NYC Transportation from EWR to Penn Station

For some reason, I haven't tried the Air Train options with connection to NJ Transit, but it's probably what you want for Penn Station. I've taken the Express Bus which worked fine, but can be slow in traffic, and drop-off points are several blocks north of where you probably want to be.

Air train at the arrivals hall ( look for the signs ) connects directly to New Jersey Transit at Newark Airport station , the NJ Transit commuter train drops you right in NY Penn station ( end of the line ) , a short walk to your hotel from there , couldn't be easier !

Definitely rail (NJ Transit) is preferable over a bus option. I often take a bus from DC to NYC and it passes Newark Airport - once it reaches Manhattan, it gets snarled in traffic all the way to Penn Station. Best to avoid this.

I agree that the train is the best option as the traffic approaching and through the tunnel can be terrible. The only downside to the train is that it often is crowded by the time it arrives at the airport. Also I have had the conductor scold me for having my bag in the aisle of the train car. In my defense the car was full with people standing in the aisle. This seems to be enforced more on the older style cars, the newer ones have a larger entry area where you can stand with your bag and not block the aisle fully.

Another vote for taking the train. This summer I took the Airport Express bus from EWR to the Port Authority Bus Terminal and it hit a lot of traffic, as other posters mentioned. It literally took 2.5 hours for the trip!!

It has been awhile since I have had a flight from Newark but the train runs directly into Penn Station. Traffic is 10X worse during the holidays, I would opt for the train over a bus.

While you are here - take the subway, like I said, gridlock is bad during the holidays and in mid town, 5th Ave has become a two lane fortress near the Trump Bldg.

Thanks everyone. I had read about the train, but wanted to verify with people more knowledgeable than myself. I booked our tickets for EWR for that reason. My only other time in NYC we flew to LGA. We took a taxi to our hotel in midtown Manhatten because I had my disabled brother with me. We used the subway extensively during our time there, and took it and then a bus to LGA for our return home. I've changed planes at EWR several times going to Europe, but this will be the first time to actually see the airport. We arrive at 7:30 on a Sunday morning (red eye from LAX) so I don't expect traffic to be an issue, but I prefer trains either way. Thanks again!

I will be staying as far away from anything with the word Trump in it as is humanly possible.

Andrea , I'm sure you have plans for your trip , but if you find yourself with time on Saturday , December 10 at one PM , we have a Rick meeting at Panera's , 452 Fifth Ave ( west side of fifth , one block south of the 42st library ) Always great fun , stop in if you can ! Also Fifth Avenue from 42st up to 59st is fairly busy this time of year , The area around Trump tower is impossible , so if you are heading uptown, toward the museums on upper Fifth Avenue ( ie Metropolitan Museum of Art , Neue Galerie et al ) cross Fifth and go up Madison ( buses go up Madison ) Have a great time !

Steven, I would love to come to your meeting. Unfortunately we don't arrive in NYC until Sunday morning. I enjoy meeting up with others on this forum. When we went to D.C. we met up with Agnes, Laura and a couple of other people. I've met up with people when we've overlapped in Europe. We've also had people from the forum come to our meetings. Have a good one!

Thanks for the tip MrsEB.

Thanks for the heads up regarding the weather MrsEB. I have been checking the weather report many times per day. The forecast goes from rain to snow to no precipitation. I'm hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to cold, so I'm taking precautions. I even bought hand and toe warmers yesterday. We have our Tenement Museum tour and walking tour Sunday afternoon.

Andrea , when you are done at the Tenement House , Go to Kossar's Bialystoker Kuchen Bakery on Grand Street , about three blocks from the museum , for Bialys ( onion , of course ) . Kosssar's is the only place , in the world , I might add , where the real thing is available . These chewy rolls originated in Bialystock , Poland , in the late nineteenth century , by Ashkenasy Jews , when Poland was " The Pale of Settlement " under Czarist rule . Every few weeks my wife and I drive down to Grand Street , buy a whole bunch , and freeze them - five minutes in the oven brings them back to life . As these are part of my cultural heritage , I have to live without them only while in Europe . I'll stop waxing rhapsodic for now , here is Kossar's website - http://kossars.com/ and Mimi Sheraton's wonderful book about the rolls and Jewish culture on the Lower East Side - https://www.amazon.com/Bialy-Eaters-Mimi-Sheraton-ebook/dp/B001RCTTAC

Steven, thank you so much for that information. I was hoping to go to a deli before our tour. I have to go to L.A. for Bialys. Onion of course! Admittedly I've never checked in the Bay Area. It's impossible to get deli food here. Even getting matzo at Passover is difficult. Is Kossars a restaurant or just a take out place? If only take out, can you recommend a good eat in deli in the neighborhood? I know Katz's is nearby. I've heard both good and bad things about it.

Kossar's was recently remodeled ( first time in seventy years ) and I'm pretty certain there is a counter to eat your bialy and coffee . It is mainly a take away . Katz's is good , but the strong points there are Pastrami , Corned beef , Kishka ( you know , jewish haggis ;-) The smoked fish is not what I would go there for . Just a few doors west of Katz's is Russ and Daughters , one of the classic appetizing joints , and they recently opened a café , the smoked fish is excellent , so that would be a good choice - here is the website http://russanddaughters.com/ It all depends on what you want before your tour . We go to Katz's infrequently , while we love the food ( especially the Pastrami ) , I try to stay off the cardiac care lists at the NY hospitals as best as I can . You could go to Katz's on Sunday , but one other choice for smoked fish is Zabar's at 80th and Broadway , They also frequently carry Kossar's bialys and excellent bagels . We usually hit Zabar's every two or three weeks for fish , it's only a thirty minute drive from our home in Westchester county . If you do a little picnic in your hotel room ( we do a lot of this in Europe ) you can pick up some great stuff and take it back to the hotel , the seventh ave IRT goes to 79st and Broadway , from the Penn station stop , one block from Zabar's , in about 10 minutes . http://www.zabars.com/