Expensive rental at NYC airports and hotels
Apr 16, 2019, 11:12 am
#31
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Well, I was looking at several different hotels. Some of them were in Rahway, and according to Google it's a 29 minutes drive to the ferry. That's the only part of the journey which would be a "hassle." The ferry itself would be a part of seeing the city. According to what I've heard, people spend hours waiting to get a boat to the Statue of Liberty, and we would just skip that part. The view from the ferry would be good enough for us.
If I'm staying in NJ and plan to visit Manhattan twice, I'll need to pay that toll twice. But if I fly into EWR, stay in a SI hotel and plan to spend two days exploring areas to the west or south of the city, I will have to pay the toll three times to get to the hotel, so that toll is actually a factor (although tiny) in favor of staying in NJ.
How would you travel into Manhattan? As far as I can see, six people round-trip from e.g. Rahway-NY Penn on NJ Transit would cost $91.4 plus parking at the station, while the SI Ferry would be $23 (parking and toll), and the ferry would be far more scenic.
Thanks, I'll consider it. But the HI SI will require two rooms, and it seems to me that I can probably get a hotel with one room for the entire family at a better rate and get some frequent flyer miles instead. I can get up to 1018 SAS Eurobonus miles per $100 when booking at Hotels.com. I can e.g. see the Best Western Riverview in Rahway at $121 per night including breakfast, which would net us 1232 miles per night. According to Google, it's a 7 minute drive longer than the HI SI.
If I'm staying in NJ and plan to visit Manhattan twice, I'll need to pay that toll twice. But if I fly into EWR, stay in a SI hotel and plan to spend two days exploring areas to the west or south of the city, I will have to pay the toll three times to get to the hotel, so that toll is actually a factor (although tiny) in favor of staying in NJ.
How would you travel into Manhattan? As far as I can see, six people round-trip from e.g. Rahway-NY Penn on NJ Transit would cost $91.4 plus parking at the station, while the SI Ferry would be $23 (parking and toll), and the ferry would be far more scenic.
Thanks, I'll consider it. But the HI SI will require two rooms, and it seems to me that I can probably get a hotel with one room for the entire family at a better rate and get some frequent flyer miles instead. I can get up to 1018 SAS Eurobonus miles per $100 when booking at Hotels.com. I can e.g. see the Best Western Riverview in Rahway at $121 per night including breakfast, which would net us 1232 miles per night. According to Google, it's a 7 minute drive longer than the HI SI.
In terms of the cost of getting into Manhattan, are any members of your family under 12 years of age? And what days of the week would you be visiting Manhattan? NJ Transit discounts fares for children during the week, and kids ride for free on weekends with fare-paying adults. You would certainly get into (midtown) Manhattan faster by taking the train in from Rahway, rather than first driving to Staten Island, waiting for the next ferry departure, and then spending 25 minutes on the boat to end up in Lower Manhattan.
But ultimately, the trade-off between time and money is yours to make.
Apr 17, 2019, 3:09 am
#33
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It's basically a question of taking the quickest or the most scenic route. On a business journey, I choose the quickets. But on a family vacation, I choose the scenic. On a family vacation, I've sometimes chosen the scenic route even when it's more expensive. When the scenic appears to be $80 cheaper, it's a no brainer to me.
That hotel was just an example, but anyway, the point is to have a rental car and stay in a central location, with easy or scenic access by car to EWR, Manhattan, and areas to the south and west of the city.
Apr 17, 2019, 4:36 am
#34
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My suggestion is to work out the logistics of what airport you will be flying into and where you will be staying. Once you have that, you can start a new thread in the Hertz Forum asking for advice based on those criteria.
Regards,
FlyinHawaiian, Volunteer Moderator
Apr 17, 2019, 4:11 pm
#35
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It's basically a question of taking the quickest or the most scenic route. On a business journey, I choose the quickets. But on a family vacation, I choose the scenic. On a family vacation, I've sometimes chosen the scenic route even when it's more expensive. When the scenic appears to be $80 cheaper, it's a no brainer to me.
Apr 18, 2019, 6:50 am
#36
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Have you considered flying to BUF and renting a car to visit Niagara Falls and Toronto?
Both NYC and DC have excellent public transport making having a rental car expensive and inconvenient. If in the DC area you want to take a day trip to Mt Vernon or Annapolis, perhaps rent a car for the day. To travel between DC and NYC, there is Amtrak which is very comfortable and there is bus service from Bolt and Megabus which are much less expensive than Amtrak.
I really think at minimum, renting a car in NYC and then driving in whatever order to DC, Niagara Falls and Toronto is tiring and incredibly boring. Just my 2˘.
Apr 18, 2019, 1:23 pm
#37
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I cannot recommend rethinking renting a car from JFK or nearby and driving endlessly. This sounds like hell.
Have you considered flying to BUF and renting a car to visit Niagara Falls and Toronto?
Both NYC and DC have excellent public transport making having a rental car expensive and inconvenient. If in the DC area you want to take a day trip to Mt Vernon or Annapolis, perhaps rent a car for the day. To travel between DC and NYC, there is Amtrak which is very comfortable and there is bus service from Bolt and Megabus which are much less expensive than Amtrak.
I really think at minimum, renting a car in NYC and then driving in whatever order to DC, Niagara Falls and Toronto is tiring and incredibly boring. Just my 2˘.
Have you considered flying to BUF and renting a car to visit Niagara Falls and Toronto?
Both NYC and DC have excellent public transport making having a rental car expensive and inconvenient. If in the DC area you want to take a day trip to Mt Vernon or Annapolis, perhaps rent a car for the day. To travel between DC and NYC, there is Amtrak which is very comfortable and there is bus service from Bolt and Megabus which are much less expensive than Amtrak.
I really think at minimum, renting a car in NYC and then driving in whatever order to DC, Niagara Falls and Toronto is tiring and incredibly boring. Just my 2˘.
Also, flying to BUF is out of the question, both due to costs and the fact that even the friendly and humble services of EWR, TSA and UA cannot compete with a drive through e.g. the Catskills between NY-Niagara. I realize that most people in a frequent flyer forum would probably consider me crazy for saying this, but I would prefer to minimize my vacation time spent dealing with the TSA, airports, trains, and subways, and maximize my time seeing God's creation.
Apr 18, 2019, 2:24 pm
#38
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Well, I don't wanna spend two hours watching garbage landfills, but I would hopefully survive a few minutes. ^
I don't know if you've read the entire thread, but we're not planning on staying in the big cities the whole time. I would prefer to spend more time exploring the countryside. If we're staying in New York and use public transportation, it would be very difficult to get out of the city. Let's say if we want to spend a day hiking in the Hudson Valley at e.g. Breakneck Ridge or Bull Hill, it's far easier, far cheaper, and we're free to go out of the beaten track if we rent a car and stay in a hotel outside of the city. Going there by public transportation from an expensive hotel in the city, with a family of six, would be a nightmare.
Also, flying to BUF is out of the question, both due to costs and the fact that even the friendly and humble services of EWR, TSA and UA cannot compete with a drive through e.g. the Catskills between NY-Niagara. I realize that most people in a frequent flyer forum would probably consider me crazy for saying this, but I would prefer to minimize my vacation time spent dealing with the TSA, airports, trains, and subways, and maximize my time seeing God's creation.
I don't know if you've read the entire thread, but we're not planning on staying in the big cities the whole time. I would prefer to spend more time exploring the countryside. If we're staying in New York and use public transportation, it would be very difficult to get out of the city. Let's say if we want to spend a day hiking in the Hudson Valley at e.g. Breakneck Ridge or Bull Hill, it's far easier, far cheaper, and we're free to go out of the beaten track if we rent a car and stay in a hotel outside of the city. Going there by public transportation from an expensive hotel in the city, with a family of six, would be a nightmare.
Also, flying to BUF is out of the question, both due to costs and the fact that even the friendly and humble services of EWR, TSA and UA cannot compete with a drive through e.g. the Catskills between NY-Niagara. I realize that most people in a frequent flyer forum would probably consider me crazy for saying this, but I would prefer to minimize my vacation time spent dealing with the TSA, airports, trains, and subways, and maximize my time seeing God's creation.
Last edited by cestmoi123; Apr 18, 2019 at 2:32 pm
Apr 18, 2019, 2:37 pm
#39
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Honestly, if you're really looking for scenery and the countryside, then I'd recommend you skip the NYC metro area entirely. Everything within 50+ miles of Manhattan is very much the beaten track. Fly into Boston and go to Maine/New Hampshire/Vermont. Just to be clear, staying in Rahway isn't staying in the country - it's more like staying in Slough, if you're familiar with the London metro area.
Apr 18, 2019, 2:51 pm
#40
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...I've already decided that the best way of doing so is to stay somewhere close to the big cities, but still outside of them, so that I am within easy reach of both. I'm not even looking for advice on this. Nothing that anybody says can convince me of only staying in the cities, or to not visit the cities at all.
That said, it's your vacation, your call.
Apr 22, 2019, 1:40 pm
#41
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Also, I've read several places which recommend that tourists take the Staten Island Ferry even if you don't need to travel between the islands, because of the scenic views from the ferry. Even tourists staying in overpriced Manhattan hotels take the ferry in order to see NY from the water. And the ferry is only a 30 minute drive from the hotels that I've looked at. In my opinion, 30 minutes by car is definitely "within easy reach."
Apr 23, 2019, 8:29 am
#42
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Also, flying to BUF is out of the question, both due to costs and the fact that even the friendly and humble services of EWR, TSA and UA cannot compete with a drive through e.g. the Catskills between NY-Niagara. I realize that most people in a frequent flyer forum would probably consider me crazy for saying this, but I would prefer to minimize my vacation time spent dealing with the TSA, airports, trains, and subways, and maximize my time seeing God's creation.
If driving through the Catskills, head up on New York Route 17; that eventually turns into Interstate 86. Stop at Watkins Glen. It's a beautiful state park. https://parks.ny.gov/parks/142/ Check out the pictures. From Watkins Glen, drive north through the Finger Lakes regions. It's one of our wine regions, mostly known for whites and riesling. NY 14 heads north, giving you spectacular views of Seneca Lake.
Corning NY is just south of WG, if you're into glass. You could stop in Corning (located on I-86), then head to Watkins Glen.
dh
Apr 23, 2019, 11:11 am
#43
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Well, my problem is that I don't have a fixed list of exactly where I want to go and what I want to do yet. I've only got three definite sights on my list, and that's Niagara Falls, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum at Dulles, and the 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero. But there are dozens of places that I would like to visit in and around both NY and D.C. And all of the sights that are in NY or NJ are basically within an hour's drive of EWR, so staying somewhere not too far from that airport and having a rental car means that I have the flexibility of going where I want whenever I want. If I should find hotels which are closer than one hour's drive to all the sights, I would probably have to check in and out of a hotel every day, and that's definitely not going to happen.
Also, I've read several places which recommend that tourists take the Staten Island Ferry even if you don't need to travel between the islands, because of the scenic views from the ferry. Even tourists staying in overpriced Manhattan hotels take the ferry in order to see NY from the water. And the ferry is only a 30 minute drive from the hotels that I've looked at. In my opinion, 30 minutes by car is definitely "within easy reach."
Enjoy your vacation!
Apr 23, 2019, 11:16 am
#44
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FYI, the Canadian side is more nicer than the American side of the falls.
If driving through the Catskills, head up on New York Route 17; that eventually turns into Interstate 86. Stop at Watkins Glen. It's a beautiful state park. https://parks.ny.gov/parks/142/ Check out the pictures. From Watkins Glen, drive north through the Finger Lakes regions. It's one of our wine regions, mostly known for whites and riesling. NY 14 heads north, giving you spectacular views of Seneca Lake.
Corning NY is just south of WG, if you're into glass. You could stop in Corning (located on I-86), then head to Watkins Glen.
dh
If driving through the Catskills, head up on New York Route 17; that eventually turns into Interstate 86. Stop at Watkins Glen. It's a beautiful state park. https://parks.ny.gov/parks/142/ Check out the pictures. From Watkins Glen, drive north through the Finger Lakes regions. It's one of our wine regions, mostly known for whites and riesling. NY 14 heads north, giving you spectacular views of Seneca Lake.
Corning NY is just south of WG, if you're into glass. You could stop in Corning (located on I-86), then head to Watkins Glen.
dh
Watkins Glen looks totally amazing! I've never heard of that place before, so thank you very much for the tip. It will be the perfect place to take a break during the long drive.
Apr 25, 2019, 11:53 am
#45
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Yes, I've read about the Canadian side being the nicest. I'm planning to see the falls from both sides.
Watkins Glen looks totally amazing! I've never heard of that place before, so thank you very much for the tip. It will be the perfect place to take a break during the long drive.
Watkins Glen looks totally amazing! I've never heard of that place before, so thank you very much for the tip. It will be the perfect place to take a break during the long drive.
Details about Taughannock Falls State Park here:
https://parks.ny.gov/parks/62/details.aspx