Getting from EWR to Lower Manhattan advice required.

There seems recently to have been a number of threads regarding Newark so I thought I’d add another.

I’m flying into Newark in November (not really my choice but with reward flights you take what you can get, on the VS 1), and I’m staying in Lower Manhattan (couple of blocks from WTC site).

(The VS1 arrives into EWR at 15:35 and I’m arriving on a Thursday with hand luggage only so hoping to be reasonably quick getting out, if I'm lucky.)

My question is this: How would you get from EWR to Lower Manhattan?

I seem to have a couple of options, I’m not prepared to pay for Cabs and don’t have a great love of busses, so I’m looking at the following:

1) AirTrain rail link from airport to Newark Liberty Airport station and then NJ Transit to New York Penn Station followed then by the Metro to the Chamber St station.

or

2) AirTrain rail link from airport to Newark Liberty Airport station and then NJ Transit to Newark Penn Station followed by the PATH to World Trade Centre.

Both options involve a number of changes, but for those of you in the know what way would you go?

Many thanks in advance for your thoughts.

I've done both - wouldn't recommend the PATH option with luggage but if you've got hand baggage only it's definitely doable (and very cheap).

If you want to save even more and cut out a change there's a frequent local bus direct from the VS terminal at EWR to Newark Penn Station where you can change on to the PATH upstairs. Total fare $4.25. Bus timetable here: http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/bus/T0062.pdf

I'd opt for AirTrain, NJTransit followed by the subway: that can be very quick indeed.

Top tip: if you're going to the Chambers Street station on the 1/2/3 (red) line, sit at the very front of the train; if you're going to the Chambers Street station on the A/C (blue) line, sit at the very back of the train. NY Penn Station is a full avenue block long (with the different subway lines at each end of the station), and lugging your luggage through the station is a nightmare. It's best to get on the train in the right spot at the Newark Airport NJTransit stop so you're in the right place at Penn.

Thank you both very much for your replies, seems it's down to personal preference with one vote each (for the no luggage option).

Some very useful tips though from each of you that I wasn't previously aware of, so thanks once again I really appreciate them.

Just make sure you don't get on an Amtrak train! They're veeeeeery expensive compared to NJ transit.

Oh and bear in mind that the fare for using AirTrain is $5.50 and that's just from the terminal tot he mainline train station! I plan to use the number 62 bus to Newark Penn when I'm there in September.

Yeah, that's a good point about avoiding Amtrak. They're also extremely slow (Amtrak only owns the rolling stock and licenses time on the rails from NJTransit, so you can guess which trains get priority).

PATH is definitely equally good as the subway if you only have hand luggage (lots of steps), I just have a pet hate for PATH (the WTC stop only opened again in December)!

One other option: taxi to Newark train/PATH station ($15 if I remember rightly). PATH to WTC ($2.75). That is probably your quickest option.

Was thinking about a cab to Newark \ PATH station but wasn't sure if they would appreciate the relatively short journey. I know at Heathrow the cabbies aren't fond of short journeys as they have to go back in the pool and wait till they get to the front to get their next fare which could mean quite a wait.

Was thinking about a cab to Newark \ PATH station but wasn't sure if they would appreciate the relatively short journey. I know at Heathrow the cabbies aren't fond of short journeys as they have to go back in the pool and wait till they get to the front to get their next fare which could mean quite a wait.

Give them a nice tip, and they'll be very happy.