ticu

What are the steps to take to get to The Watson Hotel (440 57th Street) from EWR by AirTrain (arriving on a Saturday at 11:50 AM on UA4841)?
Would Uber be better? One passenger (my wife) moving/walking with difficulty and using a cane.
Thank you.

guv1976

For a person with a disability, a one-seat, door-to-door ride will always be "better" than relying on mass transit. And on weekends, the NJ Transit trains from EWR Rail Station to Penn Station New York operate with odd headways, meaning that if you miss one train, you might have about a 40-minute wait for the next train.

Of course, Uber or a regular taxi will cost a lot more than two train tickets and a taxi from Penn Station New York to your hotel.

ticu

Thank you guv1976.
In case I decide to take the airtrain, are there ticket vending machines in the terminal before boarding the airtrain or I have to buy the tickets before the transfer to the NJ Transit at the Airport Station? Do the machines accept credit cards, or cash only? Thank you.

ijgordon

The machines accept credit cards and I'm sure cash too. They are in the airline terminals, near where you take the escalators up to the AirTrain station, as well as at the NJT AirTrain station where you transfer to the train. You can buy in either place.

But I would go with a car service (Dial7 or Carmel are good value options) or Uber. It won't cost *that* much more and you're not traveling during rush hour. And it will be MUCH easier for your wife.

FlyinHawaiian

I'd suggest you look at taking the Olympia Trails express bus from EWR to the Port Authority Bus Terminal and then either Uber/Taxi or subway it to your hotel.

craz

The airtrain @ EWR is free. AFAIK tkts for NJT or Amtrak can be purchased from kyosks at the train station, I dont ever recall seeing any anywhere else at the airport. Make sure to head towards p$ and not the lower #s , its the last stop

That said, I agree with the others Uber is best or any kind of car transport

sbm12

:-:

For someone using a cane to get around this is my recommendation as well. And I RARELY recommend not using mass transit.

I'd be slightly worried about the steps up/down into the bus.

guv1976

While I second the suggestion of taking a car service (or the Airport Express bus, if your wife can manage getting on and off a bus), note that the AirTrain offers a reduced "senior" rate for persons age 62 or older (not sure if you and your wife qualify). The AirTrain tickets machines will display options for adults, children, and seniors/disabled.

Often1

Anything door-to-door is better than anything involving a change. This includes the bus & the train.

Price vs. safety.

guv1976

As noted by ijgordon, there are NJ Transit ticket machine in each terminal, at the base of the escalators leading up to the AirTrain platform.

While riding the AirTrain at either EWR or JFK is free, passing through the fare gates where one transfers to other rail services is not. It costs $5.50 at EWR, which is included in rail tickets to or from EWR Rail Station, or which can also be paid separately for those holding tickets to or from a different station.

GUWonder

Time matters -- and in that I include how extremely variable the timing to get from door to door may be.

Taking the shared vans from EWR to Manhattan for door to door service can sometimes end up taking far longer than using bus+train+train to get between the same origin and destination. I've had enough experiences tracked to know how bad coming in by road can be.

While NYP is slated to be an inconvenient facility to use this summer, at other times using the bus+train for EWR to Manhattan has been a big time saver over having to deal with road traffic allt the way. And it's not pleasant to be stuck in traffic when someone needs to use a toilet where there is no toilet and pubic urination/defecation is unacceptable. That said, for those with substantial mobility restrictions, especially on an ordinary Saturday morning/mid-day, I would suggest getting a car service of sort because traffic is unlikely to be at its worse on most typical Saturday mornings/middays.

Antonio8069

Use of the turnstiles at EWR are not free - as suggested above. The o/w fare (incl. $5.50) is $11-$14/person. At that time of day, there will be personnel in the station for trouble shooting. Also, there is an elevator to take you down to the platform level. NYPenn is another matter - very crowded, if there is an elevator, I haven't seen?

nerd

Meaning you're more likely to get injured in a car accident than in an accident while taking the train/bus?

mehitabel

ticu,

I found the wiki below when researching accessible transport from EWR for a colleague. The prices will have increased, but the transportation modes all look current. There is disability access info after each option. Note that the directions are to Columbia University, so the car (Uber, SuperShuttle, car service) cost to your hotel on W 57th St will be cheaper.

https://wiki.debconf.org/action/edit...port?section=1

It's not clear from your post whether your wife can manage bus stairs, i.e., access the Airport Express Coach. If she can, I've always found it a cost- and time-effective option - it drops you off at street level next to Port Authority in Manhattan, where you can easily catch a taxi for the 15 block ride to your hotel. While the Newark Airtrain/NJ Transit and Penn Station platforms all have either escalators or elevators, they aren't always easy to find or navigate. SuperShuttle is also a decent option - cheaper than Uber, and you can request an accessible vehicle when you reserve.

ijgordon

DO NOT take SuperShuttle. EVER.

Now that I know the hotel is apparently on 4XX WEST 57th Street, the car/Uber is a NO BRAINER. It should be 30 minutes or less of drive time.