Path to WTC

Wee will be coming into lower Manhattan next year for a day and wish to visit the 9/11 Museum and Memorial and will be staying in Newark. Using the Path do we need to transfer and if so where do we go. We are coming into lower Manhattan on Sat. Thank you

Hi!

There is only one PATH train that originates at Newark- it goes directly to the World Trade Center - no transfers.

Did you decide what hotel you are staying at yet? For a little more money you can take a cab to Newark Penn Station from the hotel, which may be less than the train if you have four people. Otherwise you're taking the free hotel shuttle to P4, the free Airtrain to the Newark Airport Station, the NJ Transit train one stop to Newark Penn Station for $8.25 ($6.75 if you're seniors), and then PATH. Not a big deal, but definitely easier to eliminate the first three pieces.

Hi Carol there was information on the Path site for 2014 that on weekends we would have to change so not sure if this will apply in 2015 I searched out Hotels. And looking at the Ramada, BW Plus although wasn't, with location of the BW Plus. Some didn't have restaurants.

Gay

Hi!

 

There is only one PATH train that originates at Newark- it goes directly to the World Trade Center - no transfers.

On Saturdays (when the OP is traveling) and Sundays that train terminates at Journal Square. They will have to transfer to the PATH train going into Manhattan via Hoboken, get out at Christopher Street, and head south from there.

The PATH disruption is supposed to be over in Jan/Feb 2015, so you should be OK.

Absolutely do not stay at the Best Western. It on a side street on the west side of the airport - no place to go and an uncomfortable area outside the hotel. They have buffed up the hotel, but they can't change the location.

The Ramada is fine - I have stayed there when it was a Holiday Inn. It is the budget hotel at the airport that we frequently recommend. Lots of cruisers stay there because there is a great park/sleep through Trinityreservations. They have a restaurant, a popular sports bar (Teddy's), and a grab n go cafe. This hotel is on the north side of the airport closer to Newark Penn Station, so a cab would be more reasonable. The full service Doubletree is next door with a restaurant and bar as well.

YOU MUST BE SELECTIVE ABOUT WHERE YOU STAY AT THE AIRPORT. Newark is NOT a vacation destination!

Carol & Langoustine, thank you. Carol I googled the BW and the location was not at all appealing. The Ramda was running about the same and right off the freeway. Both offer Free Shuttles. Our freinds liked the BW because of the Complimentary breakfast but that isn't a big deal to us, but location and reviews are. Only down side to the Rqamada, no Cancellation policy. Both the Wyndham and Courtyard were around $206 and offered cancellation.

Gay

Gay,

I know you want to lock in all your arrangements for Oct 2015, but IMO you are doing this way too early for Newark Airport. You absolutely should not be booking a noncancellable room 14 months ahead. What would you pay for a room at the Ramada in Oct 2015? I often see this hotel for just under $100 plus tax. Right now it's $110+ tax on Aa.com for Oct 17-19 this year. For this year I'm seeing the Newark Penn Station Hilton for $143 plus tax for that weekend. If you were traveling this year, there's a ton of availability in a wide range of hotels right now for your weekend.

What is your hotel budget?

There are nicer places to stay near the Jersey Gardens Mall. If you feel you must book rooms, book cancellable rooms and wait. After the new year start looking at prices again. What you have to understand about EWR is that prices tend to be high Sun to Thur because of the business travelers and there are always deals on a Fri and Sat. Absolutely no one says "Gee Honey - how would you like to spend the weekend at Newark Airport?" and everyone on business travel can't clear out fast enough to go home.

Carol no booking of anything flights or Hotels will be done until at least the 1st of the year. I prefer to research, ask and read reviews before making any definate arrangements. I will not book a pre paid room or hotel without a Cancellation Policy. We are more fleible then our friends, he is looking for $165 inclusive and a complimentary breakfast Hotel. I personally choose a Hotel based upon location, reviews and price. We could go $200/night incl tax. We all agreed we wanted to go into NYC pre cruise and I wish we could have spent 2 days, a lot of $$ for an overnight but we are traveling with friends pre cruise so I am not the only one making decisions, although I think I have the accomodations duty.:D

Gay

I'm relieved to hear that.

The number one hotel to monitor for ease of going into New York would be the Newark Penn Station Hilton. You can pay $33 more per night for this hotel because that's what each couple will save on transportation costs to NYC. It will also offer you the option of eating in the Ironbound district of Newark if you don't stay in NYC for dinner. This is an area of Portuguese and Spanish restaurants - http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Ironbound+District&find_loc=Newark%2C+NJ

If that doesn't work out, you want to monitor Embassy Suites, Courtyard Elizabeth, Country Inns, and Residence Inn. Aa.com and LastMinuteTravel.com along with the standard consolidator sites like kayak and trivago are also good sources.

Carol, we could do the Hilton Penn, would make things a lot easier, but doubt I could talk our friends into doing that one. Now looking at the Double Tree or Renaissance.

Gay

I'm curious - if the price were right, why wouldn't your friends want to do the Newark Penn Station Hilton? It's a 4* hotel. What exactly are your friends looking for? I think they could be in for a real culture shock in this area.

I've stayed at the Doubletree when it was the Sheraton and it was fine, but I'm hearing it needs refurbishing. The Renaissance has been recently refurbished and is supposed to be very nice. Neither has a free breakfast.

For hotels with breakfast you want to look at Country Inns or Springhill Suites. For Country Inns the nearby restaurants would be Ruby Tuesdays, IHOP, Marriott Courtyard, or at Jersey Gardens Mall the food court or Applebee's. For Springhill Suites you would have to walk next door to the Marriott Courtyard.

Here are some threads about why we don't recommend BW-

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=35582273&highlight=western#post35582273

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=33266528&highlight=western#post33266528

Myself, since our flight wouldn't get in until after 6 PM, we would want to eat dinner when we arrive at the Hotel, a breakfast we can always grab. The Newark Hilton Penn priced out for the 3 of us with Tax $250. That isn't bad really, as we would split 3 ways.

Gay

I'm seeing Newark Penn Station Hilton for 10/17-10/19/ 2014 (this year) for $131 plus tax for 3 people on LastMinuteTravel. Next years prices will be higher now, but that's why I'm recommending finding a cancellable room and watching all the prices next year to see what happens. There are no guarantees they will go down, but you have to be prepared to make a change if the opportunity comes up. It's like watching cruise prices for a price drop.

If you were going this year and had a cancellable room, you could switch to the NPS Hilton right now and get a great deal.

Good morning Carol, I am going thru the Hotels this morning and make a list for myself on what each offers & price, main interests, are Shuttles, Holding with a Credit Card and full dining and send a copy to our friend so they can look over and we come to an agreement. If it were the 3 of us, we would probably stay at the Hilton Penn and be right there to catch the Path. I look at it this way, whether we stay closer to the Airport or Penn Station we will need a shuttle or Taxi to travel between the locations. The plan is for us to pick up our vehical the next day before we depart then we don't pay for overnight, yet why don't we have the car when we arrive then it is at the Hotel loaded and ready to go. Small details to work out. LOL Our travel dates will be Oct 16th thru 17th, depart for Quebec the afternoon of the 17th.

Gay

Good morning Carol, I am going thru the Hotels this morning and make a list for myself on what each offers & price, main interests, are Shuttles, Holding with a Credit Card and full dining and send a copy to our friend so they can look over and we come to an agreement. If it were the 3 of us, we would probably stay at the Hilton Penn and be right there to catch the Path. I look at it this way, whether we stay closer to the Airport or Penn Station we will need a shuttle or Taxi to travel between the locations. The plan is for us to pick up our vehical the next day before we depart then we don't pay for overnight, yet why don't we have the car when we arrive then it is at the Hotel loaded and ready to go. Small details to work out. LOL Our travel dates will be Oct 16th thru 17th, depart for Quebec the afternoon of the 17th.

 

Gay

I really do understand how complicated it can be to herd a group around. We have a family wedding in NYC next weekend and are staying for three nights at the Courtyard in Jersey City - 5 people including a baby, two cars, 6 am pickup and 7:30 am drop off at Newark Airport, wedding on the Hudson River at Chelsea Piers, and a pre wedding dinner somewhere. Our plan has been under discussion for months! I switched hotels two months ago when we went from 8-9 people to 5 people. I had a cancellable reservation and took advantage of the opportunity to switch.

My major points are:

1). The prices you are looking at now for 14 months from now will definitely change and may actually go down. Keep,checking aa.com and LastMinuteTravel.

2). Book a cancellable hotel

3) If you get a car early, stay at the airport with it and be sure to check if the hotel charges extra for parking. I know for sure that the Doubletree and Ramada do charge.

4) A restaurant actually in the hotel should not be a deal breaker depending on the hotel you pick. You should consider all the hotels on Glimcher Realty Way except the Extended Stay America place. Ruby Tuesdays and IHOP are right next door to these hotels, which are basically in a hotel circle. The Marriott Courtyard has a restaurant. The mall across the parking lot has a food court, outlet shops, and movies. IMO this is the nicest area by the airport - cruisers stay in these hotels all the time and are very happy with all of them.

Afternoon, I think I have found our best Hotel options, either the Hampton or Renaissance which are next to each other and have a walkway and a Cancellation Policy. As close as these two are to each other we might as well stay with the Hotel with a full restaurant.

Hampton: Continental Breakfast, Shuttle, 5 Min from Airport, 10 Min from Penn & $180.40 incl tax

Renaissance: Full Restaurant, Shuttle, $223.40 incl tax We are thinking stay at the Renaissance, then no walking and buy the Penn 2 Card, good for 2 trips, over and back ).

The Hilton Penn probably will be higher then friends want to go even for the convenience, but have shown that as Option # 3.

GGay

Sounds like a plan. The Renaissance will be a good choice for your group.

Please monitor aa.com. For oct 16-18, 2014 they are offering the hotel at $166.80 tax included prepaid. So next year this time you might find a similar deal.

I will keep monitoring the prices but no booking of anything until after the 1st of the year or early Spring. Flights to Newark for us out of Palm Springs running around $600 for the both of us on AA thru DFW, a little higher on US Air

Gay