First time EVER visit!
 

My sister and I are driving up the east coast in May and are stopping in NY for a few days. I need tips on the best way to ditch the car out of town and get in town, via train or commuter train or something. Anyone have any information or tips? I've been checking around, but it is hard to decipher where the best place to start is since I am completely unfamiliar with the area. Thanks!

Go through the Lincoln Tunnel and stay right to go immediately into the Port Authority parking garage. You won't have to drive around Manhatten and it only costs around $12 to park all day. There's a taxi queue right outside and a ride into mid-town is only about $5.00.

Kat, You could stop in Secaucus (right of I-95) and I know that there is a group of Hotels (Embassy suites, marriott, Holiday Inn) that you could park at. We were staying at Embassy and they have a parking garage. Right in front of the embassy is a bus stop that will take you to the port authority. There is also a little shopping center where you could park and catch the bus. Do not know any of the numbers but any of the hotels would be able to tell you. Maybe some others have this info. You might want to include New York in your title to get more responses as your post is kind of vague.

Another option for you is to stay in Fort Lee, New Jersey which is the first town over the George Washington Bridge...there's a Hilton on Route 4 East (201)461-9000 and a Best Western on Route 4 West (201)461-7000...you can take any bus going over the GWB to the Port Authority on West 181st Street and Broadway and then take the train or the bus to the museums, etc. or you can take the bus from Fort Lee to the Port Authority on West 42nd Street...the telephone number for New Jersey Transit (buses) is (973)762-5100 out of state or 1-800-772-2222 in New Jersey...there's also the Red & Tan Bus Line (201)384-2400 that serves Fort Lee via the GWB..there's a Comfort Inn on River Road in Edgewater, New Jersey, which is directly across the Hudson River from the city...telephone number is (201)943-3131...then there's the Sheraton Suites at Lincoln Harbor in Weehawken, New Jersey, also across the river from the city...these two locations give you great access to the New York Waterways Ferry 1-800-533-3779, which offers a nice ride and a great view of the city...once you get to the city they have shuttle buses that will take you to the most popular areas of the city...it's included in the price...you can also get transportation to the ferry from Fort Lee...in Secacucus there's a Hampton Inn 1-800-426-7866, a Holiday Inn (201)348-2000, Red Roof Inn, and an Extended Stay America facility...from Secacucus you can take any NJ Transit bus going into the Port Authority on West 42nd Street...I've seen this topic posted before and everyone has a different opinion on which is the most convenient place to stay...the hotels in Fort Lee are located along a highway that links to the GWB and there's mostly gas stations along it except for a Japanese Restaurant...Linwood Shopping Plaza is on the other side of the highway and that's where you will find a Starbuck's, Linwood Pizza, Michelle's Bakery, Kings's Supermarket, and a CVS to name a few...the Comfort Inn in Edgewater is in a shopping center with some shops and restaurants one of which is the Binghamton which is a boat now housing a restaurant...in Secaucus you will be surrounded by the highway Route 3, but you will be near the outlet malls, Harmon Meadow Plaza with theaters, restaurants and shops, and Mill Creek Mall with shops and a food court.

I used the ferry mentioned above and it was great. The shuttle left me off no more than a few blocks from where I wanted to go. It was $10.00 round-trip but it was worth it because I didn't have to worry about driving or parking. I stayed at the Hilton in Fort Lee and it was fine.

Great thread. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Even better header. No city/state or any info that would lead the reader to know Phoenix from New Orleans from Chicago from New York.