We will be flying back to the States from Europe on June 26. We land in Newark at 1:20 p.m., and our connecting flight does not leave until 8:00 p.m. There will be 3 adults and 2 teens. Can we see anything outside of the airport during that time? Can we see anything of New York City? Thanks for any advice.

Hi: I just did the same thing you are going to do. I arrived from Paris at 12:30 and didn't leave until 5:30 pm (and then sat on the runway for 2 hrs). I just stayed in the Lounge in the airport and bought a book and readand also watched the french open.. There are many restaurants and shops to browse. The problem is leaving the secure area and then coming back thru. Then the terminal I had to go to was about a 10 - 15 min walk to the next terminal. Having traveled from Newark to NYC before, one doesn't know if it will take you an hour or 2 hours depending on traffic. If you
have access to the business class lounge (with AX or ticket)free snacks and drinks.

It will probably take you an hour or two to get through passport control and customs and then to "the curb". Assuming you already have boarding passes for your next flight, you still need to be back at least an hour before departure time.

So, you'd probably have about 3 hours to get into NYC, see anything, and get back. I wouldn't do it.

I also don't think you have enough time to get into the city, but here are some other choices if you really want to leave the airport property.
Liberty Science Center is in Jersey City (relatively quick cab ride away) and has lots of interesting exhibits, and some decent food options. The Newark Museum also has diverse exhibits (certainly different than LSC) and is an easy cab ride. I'm not so sure about the food options in the immediate area. If you're in the mood to shop, Jersey Gardens outlet mall is also a quick cab ride away in Elizabeth. There's a movie theater there as well....

Thanks for the info. I didn't think we would have too many options, but I had to check. I think we will probably just stay in the airport. We will probably be exhausted anyway! Thanks