Travel to New York City from Toronto area
 

Group of girls from the Toronto area want to spend 3 - 4 days on a trip to New York City. What's the best mode of transport..... Train, Bus, Plane? No automobiles.
Want to stay in Manhattan.
Does anyone know of the best way to achieve this? My googling isn't helping me.
Thanks.

If you only have a few days, it's probably best to fly. You're there in a little over an hour, as opposed to 10-12 hours or more on the bus or train. Usually the cheapest flights go to Newark; from there you can take a bus to the Port Authority Terminal in Manhattan, and then cab from there to your hotel.

Porter has good fares from the Island airport to Newark then you can take the train into Manhattan.

We stay at the Comfort Inn/Times Square - consistently good rates and location is terrific. Rooms are small but clean.

Have fun!

Maple Leaf train tonnes of fun with a group

Goes through beautiful country

Prefer it by far over grungy croeded sirports

CitY centre to city centre

Amtrak.com

Betterbidding.com

For great deals on mid town hotels like the Hyatt

From $120 or so for me usually bidding priceline

I'm a huge fan of flying out of Buffalo. It's usually much cheaper than Toronto, and after crossing the border in a car, the flight becomes a domestic flight. No immigration at the airports and a good price. Check out flights from BUF

My son has been taking the bus between Toronto and D.C. fairly often for the past 6 months and that is definitely the cheapest option. It is either Bolt or Megabus and he has paid as little as $5

I think your best option is to visit a Travel Agent or or the CAA (Auto association)... they will put a total package together that includes Air,transfers,hotel, sightseeing that fits your price range... Then all you do is collect the money from the girls and follow the itinerary... Our local AAA has several package trips throughout the year that include shopping, broadway shows and group discounts... or they can custom plan your trip...

Porter from Toronto Island Airport (or Billy Bishop Airport as it's called now) will take you to Newark Airport and then it's a short shuttle ride into Manhattan. Train travel isn't that cheap and it's much more time consuming. Plus, I took Amtrak to Toronto from NY a couple of years ago and was disgusted at how filthy the train was -- toilets that didn't flush, sinks with no water. I finally had to wash my hands in one of the few water fountains that worked.

Really -- if this is a fun trip with the girls, spend a little more and fly Porter (which, by the way, is their website www.flyporter.ca). The fares are low but of course taxes and fees add up but they do with other modes of transportation too. Porter is lovely -- everyone feels like they're flying first class.

Now, that said, if any of 'the girls' is over 60, Via Rail used to have a deal where one person can travel with a companion and the companion goes for free. But it only works on Via so if you're taking Amtrak home (as I believe you will be), it doesn't work the on the return trip.

How about flying there and taking the train home?

I'm not sure if cost is an issue. .. You did ask for the best way. But if it is an issue, do consider flying out of Buffalo. I just put some dates in for July .. Porter was $425, US air and Jet Blue out of Buffalo is $219, almost half the price.

Every time I fly from Buffalo, there are more and more Canadians on the flight.

Good luck with your plans.

kodi,
I've always been tempted to fly from Buffalo but have been put off by the two hour drive there and the two hour drive home, not counting any tie-ups at the border.

To the OP, if you do decide to fly from Buffalo, I suggest you stay overnight at one of the Buffalo airport hotels. They aren't very expensive, you can leave your car there (most have airport shuttles) and you don't risk missing your flight if the border is a mess.

VIA doesn't seem to have that half price for a companion deal any longer.

Goddess, I understand. I keep forgetting that I'm an hour closer. Buffalo is kind of a natural thing out this way, for shopping and the airport, but know it isn't for Torontonians. I've been on flights though with people from Peterborough. I think it all comes down to how much of a savings it is. Convenience certainly is worth something to fly with Porter.

As for the hotels in Buffalo, it is a good idea , as Goddess suggests. If you book a park n flyn stay, you get parking free.
I just returned from a trip and got 2 weeks parking with my one night accommodation. I'm close enough to drive right home, but the price is about the same as airport parking, so it's a good idea.

The Maple Leaf (Amtrak). $112US each way per person. A ViaRail crew operates the train to the border where an Amtrak crew takes over. If the weather is nice, the scenery is better than what you see from an airplane.
There was once a ferry from Toronto to Rochester but it seems to be bankrupt.

Definitely fly if you have a limited amount of time and can afford the airfare. Depending on where you're located in/near Toronto, Porter Air from Toronto Island or Air Canada from Pearson will be the best bet. (Toronto Island is a good idea if you're all near central Toronto. But if some of you are west or north of Toronto, Pearson is just as convenient.)

If price is an issue, the bus can actually be a pleasant (albeit fairly long) trip. My mother in law takes the trip about 6 times a year - it's about 11 hours in each direction. It is a city centre-city centre route, so it's convenient, and in addition to avoiding the high cost of plane travel, you also save the cost of transport from/to airports. The long distance buses have Wifi, and they're in good shape.

Priceline can be a great option for hotel rooms, but if you need to be sure of getting a particular room type (e.g., 2 double beds), then it's risky. Priceline doesn't guarantee room type, so you could end up with a King bed when you wanted two doubles.

What's your budget for a hotel room? Prices in mid-summer can easily be $250+ per night, even for something like a Hampton Inn in Manhattan. Depending on how long you're staying, you might look into finding a short-term apartment rental instead.

If you fly out of Toronto Pearson, remember to allow at least an hour to get through US immigration . It can be a nightmare.