I'd like to take a weekend trip to NYC this coming weekend, but I'm really anxious about driving into the city, finding parking, etc...

I'm in New England right now, and am considering driving into Connecticut or Massachusetts and parking my car and then taking a train into NYC.

Can anyone recommend a good place to do this? I'm a single woman traveling alone so safety is also a consideration.

Why not just take the train from your hometown?

Providence? New Haven?

Amtrak from Providence, Hartford, New Haven, Boston?

> Why not just take the train from your hometown?

Well, I'm not in my hometown right now. But if you're asking why not take the train from where I am right now, I'd have to take one train to Boston and then take another train to NYC. I looked up Amtrak schedules and it looks like I'd literally spend the entire day on trains and/or waiting on trains. If I was to drive straight in to NYC, it would take me less than five hours.

The New Haven Amtrak station has a well lit, clean and safe parking garage adjacent to the terminal. That's where I go to take the train into the city, if I am by myself.

North of Springfield Mass, there is only one train a day. Trains get more frequent south of Springfield, and even more frequent along the south Connecticut corridor, which also has cheaper commuter service. I don't know much about the eastern Connecticut part.

Between Springfield and New Haven the stations either have no adjacent parking lot, or just a very small open lot; some are just shelter-stops, with no station.

You can drive to Poughkeepsie, then its only $25 roundtrip to NYC, and about 1.45 hours.

Leau's idea isn't bad. The ride from Poughkeepsie is along the Hudson River, so you'd get a nice view out the window. That said, the seats are really uncomfortable on the Metro North trains, and there's no snack car.

Allow me to amend my post. Amtrak from Poughkeepsie to NYC does have a snack car. But the Metro-North commuter train does not.

I used to live in CT, and at least 4 times a year, I would drive down to New Haven, park my car, and take the train into NYC - a really nice way to go. I never had any problems with my car being left there. It is a nice, and relaxing way to get to NY - and the train schedule is plentiful. Take one of the more express trains - and the nice thing about getting on in New Haven - it's the beginning of the line - so there are LOTS of seats...

Stamford also has a major train station with express trains into Manhattan and large parking lots.