early luggage at Newark EWR
 

My wife and I are doing an overnight red eye to Newark Airport (EWR), arriving 7:40am. We have a 6:30pm onward flight to Europe on Delta Airlines, so will have approximately 6-8 hours of pure dead time at the airport. We'll have 3 pieces of luggage. We'd like to go into NYC for a couple of hours.

Two question ...
1. Any idea how early before a flight Delta will let us check luggage?
2. EWR doesn't appear to have luggage storage facilities. Ideas of where to store bags so we can go into the city?

Thanks.

I'm guessing your luggage will be checked all the way through to Europe when you check in for your first flight.

Try contacting the originating airline for information. If it is the same for both flights, or if the two airlines have luggage transfer arrangements, there is a chance your bags will be routinely moved between them and you can get them at your final destination. But checking the airline, or both of them, can't hurt.

There are two convenient places where you can check bags in Manhattan.

One is close to Grand Central on 41st Street between Lexington and Vanderbilt Avenue. The airport bus drops you off on 41st in that same block, so if you take the Olympia Trails bus into the city, get off at the Grand Central stop and just walk across the street and look for the bag check place, which is inside a large check-cashing office ... it's almost mid-block. It's a few steps below ground level so look down. I don't know what they charge, but it's called Midtown Luggage Storage and has been around for a few years now.

The other is Schwartz Travel at 355 w 36th St. between 8th and 9th Aves. (2nd floor). They have a second location on 46th Street, but that's less convenient, so I don't recommend it. They charge $2 per hour up to $10 for the day. Schwartz is reputable and comes highly recommended by a lot of people ... plus the train into Manhattan is generally faster than the bus (though will be very crowded during rush hour). So I'd probably choose this over the place near Grand Central, but use that if you want to take the bus.

But more to the point, check all your bags through. Only bring your carry-ons with you into Manhattan. You don't have to re-check your bags, though you will need to go through security again when you go back to the airport.