New York City help needed, please!

[kellia]

How hard would it be to get from La Guardia airport to the Amtrak station? It looks like 9 miles according to mapquest, but don't know if it would actually be that easy? What would be the best way to get there? Cab? Any idea what that would cost? How are the trains?

Thanks so much! I've never been there and am not a city girl! We need to get to Conneticut to pick up a car and looks like a plane then train would be cheapest.

 

[Caradana]

How hard would it be to get from La Guardia airport to the Amtrak station? It looks like 9 miles according to mapquest, but don't know if it would actually be that easy? What would be the best way to get there? Cab? Any idea what that would cost? How are the trains?

Thanks so much! I've never been there and am not a city girl! We need to get to Conneticut to pick up a car and looks like a plane then train would be cheapest.

Which Amtrak station: NYC/Penn Station?
I think it'll come to about $40-50.

 

[honeymom]

Are you sure you want Amtrak? Metronorth serves a lot of Southern Connecticut and it is out of Grand Central. Amtrak is out of Penn Station.

I think it would be easiest to take a taxi to Grand Central. There may be bus service available. I am not sure.

 

[Kimberle]

What are you trying to do? Get to CT from LGA? There are shuttles that provide that service. CT Limo, PrimeTime and Red Dot. It would be much easier. Don't take AmTrack to CT, it is MUCH more expensive. We use MetroNorth.

 

[kellia]

Thank you for the posts! After looking at that some more, we got a rental car from the airport that was only $40/day, the place we need to go to is only about 90 minutes away. So, we'll get there at 10am, drive to pick up our van in CT and then come back and drop the rental back off. Ended up being the cheapest. Plus, we'll be in NY next Sat. afternoon/evening.

Any suggestions for what to do in NY if you are only going to be there for a few hours? We'd like to at least see the Statue of Liberty, hopefully that won't be too hard to get to.

 

[crazyme5kids]

Where in Conn. do you need to go? Keep in mind LI traffic can be a real pain in the butt, you never know if it will be a good day or a bad day traffic wise. Also, are you going into NYC before or after picking up your van?

 

[kellia]

Where in Conn. do you need to go? Keep in mind LI traffic can be a real pain in the butt, you never know if it will be a good day or a bad day traffic wise. Also, are you going into NYC before or after picking up your van?

We are picking the van up in New Haven. We wanted to do something in NYC after picking up the van and dropping off the rental at LGA. Are Saturdays really bad traffic wise?

Thank you for any advice you have, I feel totally clueless about this! We are from the Detroit area, no where near as big as Ny, and I just hate to go there and not see anything since who knows when we'll ever be back.

 

[crazyme5kids]

You just never know how bad traffic will be. Sometimes you fly right on through, others you sit or crawl. It also depends on what weekend (not always), the route you will be taking and what events are happening.

Another thing to keep in mind, if you are getting a full size van not all parking garages will take them. Check what is going on in NYC too, you can skirt around traffic sometimes if you have that info.

 

[Kimberle]

We are picking the van up in New Haven. We wanted to do something in NYC after picking up the van and dropping off the rental at LGA. Are Saturdays really bad traffic wise?

Thank you for any advice you have, I feel totally clueless about this! We are from the Detroit area, no where near as big as Ny, and I just hate to go there and not see anything since who knows when we'll ever be back.

You'll be taking I-95 to New Haven. Sat's are hit or miss. Sometimes the traffic goes pretty well, other times you crawl. You never know. They never give traffic reports on the radio on weekends, either.

New Haven has some real "iffy" areas. So be clear on your directions and watch were you go.

You have to get tickets for the statue of liberty in advance. They tend to quickly sell out. You can take the Staten Island ferry. Just stay on the boat and take it back. It's cheap and you do pass fairly close to the Statue.

 

[monorailsilver]

I agree about New Haven on a Saturday. Usually around noon there is a traffic rush but that tends to be in the nicer weather when there is Cape traffic and that is the New Haven area.

And then there is the weekday traffic which is around the 8am hour & then again starting at around 3. But there is also bad traffic from the NY line all the way up during rush hour & I am sure on the weekend too but I don't go all the way down as I get off 95 about 15 min south of New Haven to go to my parents house.

You can shop at IKEA if you are bored in New Haven & go to Pepe's Pizza too. OK you asked NY.

If you want a more scenic drive back to NY, instead of taking 95, you can get off Exit 38 (I think, you'd think I know this getting off the exit for the past 35 years of my life, tomorrow included & also this past Friday) which is the Milford Connector & then you get on the Merritt Parkway which is a 2 lane road with no trucks. And depending on where you are going in NY you go different ways but if you are going to LGA to drop off the car then you take the Whitestone Bridge exit once you hit NY.

 

[Forevryoung]

Might Might Might be a stupid idea (and it might not be possible for you...)

Other LI folks- would it be easier/quicker for her to fly into Islip, take a cab to the Ferry Dock and take the ferry across the sound? Depends where you need to go in New Haven but it might be the fastest way and the ferry is quick and painless (no traffic!)

It would eliminate the rental car and driving it back to LGA and all. Besides, people who aren't from the area think that driving on LI/Queens/NYC etc is worse than driving through Hell

Anyone else consider this one?

 

[crazyme5kids]

I thought about that too, but I don't really know if it would save time or if the OP could get a flight to Islip. OP it is something to consider. You would take the Port Jefferson ferry. Port Jeff is a nice town to kill some time and walk around while waiting for the ferry.

What route did mapquest tell you to go?

 

[crazyme5kids]

Another thing to consider is to drop the rental car off in Conn.