funtraveller

Looking for a safe, clean hotel for 1 night that is either at/near the Newark airport , the Amtrak station or one that is close to the Princeton NJ area. Coming in the night before an interview and will be flying out of Newark or taking Amtrak home. Haven't decided between plane vs. train. Would appreciate your hotel recommendations. Thanks.

nyer

You should stay in/near Princeton because the area is much nicer than the area around EWR plus if you have an interview, you don't want to deal with traffic from the airport to Princeton that day.

There are some good hotels outside the downtown area. I like the Hyatt, but the Marriott is OK (but in an outlet mall). There's a conference center hotel in the area that keeps changing names--either Dolce Forrestal or something like that last time I looked. The Nassau Inn is in downtown Princeton if you prefer to be in a pedestrian area or your interview is there.

nytraveler

Princeton isn't that near Newark and if the interview is in the am in Princceton I would stay there - so you're not fighting hours of traffic on the way to the interview.

Where are you returnng to? And will you have a car (hard to get around Jersey without one)?

funtraveller

Thank you Nyer and NYtraveler. I wasn't planning to rent a car, but sounds like I may need to in order to get from Newark to Princeton. I will be travelling by train from Boston and returning there.

nyer

You can get to Princeton without a car by taking NJ transit Northeast Corridor train from the NYC Penn Station or from Newark airport (you originally said you were flying in?) to Princeton Junction. You'd then have to call a taxi to get to the hotel and/or interview.
Is your interview in Princeton or nearby? If you are staying in town and the interview is there too, you could get away without the car

Where would you rent the car? NYC rentals are very expensive and getting from NYC to EWR to rent a car isn't the most convenient (and will cost about $15 one way for a bus/train to EWR. Not sure what rental locations might be near Princeton and whether the offices are open late enough (you said you're coming in the night before an interview)

ellenem

The is a shuttle train that meets many trains at Princetoon Junction and goes into downtown Princeton which may work for you if your hotel is walkable from the Princeton Station (as opposed to Princeton Junction).

Here's the schedule for the NJ trains fbetween NY Penn and Princeton.

http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/rail/R0070.pdf

bspielman

As others have said, you may not need a car if you're willing to take NJTransit. The EWR inter-terminal monorail (AirTrain) also takes you to the nearby NJTransit Newark Airport station. There, you can get a Northeast Corridor train to Princeton Junction. Then you can transfer for a five-minute Princeton Shuttle ride to the Princeton University campus, just a few blocks from Nassau Street, the "main drag." The entire trip on NJTransit takes a bit more than an hour, and trips occur every half-hour or so for most of the day. ellenem's schedule link is right on.

Ryan

Traffic in and around Princeton can be really bad during the morning rush. If I have an important meeting I always like to be there the night before and nearby. Why leave things to chance. I'd stay nearby the night before.

BTW, perhaps I missed it but did you state your meeting is near the University? If it's at one of the businesses along Route 1 then I believe that's about 3 miles from the center of Princeton. In fact, you're closer to the Princton Junction train station if along Route 1. (The Carnegie Center along Route 1 houses numerous businesses. If your meeting is there, you are NOT near a train station.)

Unless you know it's within walking distance of a train station, I would assume away your need for a car. At a minimum, have a car service in mind.

Ryan

Make that I would not assume away your need for a car. The center of Princeton is small. The surrounding area that uses Princeton addresses is not.

funtraveller

Wow. GREAT information. thank you all. I am meeting at one of the major companies, not the University.
ELLENEM: special thanks for including the link to the schedule. Very thoughtful of you and much appreciated. Now all I need to do is get the job!
Thank you, Fodorites!

ellenem

good luck!