From LGA to EWR -- how best to get my daughter a NY frank en route
 

I'm from NY and my husband is from Chicago. We live in Chicago. We are flying into LGA at 1pm on Friday, June 11 and must get to EWR by about 4:30 for an interntaional flight out. My 10-year DD has been led to believe by DH that the Chicago hot dog is actually good. I believe the NYC street cart variety is far superior. So, what's the best bet (and most economical) for shlepping 3 people with luggage from LGA to EWR with a short stop to have a decent frank: cab, rental car, car service?

Also, any favorites on vendor locations would be greatly appreciated as I have been in this hot dog desert for 20 years now, and so I'm not up on the best!

Have your car service stop at Gray's Papaya at 72nd and Broadway. Not a cart, but considered by many to be NYC's best and a great deal fro two dogs plus a papaya drink.

I think there's a Nathan's in LGA.

There's no economical way to go from LGA to EWR by any car stopping in Manhattan. The stop in Manhattan would basically turn a single trip into 2 separate trips (LGA-Manhattan manhattan-EWR). It won't necessarily cost double, but by the time you add in waiting time, it might come close.
Of course a rental car will only cost extra in time, not money , but I don't know if that makes sense.
Anyway getting from LGA to EWR midday on a Friday in the summer might be challenging enough without the diversion.

Surely you can get a New York enough hotdog at one of the airports,or ask the driver to stop somewhere near LGA, maybe in Flushing for a standard if not special dog.

Do you mean your flight is at 4:30 or you have to get to EWR at 4:30? If the former you should be OK time wise - but would try to get a Nathan's in one of the airports. If you mean land at LGA at 1 and take off from EWR at 4:30 - good luck on making it.

At LGA the Delta terminal has a Nathan's and US Air has a Papaya King (don;t know if it's as good as the real thing).

Aah, my fave would be to go to Rutts Hut in Rutherford NJ, north of EWR but directly west out of the Lincoln Tunnel; actually not out-of-the way by much. LGA to EWR is not easy however esp.on a summer Friday.

aliced -- Can you give me an address for Rutts Hut?

Also, -- flight is not at 4:30 -- need to arrive at EWR by 4:30. I can't imagine that will take a full 3 hours! Or, am I wrong -- could it?

It definitely could on a Fri. afternoon. This is frankly a bad idea. Go to maps.google.com and type JFK airport to Rutt Hutt Rutherford NJ and you'll get a map. Look at the estimated driving time with traffic. Now "add a destination" to EWR airport.

Sorry, I see it's LGA, but still not a great plan.

A summer Friday afternoon -- before an international flight? I sure wouldn't be taking any detours -- not even for the greatest hotdog on earth.

What is your return itinerary like - any chance for a stop on the way back?

On a Friday in summer trafic starts to build before noon - so the early birds can beat the people who leave work at 1 pm whe many office close early. And routes headed near a vacation destiantoin - as towaards the Jersey shore - will be mobbed from 1 pm pn. And I have had it take an hour to get across the GWBridge.

Am I glad I asked the question! We'll just get a cab direct from LGA to EWR and let the hot dog await another time. Thanks for all your help!

Get a SERVICE car, NOT a cab, it will be much less expensive and a nicer ride. Try one of the services like. www.dial7.com or www.carmel.com. There are even coupons offered for your first trip. That way if you are stuck in traffic (and I guarantee you will be) the fare is a set price and you won't be seeing all your vacation dollars adding up in the cab.

At LGA, stop and get a hotdog before you head out to EWR, yes there are Nathan's at all of the food courts there. Just ask for the closest food court.

Thanks for the links Travelbuff. I will get a car service.

To clarify, there is only one Nathan's at LGA, and it's in the Delta terminal on the concourse, not in the food court. It's near the entrance, on the left. It's particularly expensive, of course.

But I don't think I'd take a chance and stop for a hot dog on the way to EWR. I'd save that for another trip. If you hit traffic, you're going to be very lucky if you make this trip in 2 hours. And I am not totally sure you'd go through Manhattan.

FYI: If you don't have the appetite to pay $120 or so for this trip, you can take a shared van shuttle from ETS Shuttle (I don't think anyone has mentioned this service). They charge $32 per person, or $70 for three people. They claim the trip takes 45 to 90 minutes, so I'm guessing that's not through Manhattan. Certainly not on a Friday afternoon.

<<<They charge $32 per person, or $70 for three people. >>>

New math, or do they offer a 3-person discount? :-)

Yes, they offer a discount for three.