Hi Fodorites!

I'm arriving in JFK airport Sept. 10 and just want to know the best way to get from JFK to my friend's place in Stamford, CT. I've seen Dial7 and Carmel mentioned here in past postings, but the reviews of Dial7 on Yelp and TripAdvisor aren't good (more like terrible) and Carmel hasn't responded to any of my queries so they seem a little dicey as well.

I normally just hop in a taxi to go to Manhattan, which for me is easy and convenient,

I'll be traveling with my husband and 2 mid-sized suitcases and arriving 1030pm. I'm taking an international flight, am a non-US citizen (so have to clear immigrations).

My questions:
1. Can i just take a normal cab (as I would have if I was going to Manhattan) from JFK and it will take me all to Stamford, CT (sorry, don't know taxi policies about crossing state lines)?
2. Anyone have feedback/personal experience about Dial7? Is it really as bad as the online reviews?
3. If I book online (like Dial7), the time of pick-up I state is the time of my flight's arrival or the time I expect to clear immigrations and be ready for pick up?
4. If I book a car service, what's the usual procedure? Do I just wait at curbside outside the airport, or is there some sort of meeting point inside the airport?

Thanks everyone!

kat

Never had a problem with Carmel Limo. However when I lived in Connecticut, I always took Connecticut Limousine which is a shared ride.

OK - so you don;t want to take a regular taxi.

NYC taxis have the option of taking you to Stamford - or they can legitimately refuse. And that late at night (probably will be at lest 11:30) a lot may well not want to go that far.

Separately the cost would be huge - since once you get outside the NYC limits the fare is TWICE the meter (since the cab can't get another fare there and has to come back empty). So I would expect this to cost way more than a car service if you can find a car to get there.

I see two options - check out the JFK web site for shuttles out of CT - who may be willing to take you there for a more reasonable rate an have a lot better chance of finding where you want to go. Have no idea of the price for this.

Or take Carmel or Dial 7. We use either one all the time to the airport - and have only ever had one PIA problem in years.

Not sure how the car service can not answer you. Are you just calling them to get info? Use the web site only to download coupons - don't book a car that way. (Not sure of the cost of a call from where you are - here it's free - but if you give them your exact address in CT - including zip code - they can quote you a price in a minute or two.)

You reserve the car but do not ask for "meet and greet" - this is where they wait for you with a sign and is very expensive. You organize it so that you reserve in advance with info on time but then call them when your luggage gets to the carousel. You walk outside and they will have a car there in about 10 minutes or less. Be aware that YOU must know where you are going - exact address and also preferably how to get there (NYC drivers won;t know details of Stamford) and that you pay the fare plus any tolls plus a 20% tip.

In your place I would start with CT shuttle or car services on the JFK web site.

Thanks for your replies HappyTrvlr and nytraveler.

I contacted Carmel through their website asking for clarification re arrival time. It took 2 days for them to email back with no answer but a "call us to ask us any questions". Compared to Dial7's prompt reply that answered all my questions. I've used Carmel several times without any problem TO the airport, but have no experience with any car service FROM JFK. Thanks for the tip about not booking through the website.

I actually PREFER to catch a normal cab (less of a hassle) but after your points nytraveler, I'll take your advice and book a car. If you have had no problems with Dial7, that seems to be where I'll be going.

Thanks nytraveler for clarifying the procedure. I DON'T know how to get to my destination. I have the exact address. Hope that's ok. I'll try to get directions from my friend but she's not that great at them.

It would pay for you to bring driving directions -- just plot the trip on Google maps -- as mentioned and in my experience, many drivers are less familiar with places outside NYC.

I have had no trouble booking a number of trips on the Dial7 website. But these trips were for the outer boroughs of NYC, not out of state. For outside the city, I call and book with a real person, who can give a quote for the trip and answer questions.

Agree to go on google directions using JFK and the exact address of your friends including zip code. Print it out and bring it with you. It has both step by step directions and also a local map with the route marked - in case the driver doesn't know the details of getting around Stamford.

I'm not sure why you're being told not to book online. That's kind of silly. It's the easiest way. The site generates a confirmation code, and you call upon arrival to find out where to meet the car service.

Having said that, I think it's a bad idea to use either Carmel or Dial 7. These drivers are not used to Connecticut. Use Connecticut Limousine. You can take either shared or private transport, but it's not going to be cheap. Expect to pay over $200.

If it were me, I'd actually rent a car and look for a price for the one-way trip. That will be less than half the price.

Connecticut Limousine has a shuttle/van service from JFK to most major hotels in Stamford, CT. The cost one-way is $60, round-trip $116. Shuttles from JFK run between 7:00 AM to 12:00 AM daily.

I don't believe they stop in Westchester, which would delay your arrival time in Stamford. To call them for particulars (203) 353-8668.

Did not reco car rental since the OPs are coming in at 10:30 pm scheduled - on an international flight of who knows how many hours/time zone difference - and might not get to car rental until midnight - considering immigration and picking up luggage.

Under these circumstances I wouldn't want to be driving in a strange country.

Still think a CT limo service is the best idea.

Yes, I'm not confident my DH being able to drive after 15hours flying, and at 1030pm. Plus we're not familiar with routes or the way to CT. And I'm not too keen about sharing a ride because of the late hour......I'll arrive at my friend's house past 1am with all the stops if so.

So you really think the Dial7 drivers won't know how to get to Stamford, CT? Even if I have Google directions? They quoted 175usd, which is considerably cheaper than Doug's estimate of CT Limo (over 200usd).

Dial 7 drivers will be able to get to Stamford but will probably not know the neighborhood where your friends live - it's unrealistic to expect any NYC driver to know the details of every town in such a huge Metro area. If you have the google map that should be sufficient to guide them if there GPS isn't accurate - IMHO many are quirky.

But frankly - after that trip (and do expect it to be past 1 am when you arrive at friends - Stamford is not close to NYC - I would go with the CT service if it's only a small amount more.

(Google maps shows JFK to central Stamford as about an hour now - and finding a house in a residential area will take alittle while. So if you manage to get out of the airport and in a car by 11:30 - a reasonable best guess if there are no delays - you might arrive between 12:30 and 1am. If you are delayed in the airport - not sure how many immigration agents then versus planes, since those from Latin America often arrive then - or getting luggage 1 am is probably just as likely.)

Here is a company that might fit your needs. Operated by Port Authority of NYC and NJ and authorized to do CT dropoffs.

http://www.2theairport.com/index.php

Customer Service:
(Monday-Friday, 9AM to 5 PM)
1-(866)-2-TheAir or 1-866-284-3247 Option 4
[email protected]

You would have to wait until Monday to contact them via phone. They may respond to your email ASAP!

Will your friends be picking you up at your drop-off location in Stamford or are you taking a taxi cab to their residence? Most drop-off locations in Stamford are in the downtown area off I-95.

Find out where your friend's home is located e.g., near downtown or closer to the Norwalk or Westchester town line. At that time of the night, the closer you get to your final destination from the airport the better. From there it may be a shorter cab ride.

(I don't think there are any hotels directly off the Merritt Parkway, which runs north and parallel to I-95.)

With such a late arrival on an international flight -- have you considered staying the night at a JFK hotel and traveling to your friend's place the next morning?

nytraveler - thanks for the suggestion. At 1am, I don't really want to take any chances. Looking at CT services now.

Luv2travel15 - thanks for the recommendation! Will check it out.

i_am_kane - I assumed the car service would bring to my friend's place and not at a drop-off location. I don't intend to go on a shared ride but a private, door-2-door service. Am probably leaving the at midnight so don't want to take a chance trying to catch a cab.

Thanks all!

kat

Smart girl!

Hi Janisj! Nice to see you in this forum! You've helped me quite a lot with my trip trips in Scotland, London, Kent and Cotswolds

I didn't consider it.....my friend says she has a 24 hour concierge and I figured as long as I get a reliable car service that will deliver me to her door, we should be ok. She said she could book for me the car service she regularly uses (so I assume, would know her place). I'm just looking for cheaper options.

A private car service - Carmel ofrDial 7 - or even one from CT takes you directly to where you want to go.

Only a shared shuttle would drop you at a hotel and expect to find your way from there. Obviously that won't work at 1 am. This makes no sense if staying with friends.

If your friend in CT recos a local service there might be less chance of delay in finding your friend's house.

IMHO at that time in the morning after a very long flight compromising to save a few $ may not be the best decision.

Just to clarify your questions about pricing, I was just guessing. You need to get a real price quote from the service itself, but a fare of $175 will be well over $200 after a tip and all the considerable tolls.

Also, the Port Authority does not "operate" any services itself. Nor does it license them. I know people who use Connecticut Limo, which is why I recommend it. I have never heard of 2theairport.com, but it could be a good company, or not. Well I see that it's Go Airport Shuttle. I have mixed experiences with them. I don't know about their CT services.

How did your trip to Scotland work out?

Did you make it to all those places?