Driving from Manhattan to EWR on Friday or Saturday
Jun 11, 2014, 1:37 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 8
Driving from Manhattan to EWR on Friday or Saturday
Hello,
I have free car rental for one day that I like to use to get from Manhattan to EWR to avoid cab fees for 5 passengers. I can stay in Manhattan on Friday and rent car in morning on Saturday (flight leave around noon) to get to EWR. Or I can rent car at night of Friday and drive to hotel in Newark close to EWR, in Carlstadt, or Staten Island. As these are done on points and very cheap points.Or should I Just use more point and stay in Manhattan. Originally, I plan to drive around 11 am on Friday to check out Carlos Bakery in Hoboken then drive to Staten Island Hotel. But was advised not to do so due to traffice tolls , time etc. Some here said. There is a route out of Manhattan to avoid tolls to get to EWR. Any suggestion?
I have free car rental for one day that I like to use to get from Manhattan to EWR to avoid cab fees for 5 passengers. I can stay in Manhattan on Friday and rent car in morning on Saturday (flight leave around noon) to get to EWR. Or I can rent car at night of Friday and drive to hotel in Newark close to EWR, in Carlstadt, or Staten Island. As these are done on points and very cheap points.Or should I Just use more point and stay in Manhattan. Originally, I plan to drive around 11 am on Friday to check out Carlos Bakery in Hoboken then drive to Staten Island Hotel. But was advised not to do so due to traffice tolls , time etc. Some here said. There is a route out of Manhattan to avoid tolls to get to EWR. Any suggestion?
Jun 11, 2014, 2:42 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 8,498
Is your free rental good for a one-way in the NY area? Many free rentals exclude one-ways and/or NY metro area rentals.
There are no tolls going directly from Manhattan to New Jersey. The only toll between Manhattan and EWR is if you take the NJ Turnpike, and it can be avoided by taking Route 1 from the Holland Tunnel (very efficient, assuming traffic isn't bad) or the Lincoln Tunnel (a bit slow, but do-able).
But you can't get to Staten Island from Manhattan by car without paying a toll (there is a free passenger ferry from Manhattan to Staten Island).
There are no tolls going directly from Manhattan to New Jersey. The only toll between Manhattan and EWR is if you take the NJ Turnpike, and it can be avoided by taking Route 1 from the Holland Tunnel (very efficient, assuming traffic isn't bad) or the Lincoln Tunnel (a bit slow, but do-able).
But you can't get to Staten Island from Manhattan by car without paying a toll (there is a free passenger ferry from Manhattan to Staten Island).
Jun 11, 2014, 3:06 pm
#3
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 162
As themicah suggests, you should make sure the rental you want falls under the free rental you have. If you can, rent near the Holland Tunnel and then take US 1 to the airport.
It is hard to advise on what hotel you should take without understanding your situation, but I don't see how you would end up in Staten Island or Carlstadt. Stay in Manhattan if you want the extra night in Manhattan, or near EWR if you just want to wake up, return the car, and go.
Make sure you understand how the suspension of the EWR AirTrain (slated to last through July 15) affects your plans.
It is hard to advise on what hotel you should take without understanding your situation, but I don't see how you would end up in Staten Island or Carlstadt. Stay in Manhattan if you want the extra night in Manhattan, or near EWR if you just want to wake up, return the car, and go.
Make sure you understand how the suspension of the EWR AirTrain (slated to last through July 15) affects your plans.
Jun 11, 2014, 4:30 pm
#4
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: LGA - JFK
Programs: UA, AA, DL, B6, CX, KE, Latitude, VIFP, Crown & Anchor, etc.
Posts: 2,589
Going from Manhattan to SI on a Friday evening could meant spending anywhere from 1 to 1.5 hours in heavy traffic + one-way cash toll of $15.00 on the VZB crossing from Brooklyn to SI's hotel. There is no toll leaving NYC (Manhattan or SI) to NJ. On-Street parking in NYC is possible but most likely not anywhere near midtown Manhattan/Times Square area - depending on choice of hotel, within a "few" blocks walk after 7 PM - you will most likely need to move it in the morning and/or feed the parking meter again no later than 9 AM (assuming that Street Cleaning Rules are not in effect) i.e. 9th. or 10th. Ave in the West 40's Street.
Overnight hotel garage parking will cost you $30 to $40 a night + almost 19% taxes, surcharge for SUV and minivan, another $5 to $10 - coupon rates can be found & save. If you use hotel points to stay in downtown/Lower Manhattan or Wall Street area, on-street parking is more plentiful after 7 PM & usually free on weekends (just check the parking signs/rules carefully, up & down the entire city block to be sure.) Or, pickup the (free) one-way ?? rental on Saturday morning & head to the airport (for simplicity as out-of-towner unfamiliar with NYC's parking & towing regulations & use mass transit to get around.)
Or, stay in town for dinner on Friday, then pickup the rental LATE & drive out to NJ (i.e. Secacus/EWR) to the hotel for the night after the evening rush hour, with free parking ?? and relax for the night.
Overnight hotel garage parking will cost you $30 to $40 a night + almost 19% taxes, surcharge for SUV and minivan, another $5 to $10 - coupon rates can be found & save. If you use hotel points to stay in downtown/Lower Manhattan or Wall Street area, on-street parking is more plentiful after 7 PM & usually free on weekends (just check the parking signs/rules carefully, up & down the entire city block to be sure.) Or, pickup the (free) one-way ?? rental on Saturday morning & head to the airport (for simplicity as out-of-towner unfamiliar with NYC's parking & towing regulations & use mass transit to get around.)
Or, stay in town for dinner on Friday, then pickup the rental LATE & drive out to NJ (i.e. Secacus/EWR) to the hotel for the night after the evening rush hour, with free parking ?? and relax for the night.
Last edited by Letitride3c; Jun 12, 2014 at 9:27 am Reason: typo fixed & wording condensed
Jun 12, 2014, 8:58 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador: World of Hyatt
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: NJ
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Fairmont Lifetime Plat, UA Silver, dirt elsewhere
Posts: 46,919
Thankfully, I work from home on Friday, or I would be stuck in the mess of traffic going from Manhattan to the Jersey shore each week.
Yes, it is a mess, and for hours into the evening.
Stay in NYC, rent a car, and leave around 9am to catch that flight. You may still hit some weekend traffic, but it won't be the Friday evening nightmare.
Yes, it is a mess, and for hours into the evening.
Stay in NYC, rent a car, and leave around 9am to catch that flight. You may still hit some weekend traffic, but it won't be the Friday evening nightmare.
Jun 13, 2014, 8:22 am
#6
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: NYC/Northern NJ
Programs: 1K - UAL, Platinum DL, Marriott, Hilton, SPG
Posts: 1,815
Saturday AM is easiest! Your biggest hold up will be rental car agency in NYC for those which didn't pick up on Friday night - they will be there Saturday AM in line.
Drive from Manhattan (verify you take Holland Tunnel to Rt 1/9 South (stay left after exiting tunnel and remain left hand side) - don't follow GPS requesting you take NJ Turnpike or signs which say EWR Airport to the right via 78 <both roads meet again and you end up back on Rt 1/9 before hitting airport> - and it should take you maximum 25-30 minutes.
You can fill up on gas (w/receipt) as soon as you exit Tunnel as airport is less than 13 miles away to avoid more inconvenient attempt to find gas or over priced gas in EWR.
As you probably know drop off ALL passengers/bags at terminal before you return the car. Not sure of status of AirTrain but tell your party you'll meet them on the other side of security as you will take a while (if waiting for shuttle bus). Consider walking from rental car to terminal if you are at A or B.
Drive from Manhattan (verify you take Holland Tunnel to Rt 1/9 South (stay left after exiting tunnel and remain left hand side) - don't follow GPS requesting you take NJ Turnpike or signs which say EWR Airport to the right via 78 <both roads meet again and you end up back on Rt 1/9 before hitting airport> - and it should take you maximum 25-30 minutes.
You can fill up on gas (w/receipt) as soon as you exit Tunnel as airport is less than 13 miles away to avoid more inconvenient attempt to find gas or over priced gas in EWR.
As you probably know drop off ALL passengers/bags at terminal before you return the car. Not sure of status of AirTrain but tell your party you'll meet them on the other side of security as you will take a while (if waiting for shuttle bus). Consider walking from rental car to terminal if you are at A or B.