Transportation from New London, CT

Is there transportation from New London, CT to Mystic? Does anyone know if the ship offers a bus and, if so, the cost? Or will there be taxis at the pier?

There will be taxis around the pier. I called for another person on this cruise and it's about 22.00 one way to the Mystic Seaport/Mystic Village area. If you go to the Seaport you can walk to downtown (some really nice shops). Not sure what the ship is offering. I live in Mystic and think the town has a lot to offer. If you're interested in submarines, the sub base in Groton has a free museum and you can tour the Nautilus sub. Hope you have a great day in our area!

Thanks for the info teachergirl! Is that rate of $22 per taxi or per person?

That's per taxi, it's about a fifteen minute drive. Let me know if you have any other questions about the area:)

Is Mystic Seaport within walking distance of the Aquariam?

tonyt

I've never been to Mystic. Is the shopping good? Where would we ask the taxi to drop us off for a nice lunch & shopping?

It would probably be a 20-25 minute walk from the Seaport to the Aquarium (nice walk with sidewalks) and the Mystic Village shopping area is down there. If you walk in the other direction from the Seaport you can walk about 10 minutes and go to downtown Mystic. If you head downtown by cab have them drop you off near the bridge (it goes up at 20 minutes til the hour, a pain in the neck for we locals but tourists love watching it). The shopping is nice and if it is a nice day, you could eat outdoors at S&P Oyster company (right next to the bridge) or if you like good creole/cajun food, we like a place called VooDoo grill. Just ask one of the store owners and they'll tell you where to go. If you want a real feel of old New England, there is the Captain Daniel Packer Inne - great burgers in the bar... If you don't mind another 10 minute cab ride you can go to the town of Noank, a small village, and go to Abbott's for a hot lobster roll (awesome) Anyway, hope this helps!

Teachergirl:

Thanks for the info.

tonyt

Yes, very very helpful! Thanks so much!

I am from New London and my family lives in the next town. I just returned from there today. There was a story in the local paper about the Explorer of the Seas docking there next Sat, 9/1, in place of Newport. The article did say there were shore excursions to Mystic. Explorer is also stopping there later in Sept. and October. Maasdam is also making a couple of port stops there this fall. I think as New London becomes more active as a cruise ship port, ground transportation/excursions will become more commonplace. Right now, it's a novelty to have such a large ship docking there.

Joanne

A place for a good lobster roll , or 1 1/4 lb lobster dinner, clam cakes, fried clams, etc within walking distance is Capt Scott's Lobster dock. It's on the back side of Shaw's Cove between the railroad tracks and the cove. Right next to the drawbridge for the train tracks.

It can get crowded on the weekends, but it's worth the wait.

We will definitely take a trip down to see Explorer because we are sailing on her in January.

How far is the city of New London from the cruise terminal?...walking distance. Is the area around the pier developed with shops, restaurants, and scenic spots or do you need to go to Mystic for those?

The main street near the cruise terminal is Bank St. It is maybe a 5 minute walk up the street. There are some shops and restaurants on it. It's nice to take a walk down it but other than that Mystic is your best bet.

New London has free coach buses that will shuttle passengers from the pier to the visitors center. These buses run continuously. At the visitors center, which is at the train station on the waterfornt, you can get info on what to do, where to eat, and how to get there. New London has a lot to offer within walking distance of the center, rich with history and great food! Be sure to see Fort Trumbul followed by Fort Griswold across the river in Groton. Ft. Griswold is the Revolutionary War battle site where the British troops massacred the local militia after the burning of New London by Benidict Arnold. Transportation is available to the surrounding area including Mystic, the USS Nautilus Museum, and the casinos. Taxis run $25 each way to Mystic, about 20 minutes away, and $15 each way to the Nautilus, about 10 minutes away. The local SEAT Transit bus also runs to Mystic hourly. Shore Excusion passengers will be picked up right at the pier with great trips to the Mystic Seaport, Mystic Aquarium, Essex Valley Steam Train, and Newport, RI.