Thanksgiving Taxis in NYC
 

On Thanksgiving Day afternoon, we need to go from our Times Square hotel to Secaucus, New Jersey for dinner with our marching band teenagers. Will taxis be readily available that afternoon and evening for the return trip? (This may seem like a dumb question, but we live in a Midwest town and we don't have many taxis and they don't operate on holidays!)

Yes taxis will be readily available in Manhattan.

Not sure on return, maybe you'll have to call a cab company in Secaucus.

I don't think they will be readily available in Manhattan, you would probably have to wait a bit, they you will NOT find a cab back into the city in Secaucus.

I'd suggest getting a service car back and forth, it would be much easier.

Dial7.com and you can get info. It is going to be an expensive trip at least $75each way plus tolls and tip. Also make sure you get directions on where you are going, the cab driver will probably not know his way around Secaucus.

NYC taxis don;t have to go to Jersey - and many won't. Esp on the holidays when some drivers aren't working.

And getting a cab back would be a major pain.

You should reserve a car service in advance both ways to avoid long waits - and know what your costs ar ein advance. Try calling Carmel or Dial 7 - and look at the web sites for coupons. In addition to the fare you will have to pay the tunnel toll and a tip.

Thank you very much for your replies! I will reserve a car in advance for both ways.

TAAAAAXXXXXXXIIIIIIIII !!!!!!!!!!

New Yorkers will get this.

Taxis will be available around Times Square as soon as the parade mess clears out ... allow a couple of hours after the parade ends, though.

But why don't you just take a bus? The commuter buses will be running on Thanksgiving day, and that will save you about $50 to $60 each way for this trip (schedules will be restricted, but they will be running). NJ Transit's web site has a very helpful trip-planning feature that will tell you precisely which one to take, how much it will cost; buses leave from the Port Authority, which will be within walking distance of your hotel. At the very least, you owe it to yourself to see if the option is a viable one.

Otherwise, there are many car services in NJ that will pick you up at hotels and bring you into the city. It's very unlikely that all this has to be arranged in advance, and on a holiday, you'll pay a big premium for that kind of convenience, which might save you as much as 10 minutes on each end of your trip. The hotels in NJ will have the numbers of taxi companies you can call if you want to go that route. As long as you are leaving after 3 (likely if you are going to dinner), you'll have absolutely no problems getting a taxi around Times Square if you go that route.

Thank you, Doug. I checked the NJ Transit website and found the right bus. We may take the bus out to Secaucus and reserve a car to return us to NYC after the dinner. As an adventure, I am going to take the bus out to NJ several days in advance to check out the route and determine how far we have to walk to the hotel, as we have some older folks with us.

Depending on where the hotel is, it's not difficult. A few years ago, we went out to Seacaucus for a wedding reception at a hotel, and the bus stop was actually right across the street. We had few choices for the return, but it worked out quite well, and the buses were on time. I wouldn't want to stay in Seacaucus as a tourist and take the bus in every day, but for just one trip, it will probably do. There's also a NJ Transit station in Seacaucus, but this train is particularly expensive, though some hotels run a shuttle to the station, so you should ask in advance.

I think it's probably a wise idea to do a test run if you are taking a group of people. If you plan carefully, you can be back within 2 hours. The trip usually takes a bit over 30 minutes, depending on where the hotel is and how bad traffic is at the tunnel entrance.

There will also be a rush of people going back to NJ on the bus after the parade, but as I said about the taxi, if you go 2 or 3 hours after the parade ends, I don't think it will be a problem.