islandpaddler

Worry wart that I am, I'm already nervous about driving from Edgewater, N.J. to JFK Airport in early April. Actually, I'm the navigator with DH doing the driving. We live in a rural area so I'm somewhat intimidated by serious highway driving. However, I'll just have to grit my teeth and do it because I can't see any other way to accomplish this.

Our flight leaves at 11 a.m. We are spending the night before in Edgewater to visit with family.

What time should we leave, and more importantly what's the best route. It seems like there a quite a few options.

Thanks.

vjpblovesitaly

"We are spending the night before in Edgewater to visit with family."


Why not ask them? Haven't they ever been to JFK?

mclaurie

Frankly, Edgewater is really geographically undesirable to get to JFK in the morning. Why are you driving? Will you have a rental car that has to be returned? I'd spend the evening with the family and stay in Manhattan or get rid of the rental car and use public transportation (bus to Port Authority and then bus, train or taxi to JFK).

If you do do this, the time to leave will depend on whether your flight is domestic or int'l and whether you have to return a rental car. Anyway you slice it, you'll have to leave in rush hour. Ugh.

J62

It's really quite easy, and you have basically one route.

Across the GWB on I-95, continuing on I-95 to Exit 10/I-678 towards Whitestone Bridge.

After the bridge follow signs for JFK.

J62

To clarify - the route is easy - doing this at weekday am rush hour is NOT.

I would leave the house by 7 to get across the GWB before the big rush. It can take you anywhere from 45min to 90min to get to JFK. If you wait and get stuck in commute traffic it could be longer.

islandpaddler

No, they have never driven to JFK. We have to return a rental car, so there is no choice in this matter.

They work all day, so we only have a few short hours together so staying anywhere but in Edgewater is not an option. I had thought about staying at the airport, but we would have to drive in the dark, which seems to make things more complicated.

Thanks J62 for the directions. What time should we leave by. Looks like it's about 15 miles, but traffic is sure to be factor.

islandpaddler

J62.

Our posts crossed, so thanks for the time info. Seven it is, then.

sf7307

Assuming J62 is correct that it will take between 45 and 90 minutes to drive to JFK (allow 2 hours), and assuming you have to return a rental car (allow an extra half hour), and assuming since you by your own admission are a "worry wart" that you want to arrive plenty early for your flight (allow at least an extra half hour), I'd suggest you leave by 6 a.m. rather than 7 a.m.

J62

IMO there is no need to depart at 6am. If it weren't for weekday rush hr I'd say 8am is ok (Sat or Sunday). You don't say what day this is.

Returning a car at JFK is easy - the rental car center is right near the entrance to the airport off I678, and the AirTrain departs every 5min for the terminals.

islandpaddler

It's a Thursday. Thanks.

sf7307

J62, I agree with you - I wouldn't leave that early either, but it sounds to me like the poster is nervous about the trip, thus my suggestion to leave even earlier. Better to have breakfast at the airport after arriving too early than to be stuck in traffic worrying whether you'll make it in time for your flight.

islandpaddler, is this a domestic or international flight -- what time are you supposed to check in by?

islandpaddler

We're flying home to St. Thomas. And we'll have only carry on luggage and can get our boarding passes at my niece's computer.

The AA website says check in time is 90 minutes.

J62

You're in good shape then. Checkin is 90min - you'll do that online so the only requirement is you show up at the gate 15min before sched departure.

Boarding pass in hand you just walk to security in AA Terminal 8 - and the lines move quickly there.

Even if you didn't reach car rental till 10:15am you'd be ok. Don't ask me how I know.

nytraveler

In NYC distance is measured in time - not miles. And the time varies by traffic, road conditions and weather.

If you have a flight leaving at 11am you will want to check in by 9am at the latest - which means arriving there at 8:30 to drop off the car. So - you'll be in the middle of rush hour - and since you don;t know the area, will be stuck in traffic on the main roads. And you'll be taking the GWB and the dreaded cross Bronx. I would leave at least an hour and a half travel time. (Could be 30 minutes - at 3 am - but not during rush hour.)

islandpaddler

Thanks all.

I think we'll leave around 6:30. Better to get there in plenty of time than be too crazed in traffic.

RoamsAround

Have you considered driving to JFK from from your relative's house in Edgewater the night before your flight and staying at one of the many hotels near the airport???? We do this every time we visit relatives in NJ and have a flight out the next day. Works like a charm.

We visit the relatives than drive to the airport late in the evening - from Edgewater you probably can get to JFK in around 30 if you you travel outside of rush hour. You spend the same amount of "awake time" with your relatives, you miss all the traffic (no rush hour or dreaded I-95 to contend with and you don't have to get up hours early the following morning for the ride to the airport.

Most hotels near the airport have free shuttle service to the tram that connects to all the terminals so you can drop off your rental that evening or park it at the hotel and return it in the morning before your flight.

sf7307

RoamsAround, I would (and always do) do that, too, but the OP said:

I had thought about staying at the airport, but we would have to drive in the dark, which seems to make things more complicated.