Hi folks,

I will be going to NYC Aug 3-6..My first two nights I am staying at the Essex House(Westin) across from central park south, that I have a free offer from Starwoods. I have the option of flying from Toronto to Newark or Laguardia, what is the distance and taxi fare between the airport to the hotel?
Also, on sunday, I plan on renting a car and goto Woodbury outlet mall for shopping with my girlfriend. Where is a good/cheap place to rent a car besides taking a cab back to the airports?
I also need to find a hotel for the last night(Sunday), is there a good recommendation near the Woodbury mall area or the airport area that has parking as I will have a rental car for the night, returning monday. The hotel I am looking for will be just the basic no frills will be fine, preferably a Sheraton or 4Points, or Best Western type...Thus far, I haven't been able to find anything less than $149 for that 1 night...

LGA is minimally closer to midtown Manhattan than Newark is, but the price difference in traveling into the city depends on how you go. Taxis are more expensive fronm Newark than from LGA because you are crossing state lines--maybe $50 total (incl. tip and tolls) vs $25-30 from LGA. If you take public transportation, it's probably about the same (maybe $11/per person to get into midtown)
Car rental in NYC on weekends is quite expensive (could be $80+ for the day) and may be hard to get--many Manhattanites don't have cars and just rent for summer weekends.

There are busses from Port Authority To Woodbury Common run by Shortline bus
line, I think, Check their website or Woodbury Commons website for info. I think it's about $30-35 per person and includes a disount coupon book.
Otherwise, if you really want to drive, it's about an hour and 15 minutes, and I hope you take the opportunity to see some other sites in the Hudson Valley area!

As far as where to stay the last night, there are many more hotels around Newark
than around LGA--all the bug chains have properties there. If you're coming back from Woodbury Common on Sunday evening, then plan to go right to a hotel near one of the airports, you'll save a good hour of driving by staying near, and then flying out of, Newark. because you get to/from Woodbury Common most easily through the NJ side of the hudson. That might be worth it to you
more than saving a few dollars on the cab ride out

I BELIEVE near Woodbuy Commons there is a Sheraton Crossroads, in Mahwah, NJ. Call the hotel and ask how far away it is, i think it's about 15 minutes or so. If your heading to the airport home FROM your stay at Woodbury Commons, you may want to consider EWR over LGA since you then won't have to worry (so much) about the traffic back to the airport.

I have a better plan (I think).
1) Use Newark EWR - a bit more $$ to get into the city but air traffic control delays are far less frequent than at LGA - it's a much better airport to fly in and out of. In Lyndhurst NJ by the interesction of Rte 3 and Rte 17 (about 6 miles west of the Lincoln Tunnel) there are three hotels, a Novotel, a Comfort Inn and a thrid newer more upscale property (whose name escapes me). One of these is sure to have nice rooms at or near $100 per night. About one half mile away in Lyndhurst is an Enterprise car rental agency. Rates will be cheaper than NYC and it's more convenient - Enterprise will send a driver to pick you up at the hotel and will then drop you off there again after you return the car. Hotels rates in this area are cheaper than they are close to Newark Airport and it's a much nicer area. get on Rte 17 North, follow it straight past Mahwah/Ramsey and you'll go directly into Rte 87 - Woodbury Commons is off Rte 87. Depending on traqffic it will take 40-60 minutes to get to Woodbury Commons from Lyndhurst. A cab to EWR from Lyndhurst is about $32 if I recall correctly. To reach Lyndhurst hotel area there are several NJ Transit buses, all leaving from Port Authority terminal - fare is about $2.50.

Cab fare LGA to Essex- about $25 with tip and toll; EWR to Essex porbably more than $45 with tip and toll. Nevertheless oyou might be better off flying into EWR.
Distance NYC to Woodbury - about 52 miles
From Lyndhurst (Owen's post) to Woodbury is about 50 miles.
Car rental in NYC would be costlier than a rental in NJ.
Owen's suggestion might be your best option. If not carrying too much luggage take a NJ transit bus to Lyndhurst. Rent a car in Lyndhurst. Make reservation in one of the hotels in Lyndhurst or check in before heading to Woodbury. Use public transportation, if available, or take a taxi to EWR. Be prepared for a slow ride back from Woodbury to either the city or Lyndhurst. Rt. 17 will probably be serverly congested in the area of I-80 on a Sunday night. If driving into NYC you can expect a delay of up to an hour getting over the George Washington Bridge - all the more reason to rent and stay in NJ as opposed to NYC.
Should you decide to fly into EWR you could get to the Essex using the airport bus to the Port Authority - $11 a person.
A taxi to the Essex from the PA would be $5 or $6 with tip included.

Thanks for all your replies...
I think I am going to be flying from Toronto to Laguardia on friday and taxi to the Essex House for two nights. Then on sunday, will goto Newark Airport and rent a car from there, I got rates of about $35 a day, drive to Woodsbury Commons, and stay the night around there or near Newark airport, then fly out of Newark on Monday.
My question now is do I take the taxi from Essex HOuse to Newark airport or public transit? How often does the bus from port authority to Newark run and is there a website where I could find the schedule? Thanks again..

Here is one of the company's that run a shuttle from NYC to Newark:

http://www.olympiabus.com/

A taxi to EWR from Essex House will probably run close to $50. :Using a cab to the Port Authority (42nd and 8th) from hotel would cost around $5 and Olympia bus to EWR is $11 a person. Cost for two would be less than $30.