Hotels Near Jersey Turnpike

[luvscruising2007]

We will be cruising in Dec 2012. We have had so much snow that last few winters I want to make sure we have alternate plans.

We live in Maryland and could make it up there easily the day of. But if there is snow predicted I was thinking of going up the night before and staying at a hotel off the turnpike.

It doesn't really matter at which exit, but thought it might be cheaper away from the port area.

Any suggestions?

[138east]

Over the last several years I've priced hotels at Newark Airport and exits 8 and 8A on the NJ Turnpike at least once a year. The rates are surprisingly similar, but there seems to be more price competition at Newark Airport. If the weather is bad, I'd look first at the hotels on Glimcher Realty Way at exit 13A - Courtyard Elizabeth, Residence Inn, and Country Inns. My next choice would be the cluster of Newark Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, and Springhill Suites at exit 14. These hotels are very accessible from the turnpike exit, but for the Exit 14 hotels you MUST print out the directions - if you take a wrong turn you will be able to see your hotel but not get to it.

 

Exit 8 is East Windsor NJ and you could look at Days Inn, Holiday Inn, Hampton Inn, and Quality Inn. Exit 8A is Jamesburg/Cranbury/Monroe/South Brunswick NJ and you could look at the Marriott Courtyard or Crowne Plaza. There are other hotels in the area, but these are the hotels that are right at the turnpike exit.

 

IMO if the weather is bad, I would try to make it all the way to the Newark Airport area.

[luvscruising2007]

thanks for the info.

It will really help in our planning.

[megr1125]

yes, i agree.....at least with the airport area hotels you have a better chance of the roads getting cleared...

 

ALSO...book early.....as in if you hear about that nasty white stuff, make a reservation...you can always cancel it....

 

as a rule any time we cruised in winter i would stay up the day before the cruise, and book a room for the night we got back in case of snow.....if i didn't need it, i'd cancel...(or maybe just stay anyway to extend the vacation-yeah, extend the vacation in an airport hotel...:p)

[mommyto2girls]

I live in 15 minutes from the Port in Fort Lee which is at the foot of the George Washington Bridge. If you want to stay close to the port and the Turnpike try the Glenpointe Marriott in Teaneck NJ. You will be 20 minutes from the NYC and it is at the end (or beginning) of the Turnpike right off Route 80. It is a perfect location. There is also the Doubletree Fort Lee which is right at the entrance to the GWB.

[njhorseman]

I live in 15 minutes from the Port in Fort Lee which is at the foot of the George Washington Bridge. If you want to stay close to the port and the Turnpike try the Glenpointe Marriott in Teaneck NJ. You will be 20 minutes from the NYC and it is at the end (or beginning) of the Turnpike right off Route 80. It is a perfect location. There is also the Doubletree Fort Lee which is right at the entrance to the GWB.

 

Not for someone coming from Maryland to take a cruise from Cape Liberty, as the OP is. The suggestions to stay near the airport make far more sense.

[mommyto2girls]

Not for someone coming from Maryland to take a cruise from Cape Liberty, as the OP is. The suggestions to stay near the airport make far more sense.

 

Lost my head..thought they were going out of NYC.

[ducklite]

Lots of options, but I'd suggest the Hilton or Hliday Inn Express at Exit 9 in East Brunswick. The NJ Turnpike is one of the best maintained roads in NJ.

 

You're feet from the Turnpike entrance, and the area is a LOT nicer, safer, and more secure than the area around the port or airport. From that point it's about 30 miutes to the port in good weather, maybe an hour if the weather is poor.

 

And again, I lived in NJ for 12 years (1993 through 2005) and the only time the Turnpike was closed was once when the oil tanks alongside it were on fire around 1997 and a few times when they closed it for a few hours during really bad weather--total whiteout blizzard conditions. It was even open after the Christmas blizzard in 2000. Frankly if it's closed due to bad weather, you're not likely making it to the cruise, because the other roads will be impassable as well.

[luvscruising2007]

Ducklite-- thanks for the additional information. I really won't know conditions until we start seeing the weather forecasts but I do like to be prepared. If it hadn't been for the last couple of winters I would probably not even worry about it. But, we have had some brutal snow storms.

I am glad to hear the turnpike does not generally close. I figured the streets around the port would get cleared uickly.

[Flob1954]

We will be cruising in Dec 2012. We have had so much snow that last few winters I want to make sure we have alternate plans.

We live in Maryland and could make it up there easily the day of. But if there is snow predicted I was thinking of going up the night before and staying at a hotel off the turnpike.

It doesn't really matter at which exit, but thought it might be cheaper away from the port area.

Any suggestions?

There is a Holiday inn at exit 12 which would be Carteret,NJ...Not sure how far you want to be from pier..

[megr1125]

IMO Carteret is kind of icky....again, JMO...not that the area around the airport is a lot better...just my 2 cents

.

[ducklite]

Where the Carteret Holiday Inn is located isn't bad, BUT that hotel has been there for over 30 years and to my knowledge hasn't had a significant facelift in years. it wouldn't be on my short list.

[greatam]

Hilton, East Brunswick and Hilton, Raritan Center are both very decent hotels with good freeway access. The Hilton, East Brunswick, is VERY often available on Priceline BIDDING for less than $65.00 per night. 3* hotel for Motel 6 price.