Staying at the Wyndham Garden in Elizabeth, NJ and planning a one-day trip to Manhattan. Want to see Ellis Island, Ground Zero, the Met, and the NYSE/Merrill Lynch bull. Also need to find my daughter an "I Love New York" T-shirt. A full day, no doubt!

This is my first trip ever to New Jersey and I'm not clear even though I've searched the New Jersey Transit and PATH web sites. What's the best train route to get from Elizabeth to the World Trade Center site? I plan to return via the same route, then head home to the Northwest. Many thanks.

Since you are staying adjacent to Newark Airport, you should get to the Newark Airport Train Station. Take your hotel's free shuttle to the terminals.

You then take the AirTrain Newark to the Newark Airport Train Station. Take any NYC-bound train one stop to Newark, NJ (Penn Station- they have one too!). You will save quite a bit of time and energy if you take a taxi to the train station.

You can then do a cross-platform (sort of) transfer to the PATH, which will take you INTO the World Trade Center site. Yes, into. Not near. Inside. Can't get any closer.

Take any PATH train marked "WTC".

I'm confused. I thought the Wyndham in Elizabeth is called the Wyndham Newark Airport, and NOT a Wyndham Garden. The only Wyndham Garden hotel in NJ is Wyndham Garden Hotel - Mount Olive at International Trade Center.

BTW, the NJ Transit charges a lot more for the EWR-Penn station route than from other towns in NJ.

For example:
1-way ticket from EWR-Penn station is $11.55 (and no off-peak r/t discount)
1-way ticket from Elizabeth-Penn station is $4.55. Off-peak r/t is $7

YK: My mistake, it is the Wyndham Newark Airport. Thanks.

QC: Thanks for your advice. Very helpful.

The Airport Hilton has scheduled shuttles to Newark Penn station -- check w/ Wyndham if they do too.

When you take any train from EWR, you pay an extra surcharge that helps pay for that new monorail line and station they built for the EWR stops. I understand you can't even get on the monorail without a valid ticket, and there's no other way to get to the station.

rb's suggestion is good. If the hotel can drop you off at Newark Penn station, the train ride on NJ Transit is only $3.30 vs $11.55 from EWR.

I have stayed at the Wyndham Newark Airport Hotel. They have shuttle buses that will take you to the monorail (not sure how often - every 1/2 hour?) and from there you go to the Newark Airport Train Station.

The NJTransit South Jersey Coast train stops at the Elizabeth train station. If the hotel has a free shuttle, take that.

Any particular reason you are staying in New Jersey?

yk, just to clarify, there is no reason to take the more expensive NJ Transit commuter rail to Penn Station, then transfer to NYC Subway when the PATH Subway goes directly to the original poster's destination from Newark Penn with no transfers for half the cost.

QC-
Thanks for the clarification. I take NJ transit a lot to NYC from Trenton, and a few times to EWR but never from Newark Penn station, so not familiar with the PATH train. I just remember being appalled by how much more expensive it is to EWR than other NJ cities. I do understand they do that for the cost of the AirTrain.

I don't agree with going to Newark International to catch the train.

You are going to pay substantially more for fares to pay a surchage for a train you won't even use.

I would advise trying to get the hotel to drop you off at the the Elizabeth NJ Transit station, or taking a cab there. (the North Elizabeth station is closer but has infrequent service).

This will give the direct access to Midtown for 4.55 where you can take a subway where you want to go. You indicate you are going to the met, so you'll need to get uptown eventually anyway.