How Do We Get from JFK to Stamford, CT?
 

Hi everyone,

The Pickles are flying into JFK next week on a JetBlue red-eye. We need to get to Stamford, CT sometime that day.

What are our options? Least complicated and cheapest would be ideal, though I realize they may not be the same thing. :-)

Thanks for your help!
Lee Ann

If you don't have a lot of luggage:

AIRTRAIN from JFK- Penn Station in Manhattan ( about 40 min)

Shuttle from Penn Station to Grand Central

Metro North NEW HAVEN line from Grand Central to Stamford, CT

There are several "limo" services which would charge about $60 per person and would take you to downtown Stamford. Try Connecticut Limo if that sounds alright. http://www.ctlimo.com/airportshuttle.html

I would second the suggestion of Metro North if you don't have luggage.

There are a lot of bad reviews of CT Limo online so do your homework if you want a car service.

This will be a pretty short trip, so we'll just have carry-on suitcases.

Thanks for the help, everyone!

Lee Ann

What will you do for transport in CT? If you're renting a car there I would get it at JFK and drive instead. coming in on a red eye you will miss the morning traffic.

If you don't mind schlepping the public transit will work - but I don't go into the subway if the temp has been more than 85. (Yes, the cars have AC but the stations are like the Black Hole of Calcutta.)

Oh dear G-d, likening the NYC subways to something out of Slumdog Millionaire is a bit much.

There is no shuttle from Penn Station to Grand Central. You have to take the subway from Penn Station to Times Square and take the Times Square-Grand Central shuttle from there.

If you're going to be using a car in Stamford and/or whatever part of the Redsawx/Yankees divide you're traversing, get it at JFK, drive through Queens, over Throg's Neck or Whitestone (the latter is west of the former, but the traffic may suck less) and keep going until you hit I-95 east.

I'm not sure if we'll need a car or not. Mr. Pickle and I will have to make a few decisions tonight. :-)

Lee Ann

If driving is an option that is certainly your best choice.

I have used Red Dot shuttle several times with good luck (being upgraded to solo service, limo, etc). I do nt like CT Limo, used many times in past amd they were rude, late.

Lately I've been using Carmel car service and have been less than satisfied with their service. So I may end up with Red Dot ths trip too. No sense blowing almost $300 for losy service.

BigRuss,

Wow, I moved to the 'burbs, and forgot that you have to take the subway to Times Square, THEN the shuttle to Grand Central! Maybe it's time to move back to the city?!

Oh dear G-d, likening the NYC subways to something out of Slumdog Millionaire is a bit much.

Not really, there were 60 of us dancing on the 34th Street platform just this afternoon.

What would driving back to JFK on Saturday afternoon be like?

What about parking the car in NYC on Thursday? Our flight gets in at 6:00 a.m., and we'd like to do some sightseeing before we go to Stamford. I figured we would leave our suitcases at Penn Station and go see something (working on that now).

Lee Ann

"What would driving back to JFK on Saturday afternoon be like?"

No big deal, maybe some traffic. Add another fifteen or twenty minutes.

"What about parking the car in NYC on Thursday? Our flight gets in at 6:00 a.m."

You'll probably beat rush hour. Figure on $25 - $30 parking at the lots in mid-town east.

Or you could hire the car, dump your stuff in it and take the airtrain to and from the city.

Thinking that my oldies have parked in a lot in NYC about . . . never in their combined 120+ years of driving in the city.

The only time The Van Wyck, the only artery to JFK, doesn't have traffic is Tuesday from 2:00 to 2:01 AM. That short leg should take about 20 minutes. There could be substantial traffic in the LIE and the Grand Central.

Since you are not using AMTRAK you would have to store your luggage with a private provider.

Unfortunately there is no easy or convenient solution.

Here is what I would do:

Rent a car at JFK and put the luggage in the trunk and leave the car in a parking lot in Manhattan, near whatever you decide to do.

Then you must careful not be part of the rush hour back to Stamford whether you take I95 or the Merritt.

And on trip back to JFK just check where there are tie-ups besides the Van Wyck.

Why don't you take a taxi from JFK (the fare is fixed..$52 plus tolls and tip the last I checked)
and take the train to Stamford. I don't know what the luggage checking facilities are at GCT.

When I loved in CT, always took the CT Limo from both JFK and LGA.

HappyTravler

No need to give personal info, directions to and from JFK are sufficient.
_________

Grandma

Then they still have to get from Stamford to JFK.

The taxi from JFK with tip and toll runs about $70-75. Then they must store the luggage, get around Manhattan, get to GCT.
And then maybe they will picked up at the Stamford Station or just take another cab. Small bags, however, will fit in the overhead racks on Metro North.