I am picking up my family at Newark on a Friday night. I will be driving in from PA. They arrive on an international flight from Scotland about 8:30 pm. When would be the best time to drive in to meet them. I don't mind being early. Once I arrive where should I park and what is the easiest way to meet them. I have never been there before and would like some guidance

"When would be the best time to drive in to meet them. "
Since we don't know where in PA you're coming from and how long it takes to get to EWR, there's no way to tell you. I would check the flight departure online before you leave home on flightstats.com to make sure it's ontime (or early).

Figure out which terminal they'll be arriving at and park as close as you can. http://www.citidex.com/special/airpo...r_parking.html

Depending upon which airline they're flying, they'll arrive at Terminal C (Continental) or B (other airlines). Here's a link with general information about the layout of EWR: http://tinyurl.com/c2dwvc

On-airport public parking lots are your most convenient bet. Here's another link to information about parking rates and the acceptance of EZpass: http://tinyurl.com/crtxbn

In terms of when to arrive at the airport for an 8:30 p.m. international flight arrival, keep this in mind: Your family will have to exit the aircraft, pass through immigration control, retrieve their luggage, then pass through customs, a process that can consume from a half-hour to an hour. Assuming the flight arrives on-time, you needn't be there until maybe 9:00. Run that arrival time past them before they leave and set a designated spot to meet in the unlikely case they get through the arrival routine faster. You won't be able to see them until they exit customs in any event.

If you're thinking of arriving at the airport significantly earlier, keep in mind that access from the west on I-78 or from the south on the New Jersey Turnpike may or may not be affected by rush hour traffic until about 7:00.

Finally, you can keep tabs on their flight's progress at any number of on-line sites devoted to flight tracking. The airline itself usually provides such information, but other sites tend to be more accurate. Here's one I use regularly: http://tinyurl.com/8lwsg

I know the trip will take about three hours. I wasn't sure how long rush hour lasted and was concerned about safety walking by myself from parking to terminal. Is it safe? I will be coming in on 78 then new jersey turnpike. As always thanks for your input.

You're safe from everything except being hit by a car - some of thiose picking people up are clueless that it's an airport and drive like they're at the Indy 500 - ignoring the stop signs and marked walkways.

If you're coming in on I-78, you won't be using the Turnpike. Be sure you're in the local lanes of 78, then follow the signs to Exit 57 (US 1 and 9). It's well signed, but, if you're not familiar with the area, you'll need to proceed carefully--not slowly, carefully. You'll likely not be affected by rush hour traffic.

You needn't worry about your personal safety, other than, as stated above, possibly, airport drivers.

There is no "cellphone lot" at EWR that I'm aware of. Some like to park at the McDonald's just south of the airport at 819-835 North Ave East, Elizabeth, NJ 07201.

I'm not totally familiar with the roadways, but it seems like you can take I-78, then US1/9 south. Go past the airport, then follow the exit for NJ81/Dowd Ave. The McDonald's is at the corner of North Ave E. and Dowd Ave.

rkkwan offers a reasonable alternative to parking at EWR. I sometimes use the on-airport FedEx parking lot, but it would be hard to find for a newcomer.

But you could alter your strategy and drive to that Mickey D's (it's just south of the airport off Route 1 and 9, the highway from which you would enter the airport in any case), and, having arranged with your family to call you when they're at curbside, wait to hear from them, then go pick them up.

Is it safe to sit there? I have not heard good things about Elizabeth

North Avenue East and Dowd Avenue is a very busy intersection leading to a highly industrialized area. Lots of traffic day and night. At the time of day you'd be waiting in that parking lot, you'd have nothing to worry about. Or, order a soft drink inside the Mickey D's and wait there.