Long Islanders, a question about ferries from Connecticut

[aboveH20]

Say I was driving to Disney World and wanted to take the ferry from Connecticut to Long Island. My research shows one leaving from New London and one from Bridgeport and ending on different parts of the island. Anyone have experience with both and have a recommendation? (Full disclosure, we're not really driving to WDW, we live in upstate NY, want to visit my husband's former army boss in Stamford then do some touring on the east end of Long Island, visit the Roosevelt compound in Oyster Bay and head home. Probably a three day trip.)



My mother is from mid-Long Island and I don't think I've ever been past exit 62 so I was thinking of the ferry that starts in New London (my son was stationed in Groton -- fond memories!) so we would arrive at a more eastern part of LI. Then I saw the ferry from Bridgeport and wondered if we should take the ferry thay's closer to Stamford.

Thoughts?

 

[jec6613]

You're going to end up driving for longer if you take the New London ferry; considerably longer. Stamford to Bridgeport is about 35 minutes, while Stamford to New London is usually about 2.5 hours of driving (this is with traffic, the mapping systems will tell you something different), partly due to construction and partly due to I-95 just being a mess, particularly between Bridgeport and New Haven. Traffic on the eastern end of Long Island isn't nearly as bad.

Mileage-wise you'll also end up ahead of the game by using the Bridgeport-Port Jefferson Ferry: the driving mileage from Bridgeport to New London is 65 miles, while from Port Jefferson to Orient Point is 50 miles, so you're back-tracking quite a bit.

 

[cinderwannabe]

The ride from Port Jefferson (where the Bridgeport ferry drops off) to the east end is actually pretty nice. You are past all of the typical LI traffic. And you can take back roads through wine country! Port Jeff is a very nice town as well. shops , restaurants etc....

 

[ebmouse]

Why not have the best of both worlds and try each one for both legs of the trip. Traffic on east end is extra crowded this time of year and the further west you go it can get pretty tight. If you have the time, try to do all the back roads closest to the water (Rt 25A) It's longer but so much more scenic . Lots of places to stop and cooler since there are more trees than concrete. Have a great trip!

 

[aboveH20]

You're going to end up driving for longer if you take the New London ferry; considerably longer. Stamford to Bridgeport is about 35 minutes, while Stamford to New London is usually about 2.5 hours of driving (this is with traffic, the mapping systems will tell you something different), partly due to construction and partly due to I-95 just being a mess, particularly between Bridgeport and New Haven. Traffic on the eastern end of Long Island isn't nearly as bad.

Mileage-wise you'll also end up ahead of the game by using the Bridgeport-Port Jefferson Ferry: the driving mileage from Bridgeport to New London is 65 miles, while from Port Jefferson to Orient Point is 50 miles, so you're back-tracking quite a bit.

Ugh. I forgot about traffic, I was just thinking distance. Even on a weekday I bet traffic along the coast is horrendous -- and construction? -- my favorite!

The ride from Port Jefferson (where the Bridgeport ferry drops off) to the east end is actually pretty nice. You are past all of the typical LI traffic. And you can take back roads through wine country! Port Jeff is a very nice town as well. shops , restaurants etc....

That sounds nice. I think we'll probably plan on lunch in Stamford (with a lot of catching up, I'm sure ) so if we made it to LI that night we could do a leisurely drive the next day as you suggest.

Why not have the best of both worlds and try each one for both legs of the trip. Traffic on east end is extra crowded this time of year and the further west you go it can get pretty tight. If you have the time, try to do all the back roads closest to the water (Rt 25A) It's longer but so much more scenic . Lots of places to stop and cooler since there are more trees than concrete. Have a great trip!

I like that idea! Maybe if we take the shorter way the first time over we could see if we want to back track for the return trip. I'd be up for an extended adventure with lots of exploring and checking out Hither Hills (I have photos of when my mother's family camped there back in the day -- WAY back in the day). I think my husband will be ready to head home after seeing The Colonel.

 

[ebmouse]

Don't know if you remember that Hither Hills is at the almost end of the South Fork, where the New Haven ferry comes and goes from the end of the North Fork. That will def add some mileage. You will need to pack extra patience thru certain parts of that leg of the journey. Still, lots of beauty and great sightseeing.

 

[aboveH20]

Don't know if you remember that Hither Hills is at the almost end of the South Fork, where the New Haven ferry comes and goes from the end of the North Fork. That will def add some mileage. You will need to pack extra patience thru certain parts of that leg of the journey. Still, lots of beauty and great sightseeing.

Good point. It's been quite a few years since I've been to Long Island, but I do remember the traffic. It was the reason my mother didn't want to move back after college, and once again, that was years ago.

One summer I worked for the company that has the contract to take reservations for state parks. Hither Hills was the most popular park in New York by far. I'm curious to see it, but should probably satisfy that curiosity off season! I'm primarily interested in Oyster Bay.

 

[barbliny]

Very familiar with the Port Jefferson area since we live very close, and the ferry there. Also, very familiar with driving from the Port Jefferson area to upstate NY (Albany, Saratoga area) - done that drive more times that I care to count!!

Oyster Bay is a considerable drive to the west from Port Jefferson (about an hour) - so you are halfway to the NY bridges when you drive over to OB, and it doesn't make sense to backtrack to PJ to catch a ferry back across the sound - you might as well just drive back upstate from Oyster Bay.

The North Fork is considerably less crowded than the south fork this time of year - the north fork is still busy in the summer, but not the mind-numbing bumper to bumper traffic of the Hamptons and Montauk (where Hither Hills is). The north fork will give you a more rural feel, pick-your-own farms, farm festivals, wineries and more wineries, multiple breweries, and a hard apple cider orchard too - and some small town centers. It will be hard to hit both the north and south fork in a 3-day trip (with time also allocated to Stamford, and Oyster Bay) - so you will probably need to pick a 'coast' to concentrate on. The south shore on the east end will give you ocean beaches, 'touristy, tony' towns, and a different feel in general during the summer months. It is not difficult to get from Port Jeff to the south shore once in the Riverhead area. If traveling on the south shore, once you get east of Hampton Bays you are generally down to one main road that gets very, very backed up in the afternoons.

Fall is also beautiful on the east end of Long Island (the last 2 weeks of October will become very busy on the north fork, with pumpkin and apple picking season).

The one thing you don't mention is where you will stay - this will be the harder part of the equation. Once you get east of Riverhead - you only have boutique hotels, small and expensive resorts (and many overcharge substantially during the high-season for the level of 'luxury' you are getting), and B&Bs.

If you were to come into Port Jeff, there is a small hotel right in town (mixed reviews, and I think it depends on whether you have a renovated room or not) - but, it is nice for convenience since it is a nice walking town with numerous restaurants and bars (and shops). There is a brand new Hilton Garden Inn a 5 minute drive away in Stony Brook. There is a Holiday Inn Express in the area also. In Riverhead there is a Hyatt, Holiday Inn, and Hilton Garden Inn.

Also, if your husband enjoys history - the Old Bethpage Restoration Village is a 20 minute ride south from Sagamore Hill and you would need to make that drive south to get to the main highways to head back towards the city anyway.

 

[aboveH20]

Very familiar with the Port Jefferson area since we live very close, and the ferry there. Also, very familiar with driving from the Port Jefferson area to upstate NY (Albany, Saratoga area) - done that drive more times that I care to count!!

Oyster Bay is a considerable drive to the west from Port Jefferson (about an hour) - so you are halfway to the NY bridges when you drive over to OB, and it doesn't make sense to backtrack to PJ to catch a ferry back across the sound - you might as well just drive back upstate from Oyster Bay.

The North Fork is considerably less crowded than the south fork this time of year - the north fork is still busy in the summer, but not the mind-numbing bumper to bumper traffic of the Hamptons and Montauk (where Hither Hills is). The north fork will give you a more rural feel, pick-your-own farms, farm festivals, wineries and more wineries, multiple breweries, and a hard apple cider orchard too - and some small town centers. It will be hard to hit both the north and south fork in a 3-day trip (with time also allocated to Stamford, and Oyster Bay) - so you will probably need to pick a 'coast' to concentrate on. The south shore on the east end will give you ocean beaches, 'touristy, tony' towns, and a different feel in general during the summer months. It is not difficult to get from Port Jeff to the south shore once in the Riverhead area. If traveling on the south shore, once you get east of Hampton Bays you are generally down to one main road that gets very, very backed up in the afternoons.

Fall is also beautiful on the east end of Long Island (the last 2 weeks of October will become very busy on the north fork, with pumpkin and apple picking season).

The one thing you don't mention is where you will stay - this will be the harder part of the equation. Once you get east of Riverhead - you only have boutique hotels, small and expensive resorts (and many overcharge substantially during the high-season for the level of 'luxury' you are getting), and B&Bs.

If you were to come into Port Jeff, there is a small hotel right in town (mixed reviews, and I think it depends on whether you have a renovated room or not) - but, it is nice for convenience since it is a nice walking town with numerous restaurants and bars (and shops). There is a brand new Hilton Garden Inn a 5 minute drive away in Stony Brook. There is a Holiday Inn Express in the area also. In Riverhead there is a Hyatt, Holiday Inn, and Hilton Garden Inn.

Also, if your husband enjoys history - the Old Bethpage Restoration Village is a 20 minute ride south from Sagamore Hill and you would need to make that drive south to get to the main highways to head back towards the city anyway.

Hi, neighbor (I think maybe) we live at exit 10 of the Northway, certainly Albany-Saratoga area!

Thank you so much for taking the time to write a detailed answer. Sounds like I should make two trips, one for Stamford and Oyster Bay and one to do some exploring of the eastern end of the island and go back to my mother's hometown, etc. NOT in summer!

I've inherited a teapot that Theodore Roosevelt is supposed to have had tea from. The uncle my father was named for was a minister in Oyster Bay and the story goes that his daughter babysat for the Roosevelts and one day the minister's wife invited TR for tea. Antiques Roadshow here I come. I've consequently done a lot of reading about TR -- he was a fascinating character!

Again, thanks.

 

[barbliny]

Hi, neighbor (I think maybe) we live at exit 10 of the Northway, certainly Albany-Saratoga area!

Saratoga's race season (heavy) traffic is lighter than Hamptons summer traffic - that should give you a good idea of the south fork of Long Island during weekends in the summer!!

We have family in the area. I went to college in the area eons ago, and my daughter recently graduated from a different area college. We have heavy ties to the Northway!!

Interesting story about Teddy - I assume you know they just finished a painstaking 4 year restoration of Sagamore Hill - it's only been open for about a month now. We've been talking about revisiting now that it's done - I live with some history lovers!!

 

[aboveH20]

Saratoga's race season (heavy) traffic is lighter than Hamptons summer traffic - that should give you a good idea of the south fork of Long Island during weekends in the summer!!

We have family in the area. I went to college in the area eons ago, and my daughter recently graduated from a different area college. We have heavy ties to the Northway!!

Interesting story about Teddy - I assume you know they just finished a painstaking 4 year restoration of Sagamore Hill - it's only been open for about a month now. We've been talking about revisiting now that it's done - I live with some history lovers!!

Okay, I read between the lines wrong and thought you lived up here. We were the opposite, our older son went to college in NYC. I had read about the restoration and can't wait to see it.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply.

 

[Lewisc]

What part of Easter Long Island do you want to visit? The winners are on the north fork. If that's your goal take the ferry from New London then drive west.

Your want to just visit Roosevelt's house? Skipping the ferry and driving would be cheaper and probably faster. The ferry to Bridgeport would work.

 

[aboveH20]

What part of Easter Long Island do you want to visit? The winners are on the north fork. If that's your goal take the ferry from New London then drive west.

Your want to just visit Roosevelt's house? Skipping the ferry and driving would be cheaper and probably faster. The ferry to Bridgeport would work.

The two must-dos on this trip are the lunch in Stamford and Oyster Bay. I was trying to figure out what else we could do since we're making the trip, but I'm starting to think realistically adding adventures on the tip of the island would require another night or two -- and no summer traffic! I'd like to return to my mother's hometown and check out the beach where I got so many jellyfish stings, but I think that's too much since we're going to LI by way of Connecticut.

 

[crzy4dsny]

The traffic on the north fork really isn't too bad, the south fork is where it's all at. You mentioned something about Hither hills, you can take the Shelter Island ferry's to get from the north fork to the south fork. That will put you further out east and miss most of the traffic.

 

[aboveH20]

The traffic on the north fork really isn't too bad, the south fork is where it's all at. You mentioned something about Hither hills, you can take the Shelter Island ferry's to get from the north fork to the south fork. That will put you further out east and miss most of the traffic.

Yes, I have to check out Hither Hills someday. One summer I worked at a campground reservation center and the two most popular campgrounds -- by far -- were Yosemite on the national level and Hither Hills in NY. Plus, I have photos of my mother's family camping at Hither Hills in old vehicles. Thanks for replying.