TravelGuides

(TGA) - Hello all,

We have a catch to flight on wed nov 25 at JFK at 6pm to Europe. We are driving from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to JFK. We are planning on leaving no later than 9am, and looking at google maps, I see that we can either go through Manhattan to get to JFK, but I also see that we can try the Verrazano bridge.

The question is....how is traffic before thanksgiving in that area? Which route would be better to take...thru Manhattan or thru the Verrazano bridge?

I figure that if we leave at 9am, we should be close to the new york city area at 1pm or so. But once there--which route do we take into brooklyn?

Now, I know we could park at EWR and take the train, and we have done that twice in the past, and it's gone horrible, mainly because the parking shuttles at EWR are unreliable, and this time around we are coming back from Europe late at night on a sunday, so don't want to even to imagine what is like to get back to the car at that time from EWR.

Thanks for any tips!!!
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The Verrazano to the Belt will be much better. There is no reason to drive through Manhattan.
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Traffic that day will be horrendous probably the whole way from PA... Definitely there is no reason for you to come into the city. I would come over the Verrazano and right onto the Belt Parkway going towards JFK... The airport is right off the Belt Parkway.. You can either park in those lots you talk about or in Long term parking at the airport itself and with a little planning and luck walk to the terminal. But understand that day is the heaviest day for air travel in the year so I think your bigger problem is going to be finding a space near the airport not retrieving your car when you get back. Why are you flying out of JFK but back into Newark (EWR).
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Why are you flying out of JFK but back into Newark (EWR).

I'm just flying into JFK. What i was saying was that in the past, I parked my car at EWR so I wouldn't have to go into NYC. From EWR I took the train to penn station, then to JFK; however, upon coming back to the usa, of course I had to get back to EWR to retrieve my car, from the long term parking outside EWR, and waiting for the shuttles at EWR was a nightmare. :)
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Other than the day you are going I don't think you will find JFK that bad. I would give myself an extra 1-2 hours for your trip on that day over the normal commute and don't cut yourself too short before your takeoff time.
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Honestly, this trip sounds like a recipe for high stress if not disaster. Unless you're a large family, I would look at every option using public transportation all the way if not part of the way including staying the night before at a hotel if you can. If Newark airport parking is not good, there are lots of other parking options.

No one (imo) can predict whether going thru Manhattan vs. using the Verrazani will be better now. Listening to a traffic report on the radio on the day MAY work. But I'd go back and consider other options even including driving to a train station and taking the train the whole way.
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There is no reason to drive at all.

Take Amtrak from Harrisburg to New York Penn Station. Take the Long Island Rail Road from Penn Station to Jamaica. Take the AirTrain form Jamaica to your terminal at JFK.

When you add together long term parking for your car at the airport, plus gas, plus tolls, plus wear and tear on the car, the cost of taking the train gets more and more favorable. Beyond that, being able to relax in a comfortable seat as you read guidebooks for the trip instead of cursing at the immobile traffic every foot of the way from PA will be PRICELESS.
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Thanks to all! Yep, we forgot about the train. And we just did the calculations, and indeed, is about the same price when adding all tolls, gas, parking fees, etc. Thanks for the advice.
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The day before Thanksgiving is, IMHO, the singularly worst travel day, especially for airlines.
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For years this has been the BUSIEST travel day of the year in the US - I would certainly seriously look into public transportation.

GWB is affiliated with the NYPD/Transit Police - his advice is made from years of experience in this area.

And as the whiz states - high stress - hope it all works out for you.
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Take Amtrak...You'll be glad u did ! Good Luck..
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