. Hertz and National were more convenient but lots more expensive - $200 +.

 

Got the Sheraton through bidding on priceline. Was searching for something near the port. Didn't occur to me that it probably would have been better to find something close to the car drop location.

 

Our cruise is in October. Ship sails on 10/15. We will arrive in Newark via car on 10/13 and will have 10/14 to tour NYC.

 

We will need to pick-up a car upon our return, 10/24. Plan on driving around for a few days. Amtrak train leaves on 10/27 from Washington DC. Trying to get a better rate to take the train from Boston but DC was several hundred dollars cheaper.

 

Hard to find one-way car rentals. Some companies won't do them. Alamo's been the cheapest.

 

Thank you so much for all the info.

[138east]

Since you have to drop the car in Manhattan, you should use it as your transportation into the city on your sightseeing day. If you return it to W12th St., go in via the Holland Tunnel on the turnpike (Exit 14 C). Do not try to return your car on the same day you sail unless there is an important reason why you must do that.

[eurodl]

Thank you and will go with your suggestion. I noticed you mentioned W. 12th in your post. The rental drop is E. 12th. Are the directions still the same?

 

If we drop the car the day before, what would be the best way to get from the hotel to Cape Liberty?

 

I guess we will run into the same issues when we rent the car upon our return, unless we can find another company. They sure don't make things easy!

[138east]

Meg responded to you on the other board - she has some recommended car services from the hotel to the port.

 

Get the specific E 12th address and ask if you can return at W 40th St. We can figure out which one is best. What day of the week is your sightseeing day?

 

You will have to arrange for a car service back into NY when you return. Be prepared to print out a lot of Mapquests! You'll need them. The hotel directions are a must. We can talk about them later.

[eurodl]

Sightseeing day would be a Wednesday. We haven't paid for the car yet so I'm sure we could change the reservation.

[138east]

I really don't have a problem with your plan - I just think it needs some fine tuning. You are saving a lot of money on the car rental. You already paid for your hotel room. Let's work with that.

 

Here's my latest suggestion: You arrive on 10/13. Early in the morning on 10/14 you try to do your laundry. About 10-11 am you head into NY so you miss the commuter traffic. I really think you will be better off if you can return the car at W 40th St. This means you can go in the Lincoln Tunnel and be within several blocks of the rental return. Then you walk over to Times Square and start your day in NY. You have lunch and dinner in NY. You go to Penn Station at 32nd between 7th & 8th and buy two tickets New York to Newark and two tickets Newark to Newark Airport ( do the airport tickets first in case this is not possible). You take the train to the Newark Airport Station and get on Airtrain to P4. At P4 you catch the shuttle back to the Sheraton. For 10/15 you arrange for a car service to take you to the port and you're off on your cruise. Plan to be at the port by 11 am. You arrange for a car service to pick you up when you return and take you to NY. See if you can pick up the car at W. 40th as well. This will position you to go right into the Lincoln Tunnel and off to Washington (?). If the laundry doesn't get done, ask around about the $20/bag specials on the Explorer.

[eurodl]

Wow! Thanks 138east for the detailed directions. I'm sure this will be very helpful. I'll check with Alamo about the return. Shouldn't be a problem to change the location.

 

Thanks for the tip about the laundry on Explorer. Didn't know they had a special rate per bag.

[unklez]

Another option:

 

The Iselin location of Alamo is not too far from Metropark train station which is on the North-East Corridor line. Talk to the manager of that Alamo location directly and they _may_ do a complimentary drop to the station for you. Take a train to Newark ($5 pp, elevator to platform level is inside the parking lot, buy train ticket before getting into train or the fine is $5 pp on top of fare). A cab from there to port Liberty should take 15-20 minutes and $25-$30.

 

Alamo used to have an off-airport location near EWR till 3-4 years back :(

[unklez]

....Thanks for the tip about the laundry on Explorer. Didn't know they had a special rate per bag.

 

They run these $20 per-bag specials towards the last couple of days of the cruise. Includes wash, dry and fold. It is meant for underwears, jammies, swim wear and maybe casuals.

[eurodl]

Get the specific E 12th address and ask if you can return at W 40th St. We can figure out which one is best.

 

Here are the addresses for the Alamo locations:

 

19 East 12th St., Manhattan

252 W. 40th St., Manhattan

 

So the 40th Street would be the better choice?

[unklez]

Here are the addresses for the Alamo locations:

 

19 East 12th St., Manhattan

252 W. 40th St., Manhattan

 

So the 40th Street would be the better choice?

 

Yes marginally because it is close to Lincoln tunnel although further from the port. Did you try Iselin?

[eurodl]

I didn't try Iselin since we would be touring NYC after dropping the car. Figured NYC would be more convenient.

 

Would the 12th St. or 40 St. better since we would be driving to the car drop from the hotel (Sheraton Newark Airport)? I think we might go with a car service to get to the port from the hotel the morning of the cruise.

 

Just want to thank everyone for all your helpful insights. NY can be intimidating for those of us who haven't been there before. All we have to go on is what we see in the movies! :eek: ;)