Yes - just make sure you take NJ Transit from Newark Penn Station to NY Penn Station. If you take Amtrak by accident it will cost much more.

You all are the BEST! So, I:

--Get my luggage, etc.
--Buy an AirTrain ticket (roundtrip to make it easier) at the airport
--Take AirTrain to the NJTransit Station
--Transfer to a NJTransit Train to NY Penn Station

Returning:

--NJTransit Train from NY Penn Station
--AirTrain from NJTransit Station to EWR

Thanks again! :)

musicfan, your summary is correct except that you don't need a ticket for the AirTrain. But you can buy your NJTransit ticket within the airport at a machine at the entrance to the AirTrain.
By the way, senior tickets on NJTransit are half price -- but you have to buy them individually as one way, no round trip -- although the direction on the ticket makes no difference. (Both can indicate Newark to NY Penn even if you use one to come back).

Oh, I get it--that makes sense, thanks!

And I don't qualify for the senior citizen ticket, not yet anyway!

Thanks again!

Actually, it's three stops - Newark-Penn, Secaucus Junction, NY-Penn. But NY-Penn is the final stop so you can't really foul up.

BigRuss is correct. I neglected to mention Secaucus because our NJTransit line (not the one musicfan will use) often doesn't stop there.

Bus = potential for weekday rush hour traffic delays at Hudson River crossings; Train = no traffic delays.

The maps online seem pretty self-explanatory so I think I can do this! I like the idea of bypassing tunnel traffic!

Thanks again for all the help!

I am going to write up a mini trip report (because it was a mini-trip) but I wanted to add to this thread that I just got back last night and the above worked like a charm! The only glitch was that yesterday the AirTrain was not functioning as it is supposed to and the trains kept pausing in between stations, causing a considerable delay in getting from the rail station to the terminals--luckily I had built in some extra time or I would have been scrambling to get through security and to my gate on time. Thanks to everyone for their assistance!