My apologies if this is a basic question, but I'm confused. I'm looking for the best way to get from my EWR hotel (Hilton Newark Airport) to Manhattan on public transport. It looks like during the day I could take bus 112 to Port Authority, but I'd be out quite late on a Friday night with friends, so I wouldn't want to do this going back. Is there a good way, perhaps on a train or safer public transport without as much walking, to get from roughly midtown Manhattan to the hotel? Perhaps getting me to EWR and then I could use the hotel shuttle?

Thanks.

You have discovered the trouble with staying at Newark Airport to visit Manhattan--there's no easy way to connect the two and the trip can be costly moneywise and timewise. All public transportation options from Manhattan connect to the airport, requiring other transport to reach the hotel, and service will be limited or non-existent late at night. Check schedules very, very carefully or you will be stuck with an $80 taxi ride.

From midtown Manhattan, there are express airport buses from near Grand Central Terminal and Port Authority Bus Terminal that go directly to Newark Airport. Costs about $15 each way and takes 45-60 minutes (or more if there is bad tunnel traffic).

Or New Jersey Transit trains from New York Penn Station go to the Newark Airport Station where you switch to the AirTrain to the terminals. Costs about $13 each way and takes about 60-75 minutes.

Or the PATH train goes from midtown or downtown Manhattan to Newark Penn Station and connects to local bus service to the airport. I would not use this option late at night. Costs about $5 each way and takes forever (60-90 minutes).

If you will be staying there and making this roundtrip more than one day, you might look into hotel options with better transportation connections.

It's more that I'll be leaving on a bus to Bethlehem, PA Saturday morning from EWR, so I think it makes sense to stay overnight there, and I got a killer rate. I'd prefer to avoid a very costly uberx back that evening, though.

I took the NJ Transit from NY Penn station earlier this week and thought it was pretty good, it did not take as long as 60-75 mins to reach EWR Airport station, since it was only a few stops. It was more like 30 mins.

Depends on what you mean by late at night.

Yes, but when does your hotel pick up at the airport. Many do not do so late at night.

If early in the evening this will work - late at night 9after midnight) perhaps not an option. Car service will be at least $80 and taxi possible more from Manhattan.

I think the airport shuttle is 24/7. I'd assume I'd leave something like 11ish. Perhaps I can take the NJ transit back at that hour to EWR airport and then hotel shuttle.

Looks like this is the schedule, so a quick NJ Train from Newark Airport Station to/from Penn Station seems definitely doable, even late at night. Will have to take Airtrain as well:

http://www.njtransit.com/sf/sf_servl...nSchedulesFrom

Time of day can effect the frequency of trains, especially late at night.

Odin, my estimates includes the advance time you need to be at the stations/terminals as well as the connecting times to the hotel once at the airport.

Time of day can effect the frequency of trains, especially late at night.

Odin, my estimates includes the advance time you need to be at the stations/terminals as well as the connecting times to the hotel once at the airport.

Sorry for the unintentional double post

Thanks again. Looks like, however, there are frequent Penn Station to Newark Airport trains, even late at night. Worry a bit about standing outside late at night for the AirTrain, but hopefully once I get in the terminal it will be okay.

Final detail would be to check how often the hotel shuttle runs at that hour.

The AirTrain platforms are not outside. Once you arrive into EWR station, you need to follow the signs and take the escalator down to the AirTrain platform.

Well 11 isn;t really very late at night - esp for NYC. I would check carefully with the hotel about it's shuttle pick ups (call them for specifics). Many say they have shuttles all the time but in fact run them very sparsely during the night. You don;t want to get to EWR and have to wait an hour or more for the hotel shuttle.

I get why you're staying at the airport hotel, but it's not at all convenient to get into the city from there, and the train plus Airtrain costs $12.50 each way. It works if you are alone, but if you are more than 2 people, it's still often cheaper to stay in a better located hotel in NYC.

There aren't that many late-night flights to and from EWR, but the Aitrain does run 24 hours, so you can at least get to the airport and, if necessary, take a taxi to the hotel from there if the airport shuttle isn't working. But if you leave Manhattan by 11pm (which as others have pointed out is not late), you'll get to the airport around 11:40.

And what Odin said is correct. The NJ Transit platform at the Airtrain station is outdoors, but the Airtrain itself is not. And I suspect you won't be the only person getting off.

Thanks for all the advice. I'm single, and got a rate of $87 at Hilton EWR, so I'm definitely staying there, especially since I will have to leave from there via coach the next morning. The hotel shuttle evidently runs 24/7.

"Evidently" doesn; work if the shuttle is no there. I would call the hotel directly and ask them specifically for the schedule of the shuttle between midnight and 6 am. Many hotels say they have shuttles round the clock but may run them not at all - or only every couple of hours between midnight and 6 am.

Um ... If the shuttle is not there for some reason the OP can take a taxi. No need to stress or not enjoy time in the city, and there's certainly no need to rush back to the airport and cut the fun off early. It's only one night after all. A single taxi ride will not bankrupt anyone even if it's $20.

Right, good to know a taxi or uberx is always an option if the shuttle isn't running.

Anyway, thanks for all the help. I will plan to take NJ Train into Penn Station, and the metro to and from there, then the train back again late Friday night.