hello second visit to nyc done the tourist things looking for advice to visit Long Island in February 2005 looking for advice on how to get there (dont drive) what to visit (hoping for a sat trip)hoping to visit the sea hope you can help regards and thanks

Not exactly sure where'd you want to go in February. While Long Island has some great beaches, such as Jones Beach and the Hamptons, getting there in February via public transportation might prove a real challenge. While the LIRR will be running, not sure if connecting bus routes to say Jones Beach will.

If they are open, certainly the wineries on the North Fork of LI might be nice. But, it's questionable if they are open and even more questionable how accessible they'd be without a car.

You could take the train out to someplace like Southampton or Easthampton. But, in the depths of February, I'm not sure what you'd find open.

You'd be surprised how much stays open (in the Hamptons) now Ryan. For example, President's weekend is very busy in the Hamptons in Feb. The Hamptons has the most beautiful beaches but it's a 2 1/2 hr trip each way. If you do it, Sat is a good day as there are more things open on weekends.

Jones Beach is totally closed at that time of year. I suppose a train to Long Beach is an option and much closer but once you've seen the ocean, there's not much else to do there.

Take the Hampton Jitney (a bus) hamptonjitney.com or the Long Island Railroad from Penn Station. The train is cheaper but runs less frequently. If you can find trains at times that are convenient for you, it's fine.

East Hampton or Southampton will work. The only slight issue will be getting to the ocean w/o a car. You could probably find a taxi at the train station who would take you and pick you up. The main part of the village is quite near both the trains or the jitney stops.

I love Long Island - including off-season - but for me that usually means November or April. The bitter cold you often get in February (and this area - exposed to the North Atlantic - is usually quite a bit colder than the city) doesn;t seem to fit that well with a beach resort.

Also, transport that time of year is extremely limited - and I think you would need to get a cab if you want to see any of the Hamptons beaches. Also as mentioned above the beaches closer to the city are closed that time of year - you can get into Jones Beach - but off season there's no way to get there without a car.

If you happen on a very warm day during your visit - upper 40's or 50's - it might be worth the trip - but if it's in the 20's I can;t really reco it.

t t t

Not sure why you topped this thread nytraveler. I don't know what you meant by "transport that time of year is extremely limited" The jitney and the train still run on a regular schedule (the jitney runs almost every hour). Cabs locally once arriving in the Hamptons are actually more available than in the summer. And the temperature usually is milder than in the city. On a weekend, many of the shops are open. Either Southampton or East Hampton (or Sag Harbor or Bridgehampton for that matter) have interesting places to poke around. Really, the only issue is once getting to the beach, how to get picked up.