Jordan_Lasseter

Hello,

I'm trying to find the cheapest, easiest and safest way to get to Weehawken, NJ. Thanks so much!!

Jordan

Travel dates March 20th, 2012-25th.

tomfuller

If you can get to 39th St. (pier 79) you can take the ferry over. Most taxis will take you through the Lincoln tunnel. The west end of the tunnel is in Weehawken.
http://www.panynj.gov/commuting-trav...portation.html

doug_stallings

Sorry, but there is no such thing that encompasses all three. The easiest would be to take a taxi there, but that would cost at least $150 to $200. This would likely take about an hour or perhaps less.

Cheapest would be Airtrain to Penn Station (via subway) then public bus to the ferry or the Port Authority, where you could get a bus there. But this might take well over 2 hours travel time and would cost about $15.

A good compromise might be the Air Train to Penn Station (via Long Island Railroad), then a taxi to the ferry, then the ferry. This would still cost about $30, and that sounds fairly decent. That could be done in about an hour, perhaps a bit more.

You could also drive.

The best solution would have been to fly into Newark Airport then take a taxi. But that ship has, I'm guessing, sailed.

nytraveler

I never understadn these questions. EVery major method of public transit is safe.

Other than that easiest and cheapest - IMHO - are almost always mutually exclusive. You need to decide how much sclepping of luggage you want to do - and how much you value time/convenience versus cost.

mclaurie

Are you staying at the Sheraton there? What day of the week/time will you be traveling and how many are you?

Jordan_Lasseter

We are staying at www.vrbo.com/54014. We have rented an apartment for the week. March 20th-25th. There are three of us, myself my husband and our friend Kyle.

Thank you all for your help. Still trying to figure it all out. Again, thank you!

doug_stallings

Ah, how unfortunate ... so you are staying in a residential part of Weehawken. I'm afraid this isn't terribly convenient, so with three people, a private car service will be best. Get a bid on a car service from a company like Dial 7 to see what that would cost (don't be surprised if it's $150 or more, but the price is relatively reasonable split three ways and may not even be double the cost of public transit). I would not bother with the Air Train, ferry, etc. on arrival. You're going to be so far away from the ferry that it will take you at least 90 minutes to 2 hours to get to the apartment by public transit. To me, not worth it.

Remember that the ferry to/from Weehawken costs $9 per person each way, so this will add $18 per person to your trip into Manhattan daily, and you will still need a Metrocard to use the subway in Manhattan (A lot of people don't realize this additional cost, which can begin to erase all the savings of staying in NJ, particularly with more than 2 people).

You might actually look into commuter buses into Manhattan. They may be more convenient and cheaper than the ferry.

panecott

From the looks of that place, it is either on Blvd. East up on the Palisades, or on River Road, at river level. I think it's probably the latter. Do you know the exact address? A friend of mine lives in the area so I am familiar with it.

As NY Traveler said, any way is safe, but IMO your cheapest/easiest option would be either a taxi from JFK to Port Authority Bus Terminal ($45 flat rate, plus toll and tip, about $60-65 total), or the airport bus to Port Authority for around $25 pp OW. It's a bit cheaper if you buy a RT ticket. The airport buses run about every 15-20 minutes and are very reliable. With 3 of you, however, a taxi would probably be better. What time will you be arriving at JFK?

At PABT, you can get the bus to Weehawken. There are frequent stops both along Blvd. East and River Road, and the bus will probably leave you very close to your destination. If you find out the exact location, and you want to take the bus, I can give you more information.

NJTransit bus fare is around $3.25 OW, but I think there may be a slight discount for a 10 ticket purchase. If you are going to be commuting into the city daily, the bus is definitely the most economical way to go.

Jordan_Lasseter

1001 blvd east weehawken, nj 07086 is the location where we are staying. From reading what everyone is saying, and doing research I'm thinking the best thing would be to take a cab to the ferry?

doug_stallings

If you plan to take the ferry, definitely take a taxi there. But do price the full trip by car service so you'll have a point of reference.

ellenem

NJ Transit Bus 128 stops along Boulevard East in Weehawken and travels to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan. As mentoned, this will be significantly cheaper ($3.20 each way) than the ferry plus Weehawken taxi, but won't be as scenic as the ferry. You can connect to a subway easily at PABT. Here's the schedule:

http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/bus/T1128.pdf

panecott

If you take the ferry you will still need to take a bus or taxi up to Blvd. East. I'm pretty sure there are free NY Waterway buses that will take you there, but you should check the NY Waterway website to confirm this. If you want to take a taxi from the ferry to your apt., the cost will be minimal.

The ferry only takes a few minutes to cross the Hudson. Buses from PABT will take about 15 minutes. Bus #'s 128, 165, 166 all go along Blvd. East and all leave from gate 212 at PABT. You must purchase a ticket before boarding the bus at PABT.

mclaurie

Have the people you're renting from given you any information??? According to maps.google.com while the Port Imperial ferry may be in front of the house, it may not be directly walkable. I think you'd be better getting yourselves to Port Authority bus terminal from JFK (train, bus or taxi) and taking either a NJ transit bus or one of the smaller private minvan buses that do this route as well from Port Authority. In one of the photos on the vrbo website they show a minivan stopping almost in front of the house.

I'm sure the owner of the apt. will be able to help and if he/she can't, I'd consider that a serious problem (like maybe this is a scam and they don't actually have access to the apt).

panecott

Sorry, there was a mistake in my original post about the cost of the airport bus. It's $15 pp, from JFK to PABT, not 25. If you take the airport bus and the NJ Transit bus, it will cost you less than $20 pp. You asked for cheapest/easiest, and that's it. A taxi to PABT will cost a bit more, but not much.

You cannot walk from the ferry up to Blvd. East. It is a very steep climb and will be impossible with any kind of luggage, even a small bag. So, as I said, you'll need transportation from the ferry.

I spent a few weeks at my friend's place on Blvd. East a few years ago when my new apt. was not ready, and I tried all the different means of transport into the city. NJ Transit is your best bet. Some of the minivans are okay, but some of the drivers are crazy, so for a few cents more, take NJT. The minivans leave from 42 St., bet 8th and 9th Av., right across from Port Authority.

kweeta

I was going to ask this same question when I saw this. Then I also saw that we are staying in the same apartment in June! Did you enjoy the apartment and was it easy to get back and forth from Manhattan? Also, did you take the bus from JFK?

doug_stallings

The OP never posted again, so hopefully he'll come back. Again, if you have any other options for staying someplace else, I'd consider them, kweeta. That's a particularly inconvenient location for a tourist visiting Manhattan.