Hello everyone

Please bear with my musings. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts about this.

I live near DC and my family lives in Erie which is about a 6 hour drive with a stop for gas/snack/etc.

I am thinking of taking the week of Labor Day and driving to see them for 5 days or so.

When I leave on the Thursday I'd like to go end up in NYC for the rest of the weekend. I'm trying to figure out the most efficient way to do this.

I can drive back to DC, stay overnight in my house, leave the car, and bus or train up the next morning, arriving in NYC for lunch. This means buying a bus/train ticket soon and having to adhere to the time.

Or I can drive to NYC from Erie, and stay in a NYC hotel Thurs night until I drive home Sunday. Max flexibility. Technically this is about the same amount of transport time (roughly 14 hours in the car with two driving legs (Erie/NYC and NYC/DC) if traffic is moving the whole time, instead of 15 or so if I drove to DC and then round tripped on the bus or train) although more than half of it would be me as a passenger if I took bus/train up and back - nap or look out the window.

Or I can even drive to Philadelphia, spend the night, train from Phillie to NYC the next morning for the weekend and back to my car Sunday. The drive to Philadelphia from Erie is the same hours-wise as to NYC but at least I'd have half the up and back leg as a train trip not car trip in and out of Phila and Manhattan (which I've done, NBD).

Transport time wise they all seem fairly similar just more or less time in the car versus train or bus.

What would tip it for you? I'm leaning to just coming back to DC and turning around the next morning to go up to NYC. Although staying in NYC the night before does mean one more morning stroll in NYC versus arriving after lunch time.

Thank you

I can drive back to DC, stay overnight in my house, leave the car, and bus or train up the next morning, arriving in NYC for lunch. This means buying a bus/train ticket soon and having to adhere to the time.

Cleanest and probably cheapest way to do it. A car in NYC is a pain and an expense. All your other ways also involve parking fees and more expense.

OR, at best, park at Newark airport and go into the city for the weekend.

I'd drive as far as the NJ Transit station in Metropark, where you can park cheaply in the large garage there. Take the train into the city and back to Metropark to pick up your car. Parking in Manhattan costs at least $40 per night (and that's if you arrange things on your own and not at your hotel's valet parking). And you obviously won't need your car in the city. Plus the toll for either of the tunnels is $15. Alternatively, you could find a hotel a bit closer to NYC near a PATH station, but you'll still probably have to pay for parking in an NJ hotel, just not quite as much.

Doug beat me to it.

Thank you everyone!

I am trying to find hotels with free parking. there actually are a few, it looks like. Hilton Garden Inn in Tribeca. I'd rather be near West Village but that isn't too far.

Has anyone stayed at the The Standard, High Line? Not free parking but good price.

The Standard East Village might have free parking. Is that nice?

Whoops nix the above.

They looked reasonable on Google, but then when I went to the site to book - double.

I chose Chelsea Pines Inn, which looks quite good and all-in just under 900 bucks for three nights (all-in meaning taxes etc). I don't know if they have free parking.

We stay in the Chelsea area about once a year and have yet to find a hotel with free parking. We typically stay at either the Holiday Inn express on 26th or Hampton Inn on 28th and use whatver garage they have a deal with for $25 or so per night. With an AAA or frequent traveler / pay in advance price it's usually ~$225 or so per night, plus tax and parking comes to less than $300/night.

Rooms in both are typical NYC size - small room, but king sized bed. Typical updated HIE or HI quality mattress. No complaints here.

Both are easy to get to via Lincoln tunnel or GWB.

If I ever do go back to NYC (doubtful), I will go by train. If you really want to go by way of Erie PA the eastbound Lake Shore Limited is in Erie about 7-7:30AM. I have gotten off the LSL in Erie several times after an overnight trip from Chicago. If you did not want to park in Philliy, park for free in Lancaster and take a train from there to NYP.
The westbound LSL gets into Erie about 3:30AM which is not good if you are going to visit family there.

I agree, taking a 11-12hr train ride from Erie to NYC, then the same time back to Erie (arriving middle of the night), then needing to drive back to DC doesn't seem like it meets the "efficient" criteria you've asked for.
Getting in Amtrak in Philly or Lancaster also seems less efficient then Doug's reco to pick up NJ transit at Metropark.

Chelsea Pines Inn is more of a B&B. It's not a hotel (and no elevator ... not so great if your room is on the 5th floor), but it does have a pretty good location if you want to be in Chelsea. Lots of restaurants nearby. I'm not terribly fond of west 14th Street, but it's definitely better now than it used to be. They do not have free parking ... no parking at all. So you'd have to park at a garage if you drive in. Just realize that it's going to cost you $15 + $45 + $45 + $45 = $150 (and that's a dead minimum) to drive in and park for three nights. Is it worth it?

FYI: For that location be sure to take the Holland Tunnel, not the Lincoln Tunnel if you do drive in.

Hi Doug! Thank you for all of the advice. Good tip on the elevator. I need the exercise! And thank you for reminding me again on the parking. I will research the best place in NJ to park (you said Metropark, but I'm not sure where that is, off the highway) and weigh that against the ease factor of just driving in and being done with the journey. Sounds like 150 bucks versus cost of three nights in NJ parking plus either cab fare back and forth, or, train to the inn. I would save 100 bucks, sounds like.

It's not so much that I want to be in Chelsea, I'd rather be in West Village but I don't want to pay more than 300 a night. This inn is 20 mins walk from Washington Square Park and Union Square and it's not far from the High Line, too. It's actually a good compromise I think because otherwise to go to the Highline it would be a train or cab versus a walk over. I like staying downtown or at least below midtown.

Now to figure out what is "on" that weekend. I see there is another century ride on Sunday the 8th. I attempted to do that a few years ago, it was a very cold and rainy May 1! So much fun but the rainy cold got to me and I had to abandon it at like 115th street! How many not-New-Yorkers can say they took a bike on the subway?

Thank you!

Chelsea Inn just told me nearby parking is 70 bucks a night! Yeah, no.

Where is this Metropark again??

Hi again

I thought Metropark was a generic name but it looks like it is literally the name of a specific station, much like saying Rosslyn or Farragut West in DC.

It also looks like I could maybe park in Newark the town? Not sure how cheap that would be and the time on the train isn't all that different.

what about parking at Newark Airport?

or, crazy crazy:

Has anyone used Park Whiz? looks like you can book cheaper parking ahead of time? In the general vicinity there are garages for 20-25 a night, for right now.

https://www.njtransit.com/rg/rg_serv...&selStation=83

Metropark is a station on NJ Transit. There are parking facilities onsite. It's really not that difficult.

https://www.nexusparkingsystems.com/...facility.html#

So much cheaper! 10 bucks for 24 hours so the most I'd pay is 40 bucks. I have a sneaking suspicion I am going to be taking uber in, I would really have to have my act together to get anything earlier than the 838 PM train.

06:43 PM Northeast Corridor #38680 7:29 PM46 minutes
07:21 PM Northeast Corridor #387208:09 PM48 minutes
07:51 PM Northeast Corridor #387408:45 PM54 minutes
08:38 PM Northeast Corridor #387609:28 PM50 minutes
09:22 PM Northeast Corridor #388010:12 PM50 minutes
09:50 PM Northeast Corridor #388210:41 PM51 minutes

I guess you've never taken the train before from DC to NY, which surprises me if you live in DC, or you'd know the MEtropark stop well as you go by it in the train.

Parking in the middle of big cities is always expensive, it's about $40-50 at hotels in DC, I've seen more like $70 in NY. The Hilton Garden Inn Tribeca doesn't have free parking, it's about $65.

I wouldn't do both those trips in such a short time myself, but I'd just view them as 2 trips, and take the train or bus to/from NY from DC.

I've used Spothero to find cheaper parking spots in cities, the problem is you have to prepay so if you change your mind or something, you lose the money. And it isn't always cheaper, I found that out, it can be the same as walkup rate (especially at night when it looks cheaper but may not be). I've never heard of parking whiz but suppose it's the same thing. Spothero is in Newark also.

Some qualifications aside from cost is that you get a voucher and if no one is on duty when you get there or whatever, you can not be able to use it as you can't stick it in the machine, obviously. This can be more a problem at night as if no one is there, you can get stuck paying the actual price to get out.