I have a one night layover in Newark coming back from London and am looking for a cheap way to get to Manhattan for a day of sightseeing?

The absolute cheapest way to get to Manhattan is for $2.50: Take the public bus number 60 from EWR to Newark Penn Station ($1.00). From there, take the PATH train to Manhattan ($1.50). (Prices might have gone up 50 cents since I've been there)

For around $14 (I forget how much exactly), you can take the new EWR monorail extension (the same one that connects Terminals A, B, and C) to a new train station on the NE corridor tracks (Newark International Airport Station), where you can catch the NJ Transit train to NYC Penn Station.

Then there's the Olympia buses. $11 (or $20 RT) will get you a direct ride to either Port Authority Bus Terminal (close to Times Square), or to Grand Central. The buses leave often, and is what I would recommend if you don't want to have to worry about transfering between differnt trains and buses.

Thanks...that is exactly wat I needed to know.

Some slight corrections: The AirTrain (monorail/NJT train) is $11.15. The NJT bus is either #62 ($1) or #302/Airlink ($4). Note that if you take PATH, you may need to transfer to the subway for another $1.50 to get wherever you will start your sight-seeing.

The airport homepage (http://www.panynj.gov/aviation/egtsfram.htm) lists some more options.

[This message has been edited by flightrisk (edited 12-06-2001).]

Oops! That's right, it's the 62 bus that goes from EWR to NJ Penn Station. The 302 is an express bus that doesn't make any local stops. The 302 is probably more accomodating if you have luggage; although if you have alot of luggage, you'd be better off taking the Olympia bus.

You should only consider taking the bus or the monorail/NJT Train if you are traveling light.

Flightrisk also makes a good point about the PATH train -- it only goes up to 33rd St in Manhattan. Actually, the end of the line of the PATH is not too far from the Empire State Building, so you can begin your sight-seeing tour there, then maybe head over to Grand Central and Chrysler building, and then on up to Rockefeller Center, then over to Times Square, and up to Central Park...and then get some authentic pizza pie or a deli sandwich...

Now what's the best way to get to lower Manhattan from EWR? I will arrive at EWR at 9:08 and have limited time in the city.
Choices:
Olympia Bus
NJ Bus
NY Train

Should I take NJ Transit to Penn Station and then the 1 or 9 to lower Manhattan? How much does it cost?

Or am I missing something else. Also, I fly out of EWR at 5:45 PM on a Monday. I will be in Manhattan. I'm assuming the best (with least traffic) will be to take the train from Penn Station to Jersey.

Thanks in advance for your help!

You're going with rush hour traffic, so you'll have problems. PATH and NJ Transit will probably be packed during the morning rush; don't expect a seat. Also, NJ Transit has apparently discontinued the Airlink bus from EWR to Newark Penn Station.

You can connect to the subway -- 1 or 2 (9 doesn't run anymore; and the 2 makes the same stops as the 1 for your purposes); or the A/C/E (depending on where you're going could be faster, and more convenient from Port Authority) from any of the proposals. If you take PATH, you may want to investigate alternate routing -- you can connect to a variety of trains before reaching the PATH terminus at 33rd St./Herald Square.

Tough choice -- it'd probably depend on the amount of baggage you had, and how much you want to lug things around. I'd probably do taxi, limo, or at the very least shared mini-bus, myself.

The easiest thing to do is take car service. No longer do Olympia Buses go downtown.

You can take Carmel Car Service directly to any location in Manhattan for $36 plus tip and tolls. www.carmelcarservice.com. (http://www.carmelcarservice.com.) Some might argue which car service to use but Carmel is pretty much standard for New York. These are the same people as Tel Aviv car service as well. You can call them at 800-9CARMEL. If you select them, when you arrive at EWR, you call them and they will tell you which gate to go to for an outside pickup.

Others might offer you other car services but Carmel is satisfactory especially during morning hours. Another company is All State Car and Limosine but they are a bit more expensive. You can reach them at 212-333-3333.

If you take the train to the subway, it might be a bit of a headache.

Hope this helps.

Analise

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by anthonyanthony:
The 302 is an express bus that doesn't make any local stops.</font>

Route #302 is no longer in service. It has been discontinued, due to the existence of the AirTrain.