Driving to NYC from Ohio

[riddle]

We will be driving from Ohio to NYC. We are totally unfamiliar with NYC and really need help. Where can we leave the car while on the cruise? I know we will not be able to leave it anywhere close to the pier but are there any hotels in the outer areas which will keep your car for the week and you can take a cab into NYC. We are planning on getting a hotel in Manhattan and taking a cab to the pier the next day. Is any of this reasonable or just plain crazy? The other option is to rent a car in Ohio, drop it at the airport or some other location and then rent another car to come home.

[BlueHerons]

We will be driving from Ohio to NYC. We are totally unfamiliar with NYC and really need help. Where can we leave the car while on the cruise? I know we will not be able to leave it anywhere close to the pier but are there any hotels in the outer areas which will keep your car for the week and you can take a cab into NYC. We are planning on getting a hotel in Manhattan and taking a cab to the pier the next day. Is any of this reasonable or just plain crazy? The other option is to rent a car in Ohio, drop it at the airport or some other location and then rent another car to come home.

 

I'm assuming you mean the Manhattan pier and not the Brooklyn pier?

 

Parking is very expensive in Manhattan. Have you looked into taking the train? You can take the train to city center.

 

Flying may even be cheaper than parking fees.

[Twickenham]

I know we will not be able to leave it anywhere close to the pier

 

I'm not quite sure why you think that - both the Manhattan and Brooklyn Piers have parking - http://www.nycruise.com/terminal.html

Of course, it's pricey - at Manhattan pier parking is $30/day:eek:! Agree with previous poster, calculate the cost of parking plus gas, and compare with airfare - it might be cost - effective to fly.

[138east]

Could you tell us more about your plans for NY? Are you planning to drive straight through, stay over night and get on the ship? Or are you planning to arrive early enough to spend the day before in NY? If doing NY is not part of it, then you should consider staying out in NJ in a more reasonable motel and just driving into NY the morning of the cruise. That's what everyone who lives in the NY area will be doing from their homes.

 

For closer in to NY I'm seeing the La Quinta Inn in Secaucus come up under park/fly, but it doesn't show as a selection. You could call the hotel to see what they offer. However, if you get the free parking, you would have to pay for a cab to Manhattan or take the bus into the city (Port Authority) and a quick cab ride to the terminal.

[riddle]

We are leaving on Friday to arrive in NYC on Saturday morning. We have never been to the city so we hoped to be able to find a place where we could leave the car, stay the night and use public transportation around the city and a cab to the pier on Sunday. Thanks for your advice.

[madelinerose]

So, are you looking for a hotel that will house your car for the duration of your cruise?

 

Do you want to stay in Manhattan?

[138east]

If you are arriving Saturday morning, then I would definitely check out La Quinta to see what they have to offer. It will be a quick bus ride into Port Authority and their prices seem very reasonable if you can get parking for a week. You may even decide that you can take your luggage on the bus and skip the expensive cab ride to Manhattan.

[BlueHerons]

We are leaving on Friday to arrive in NYC on Saturday morning. We have never been to the city so we hoped to be able to find a place where we could leave the car, stay the night and use public transportation around the city and a cab to the pier on Sunday. Thanks for your advice.

 

In the greater NYC area, parking is not cheap and public transportation can be very confusing for a newbie. There are no hotels in Manhattan that will allow you to leave your car. Parking in a lot is an option but I've seen parking as much as $75 per day.

 

Have you looked into taking the train?

[GTJ]

Another person had suggested staying at La Quinta at Harmon Meadow in Secaucus, N.J. If this hotel, or one of the other nearby hotels at Harmon Meadow (e.g., Hampton Inn, Courtyard, Embassy Suites, Holiday Inn, Homestead, Hilton Garden Inn, Hyatt), offers long-term parking you would have a good deal since there is fairly good public transportation to and from New York City. You will want to use New Jersey Transit bus route 320 (schedule available here: www.njtransit.com/pdf/bus/T0320.pdf). The trip takes about 20 minutes and will cost $3.15 per person each way.

 

If you can get long-term parking at one of the hotels at Newport Center or Exchange Place in Jersey City, N.J. (e.g., Courtyard, Doubletree, Hyatt, Candlewood Suites), it would be even more convenient. You can take the PATH train (schedule available here: www.pathrail.com). The trip takes only a few minutes and will cost $1.75 per person each way. Unlike the 320 bus that quits running shortly after midnight, the PATH trains operate all night long.

[Patrickfromchicopee]

Take the bus to NYC stay overnight. Then in morning grab a car to the port.

[hockeyluver]

We are also planning to drive to NYC for our cruise, after reading this I may look into renting a car for the drive returning it and then renting another for the drive home. We have never been to NY so we are totally clueless as to where anything is. Or how to get there.

[138east]

Please give us more details about when and where so we can give you advice. Driving to NY is no big deal. However, getting rid of your car is the problem. We need to know your expectations. Many folks want everything - if you don't want to do sightseeing in NY you will have more options. If you can manage your luggage, then public transportation and cabs are an option.

[riddle]

Thanks for all the help so far...here are the details:

 

We want to drive from Ohio on Friday to arrive in NYC on Saturday morning. We want to see NYC as we never have. I am 56 and my daughter is 27. We can handle our own luggage and use public transportation. I might also consider renting one car here and renting another to drive home. The problem is that my daughter will not fly. If it was just me I would fly and that would be the end of it.

 

We want to see as much of NYC as we can on Saturday. We have left our car in other cities and have had free parking for the week while we are gone as long as we stayed pre cruise at that hotel. I realize we are talking totally different scenarios with regard to NYC. I guess we just want to jam as much as we can into Saturday and then head to the pier on Sunday morning. By the way this is a NCL cruise to Bermuda on 8/2/09. It is to celebrate my daughter's completion of the Ohio Bar Exam which she is taking at the end of July.

[madelinerose]

After driving for 11+ hours and planning to cram as much Manhattan as possible into one hot August day, I know I'd be exhausted.

 

I mentioned Amtrak on your other thread on the NCL board.

 

I always say, and especially in your case, if you want to see Manhattan, stay in Manhattan. So, arrive at the hotel on Saturday morning, park overnight (most likely valet), drop off your luggage, tour Manhattan, check in 2-4pm, tour more Manhattan, and drive to the cruise port in the morning to park for the duration of the cruise. Many hotels charge $30-45/day with no in/out privileges. The cruise terminal is $30/day.

 

Good luck. ;)

 

p.s. Oh, and congratulations to your daughter!

[138east]

It's hard to know what to advise you. Do a search on this forum on "parking Weehawken" and you will come up with other threads that discuss parking in NJ for a cruise from NY. That should give you some ideas.

 

The Hampton Inn in Secaucus was mentioned several times as offering a week's parking with a one night stay. If you came all the way on Friday and stayed there, you could take your stuff into NY on Saturday and stay in a Manhattan hotel Saturday night. That way you would get your free parking and get to stay in Manhattan. Even if you can't check in early, you can leave your luggage.

 

You might want to post again with a different tag line - I'm not sure you are getting replies from folks who have experience with this question. I sail out of Bayonne so I know a lot about the choices for there, but the considerations for NY are very different.

 

There is also a current thread that discusses less expensive NY hotel choices. I wouldn't be in a rush to commit on a NY hotel. I would search on Priceline to find out what kind of deals people have gotten. The beginning of August is a slow time in NY - there are bound to be good deals.

[BlueHerons]

I agree with madelinerose, if you want to see Manhattan, stay in Manhattan.

 

All hotels will have valet parking just be prepared to pay. It really is no big deal.

 

You can drive your car to the pier on Sunday morning and park there for the duration of your cruise.

 

As far as August goes, it used to be off season for Manhattan but that is no longer the case. While it isn't peak season, it is still expensive.

 

For your purposes, I would not try priceline. I would line up hotel and parking in advance.