Philly to JFK Friday afternoon of Memorial Day Weekend
Apr 18, 2021, 3:12 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Philadelphia
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Philly to JFK Friday afternoon of Memorial Day Weekend
Have a 10:15pm flight out of JFK on Friday 5/28 (the Friday of MDW) and working close to a full day Friday. With COVID cutbacks, there was no good alternative out of PHL/EWR. Debating Amtrak/LIRR/AirTrain vs driving and it looks like all-in price will be similar enough for the roundtrip. Normally would immediately say "car", but given it is the Friday before Memorial Day on what will likely be a very busy holiday, how much of a risk am I taking by driving? Is it going to be jammed up the first part of 95 trying to get past Philadelphians/Bucks County people heading to the Jersey shore and then again along 278/Belt Parkway from people trying to get out to Long Island?
Absolute earliest we can leave is 4pm, probably more like 430-5. Amtrak has a 5:15p train we can take that allows us to get to JFK by 7:45p if everything is on-time, and even one 20 minutes earlier if we want to have a bigger buffer.
Am I right in thinking the odds are good of a lot of traffic on the way up?
Absolute earliest we can leave is 4pm, probably more like 430-5. Amtrak has a 5:15p train we can take that allows us to get to JFK by 7:45p if everything is on-time, and even one 20 minutes earlier if we want to have a bigger buffer.
Am I right in thinking the odds are good of a lot of traffic on the way up?
Apr 18, 2021, 3:36 pm
#2
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: jfk area
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Several years ago (also the Fri. of MDW), I was driving from Atlantic City to NYC (taking the VZB to the belt parkway to the VW)--duplicating much of your route; the traffic was very light.
But this is COVID period...things may be very different now.
The train route is sort of guaranteed with regard to time--except for the AirTrain, a few years ago on 7/3 (the start of another major holiday period) they were running the AT on a 10 minute schedule = crowding to board the AT.
But this is COVID period...things may be very different now.
The train route is sort of guaranteed with regard to time--except for the AirTrain, a few years ago on 7/3 (the start of another major holiday period) they were running the AT on a 10 minute schedule = crowding to board the AT.
Apr 18, 2021, 4:12 pm
#3
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Join Date: Aug 2010
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Hard to predict traffic this year, but one has to plan dby presuming that it will be tough.
Train is your best option. I would take the first train you can, presuming that you don't have anything planned. Might as well hang out at JFK as anywhere. Buffer is always good on a holiday weekend.
Train is your best option. I would take the first train you can, presuming that you don't have anything planned. Might as well hang out at JFK as anywhere. Buffer is always good on a holiday weekend.
Apr 18, 2021, 9:19 pm
#4
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While it should not take 4 hours to get to JFK, you can never predict if an accident occurs closing all lanes of traffic. One time it took us 3 hours to go from Central NJ to Delaware due to that reason.
