CruisingRN Posted July 16, 2022 Report Share Posted July 16, 2022 Can anyone tell me how difficult it is to drive from Connecticut to Cape Liberty. I havent driven through new york in years and wonder if it is easy or difficult to navigate I 95- to new jersey. Should we take limo instead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qeytondude Posted July 16, 2022 Report Share Posted July 16, 2022 We drive down from NH one or two times a year. Most often Waze takes us over the GW, but once we went via the Tappan Zee ( yes I know I'm showing my age). This year was a Friday departure, and I thought it would be rough, we had good weather and an early start, with lots of company compared to a weekend, but not really all that bad considering. I think it all depends on how comfortable you are driving in some traffic. The port is super easy to get in and out of. Its only about ten minutes to 95 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjac Posted July 16, 2022 Report Share Posted July 16, 2022 Take the limo and start your vacation early. Party in the limo, avoid the stress of driving and HAVE FUN! RCIfan1912 and Neesa 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepy425 Posted July 16, 2022 Report Share Posted July 16, 2022 We haven't had any issues driving from CT. We live near New Haven and are usually home after the cruise by 10am. It is so easy once you get there to park, and after the cruise getting the car is also really easy. FoxboroCruiser 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pattycruise Posted July 17, 2022 Report Share Posted July 17, 2022 9 hours ago, Qeytondude said: We drive down from NH one or two times a year. Most often Waze takes us over the GW, but once we went via the Tappan Zee ( yes I know I'm showing my age). This year was a Friday departure, and I thought it would be rough, we had good weather and an early start, with lots of company compared to a weekend, but not really all that bad considering. I think it all depends on how comfortable you are driving in some traffic. The port is super easy to get in and out of. Its only about ten minutes to 95 I’m north of the Tappanzee (i will always call it this) and Waze always wants me to go to the GW. I don’t mind the GW, it’s the highway signage after it that drives me nuts. I will take the Tap, bypass 9W, and the Palisades and we make our way to the Garden Stste parkway, just to avoid “the nonsense”. Qeytondude and PPPJJ-GCVAB 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkaczano Posted July 17, 2022 Report Share Posted July 17, 2022 We drive down from New Hampshire saying the night before the cruise in central Connecticut. The drive has been fine on weekends but the one time we went out on a Thursday was bad enough to reconsider cruising from Bayonne on a weekday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPPJJ-GCVAB Posted July 17, 2022 Report Share Posted July 17, 2022 I’ll be taking this drive in 27 days. Heading to Bayonne will be a Saturday so I do not anticipate any traffic issues. However, my return will be on a Thursday morning…thinking I will most likely have to deal with traffic then? Since parking will cost just $125. I never considered hiring a limo, which would be awesome, so I just priced it out and it would cost well over $1,000! Guess I will just have to deal with the traffic on my return! Thanks for the few driving route tips…I will do my homework to figure out which route(s) will be best for me to use. WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinJ Posted July 17, 2022 Report Share Posted July 17, 2022 We always drive from New Hampshire the day before and stay near Newark airport. It's about a 4.5 to 5 hour drive depending on traffic. We always go down through the Merritt parkway in CT and over the GW. We'll leave around 10 in the morning which avoids the worst of the traffic. I'm already planning to drive to FL for our January and March cruises. Nice to be retired and not rally care how long it takes us. Qeytondude, WAAAYTOOO and FoxboroCruiser 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pooch Posted July 17, 2022 Report Share Posted July 17, 2022 9 hours ago, Pattycruise said: I’m north of the Tappanzee (i will always call it this) and Waze always wants me to go to the GW. I don’t mind the GW, it’s the highway signage after it that drives me nuts. I will take the Tap, bypass 9W, and the Palisades and we make our way to the Garden Stste parkway, just to avoid “the nonsense”. You mean it’s called something else now?? I spent a great deal of my childhood going over the Tappan Zee to visit my fathers WWII shipmate in Englewood NJ. We always took the Garden State to avoid I-95 in NY. USCG Teacher 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCG Teacher Posted July 17, 2022 Report Share Posted July 17, 2022 1 hour ago, Pooch said: You mean it’s called something else now?? I spent a great deal of my childhood going over the Tappan Zee to visit my fathers WWII shipmate in Englewood NJ. We always took the Garden State to avoid I-95 in NY. Now it's officially the Governor Mario M. Cuomo bridge (the original Tappan Zee is gone), but most locals I know still call the new bridge the Tappan Zee. Sort of like how you can spot the tourist if they call the Sears Tower the Willis Tower! Pooch 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teddy Posted July 17, 2022 Report Share Posted July 17, 2022 With the price of airline tickets rising, we have decided to start booking some cruises out of Cape Liberty since the drive from southern Maine isn’t that bad We got stuck on the northern approach to the GWB back when pretty much all the lanes to the bridge were shut down. After that, NYC highway traffic bothers me a bit less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted July 17, 2022 Report Share Posted July 17, 2022 43 minutes ago, USCG Teacher said: Now it's officially the Governor Mario M. Cuomo bridge No wonder they call it by the old name ! Pattycruise, Jkaczano, fireclan and 2 others 2 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodgestang Posted July 17, 2022 Report Share Posted July 17, 2022 We always take a stretch from MD to Cape Liberty. It's about a 2 hour ride, the limo pulls up right out front and unloads and away we go. Getting home is just as easy. WAAAYTOOO and fireclan 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruisingRN Posted July 19, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2022 Thanks for the feedback. As much as we would like to take a limo it would cost about $600. We want to save our money for other things. I think we will check out going over the Zee. We used to take that bridge when traveling in the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karl_nj Posted July 19, 2022 Report Share Posted July 19, 2022 On 7/16/2022 at 11:20 PM, Pattycruise said: I’m north of the Tappanzee (i will always call it this) and Waze always wants me to go to the GW. I don’t mind the GW, it’s the highway signage after it that drives me nuts. I will take the Tap, bypass 9W, and the Palisades and we make our way to the Garden Stste parkway, just to avoid “the nonsense”. Bah, once you get past the GWB it's smooth sailing—just look for the signs for the NJ Turnpike and you are good! Though if you want to take the Tappanzee, I'd go down the Palisades Pkwy and then get on the Turnpike. It's more direct. The Parkway will take you too far west and then you'll need to double back. USCG Teacher 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D Alt Posted July 19, 2022 Report Share Posted July 19, 2022 Super easy. I drive from Long Island and it took me 55 mins. Get there early, leave early. So convenient. Not sure how much a limo would cost, but im betting it's cheaper than driving and paying for the week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jersey Judie Posted July 20, 2022 Report Share Posted July 20, 2022 If you're driving, try to take the GWB instead of the Tappan zee. It's more direct! Tappan Zee is easier to get through, however Garden State Parkway, Palisade Parkway, and Rt 17 are a bit out of the way. JUst time GWB to avoid rush hour morning traffic (7-8:30AM). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPPJJ-GCVAB Posted July 20, 2022 Report Share Posted July 20, 2022 I’ve been reading your responses and see several options but am I correct in assuming that I…driving from RI…will just take 95S all the way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatsFanBrian Posted July 20, 2022 Report Share Posted July 20, 2022 21 minutes ago, PPPJJ-GCVAB said: I’ve been reading your responses and see several options but am I correct in assuming that I…driving from RI…will just take 95S all the way? Correct. I live along the northern RI border, quick hop to 95 via 295. The only time we went out of Port Liberty we went down a day early, stayed a night at a nice hotel that provided a discount for week long parking, and enjoyed that extra night of vacation. It's about a 4 hour drive for us with normal traffic down 95S. On the way down, we stopped at our son's apartment in Brooklyn, then went to the hotel via Staten Island. Going back, we went via the GW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leesam82 Posted July 20, 2022 Report Share Posted July 20, 2022 I live near Philadelphia and Cape Liberty is the port I usually sail out of when I drive to the port. One suggestion for driving there is to leave early and ensure you have plenty of time to get to the port. 95 sucks because there is almost always an unexpected accident or construction. By accounting for the extra time you won't feel rushed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mpdahmer Posted July 20, 2022 Report Share Posted July 20, 2022 Living so close to both Newark Airport and Port Liberty I am almost tempted to offer a park and ride service from my house... Spang1974, Fuzzywuzzy and fireclan 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pattycruise Posted July 20, 2022 Report Share Posted July 20, 2022 6 hours ago, PPPJJ-GCVAB said: I’ve been reading your responses and see several options but am I correct in assuming that I…driving from RI…will just take 95S all the way? Yes, it should be 95S all the way. I now like to use WAZE app because it will generally send you around any traffic, tells about reported potholes/debris/dead animals in the road and alerts to "accident ahead", "police ahead". If you have not used it I recommend you try it out beforehand. My only complaint about the app is the "late notice" it gives if you are doing 55 (or higher) in the left lane and the exit is "pretty much right there" and it says "exit right". I generally do not look at the screen when I drive, so when I have a passenger it makes it so much better because they can give me the pre-warning about an exit with ample time to move over. PPPJJ-GCVAB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPPJJ-GCVAB Posted July 20, 2022 Report Share Posted July 20, 2022 5 hours ago, Pattycruise said: Yes, it should be 95S all the way. I now like to use WAZE app because it will generally send you around any traffic, tells about reported potholes/debris/dead animals in the road and alerts to "accident ahead", "police ahead". If you have not used it I recommend you try it out beforehand. My only complaint about the app is the "late notice" it gives if you are doing 55 (or higher) in the left lane and the exit is "pretty much right there" and it says "exit right". I generally do not look at the screen when I drive, so when I have a passenger it makes it so much better because they can give me the pre-warning about an exit with ample time to move over. I will use WAZE as well. Lucky I’ll have my daughter with me to keep me on the right path! Pattycruise 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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