oloffsonr

3 adults are going to be in New York City for 3 days, and then travel out towards Baltimore for 3 days and then back to New York City for two. Thinking about taking the subway out of the city and then renting a car. Amtrak way too expensive. Any thoughts or ideas on this, which way to go, how far out to take the subway, etc?

ellenem

If you are heading to Baltimore, the subway makes no sense--it goes in the wrong direction. You need to go to New Jersey. The modes of public transport to NJ for three adults can get pricey. Just rent a car in Manhattan and hit the road. You can rent from someplace on the west side, closer to a tunnel for easy access to NJ.

andiamo08

There is a bus that goes from NYC to Baltimore called "Superior Tours" leaving from ROck Center.

nytraveler

I think you're a little confused. The subway is ONLY in NYC - it doesn't leave the city.

You may be thinking of New Jersey Transit - the train which serves suburban commuters. You can take that from Penn Station - with a change to Philadelphia and it will be cheaper than Amtrak. But from there to Baltimore I don;t believe there are any local trains - Amtrak is it.

For 3 people renting a car out at Newark airport MAY be cheaper - but do price them out - including insurance, taxes and airport fees as well as train fares to get there - and then figure gas at over $4.00 per gallon and tolls on the highways. To get to Newark you take NJ Transit from NYC Penn station to Newark and there change to the Air Train to get to the airport, then shuttle bus to the car rental. But- before doing that, see if it's really cheaper than renting the car in NYC.

beanweb24

Curious as to why Baltimore (especially for 3 days) when DC is so close. Don't get me wrong - I enjoy Camden Yards and the Inner Harbor, but I think DC offers more for 3 days.

uhoh_busted

I lived in and outside of DC for nearly 40 years. Baltimore a great destination for three adults. Why would you assume someone "needs" to go to DC? Maybe they've already done the monuments and Smithsonian on another trip. They don't change all that much over the years -- although we enjoyed them very much and often. We also LOVED Baltimore's Inner Harbor, Federal Hill, little Italy and of course the Ballparks. If you've never been to Baltimore, you will find its a cool destination. You can easily get to Annapolis or DC if you wish, when based in Baltimore.

BTW, if you want a great meal in Federal Hill (just a couple blocks from the Inner Harbor, with WAY better restaurants) try to get a reservation at Bicycle or 1006 (Ten oh six) on Light Street.

beanweb24

I didn't *assume* anything, nor did I say they "need" to go to DC. I said I was curious about their reason for the 3 days in B'more. Suggesting a personal preference as I did is a LOT different than saying "You need to go to DC."

Another reason why I was asking - it sounds like they're concerned about the cost of travel. There's a very inexpensive bus that runs between DC and NYC (for $50 round trip) and I believe travel to DC would be less expensive than Baltimore. AND - they could then train to B'more for a day from DC if they like for a cheaper option.

oloffsonr...if you do go to B'more, the Aquarium there is fabulous.

oloffsonr

"If you are heading to Baltimore, the subway makes no sense--it goes in the wrong direction. You need to go to New Jersey. The modes of public transport to NJ for three adults can get pricey. Just rent a car in Manhattan and hit the road. You can rent from someplace on the west side, closer to a tunnel for easy access to NJ."

Bus service to Baltimore is approx. 4 hours. We are actually going to Aberdeen. Will it take 4 hours to drive it from the west side of the city to there?

ellenem

Much depends on the traffic and time of day. Without using specific directions, Maps.google.com estimates about 3 hours.