We want to drive to South Hampton on Christmas Day from the Times Square area. 7 of us. We'd like to rent a car so we can explore but the initial prices I'm getting are very expensive. We probably need to rent 24 -26 since the city rentals will probably be closed on xmas day.

What other options are there? Any suggestions?

Try one of the rental locations at Newark Airport. They tend to be significantly less than in the city.

Another option is to take the LIRR or Hampton Jitney bus to Southampton and then rent a car out there.

7 people would require 2 cars or a van, right?

Why do you want to drive out there on Christmas Day? The roads will be loaded with holiday traffic both ways.
WHY ?????

Best bet is to take the Hampton Jitney bus, if it is running on Xmas Day. Let someone else do the 3 hr each way driving.

Billy,

The traffic you indicated doesn't jive with my BTDT. I do a Huntington->Southamton trip every other year on Christmas day and the roads are virtually empty.

Ab,
You're right in saying the non-airport rental locations will be closed Christmas day.

Additional car rental suggestions are:
1. Rent from and return to LaGuardia airport location - damn site closer to Hamptons than Newark and cheaper too (at least from Avis for a minivan).
2. Rent from a mid-town location on 24th and return to LGA on the 25th - probably about $50-60 more expensive than above.
hth,

You leave from Huntington which is a good hour + from NYC. Holiday traffic can be a bit heavy on the LIE or Grand Central Pkwy. It always thins out when you get out to Huntington.

Lannie,
Sure, it's can be an hour+ ride during rush hour and NO, it doesn't thin out at Huntington, more like Exit 60 at rush hour. I've done the same route in ~45 minutes in non rush hour and weekends (and that includes the 15 minutes from my house to the LIE).

And seeing as we have also gone westbound on Christmas Day (2x in last 4 years), I still stick to my comments.

Maybe what we can agree to is traffic onto/off of LI is a "crap shoot" regardless of the day or hour.

"ab",
As Christmas gets closer and you still want to do the Southampton trip, repost and I/we can provide specifics; 'cause, who knows what evil the NYSDOT will heap on the LIE between now and then.
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I've done the NYC to Hamptons trip many times on Christmas Day as my family has a house out there. There really isn't much traffic heading east, at least before about 2 p.m. However, unless you really need a car, I'd suggest taking the train. Billy's Jitney suggestion doesn't really jive with his argument that there's tons of traffic, because a bus gets just as caught up in traffic as a car would...