Transportation from Port Authority to CT

Arriving on a Norwigian Cruise Line on a Thursday and need to get to Fairfield, CT. What is the best way to get there. I will bewith my husband and 3-4 suitcases.

Transportation from Port Authority to CT

It depends on what you mean by ';best.';

What I would do is to take Metro-North Railroad%26#39;s New Haven line to the Fairfield station, and a cab from there to my final destination. On the other hand, you might prefer to spend the much greater sum of money it would cost to have a limo meet you at the pier and take you directly there. It is really a matter of whether you consider economy better, or simplicity better.

Transportation from Port Authority to CT

Check into trains leaving from Grand Central Station. Sorry, I cannot give an web site address etc.. , But I remember that the trains to Conn. are leaving from Grand Central.

start at http://mta.info and as mentioned, look at the metro north section. And yes, these trains do leave from Grand Central station on a very regular basis.

the question is not which train and which terminal but rather does ';granprof'; want to schlep 4 suitcases using public transportation

even if you were to take a taxi to GCT, there are still stairs/elevators to contend with

if it is on a Thursday afternoon at rush hour, it will be a pain in the neck

it all is a matter of common sense

As others say, you have 2 options. Hire a limo/car service to pick you up and take you there or get a taxi to Grand Central Station (about a 15 minute cab ride) and get a commuter train to Fairfield. Here%26#39;s a page that will help you find a train schedule. Start at Grand Central and end at Fairfield (or the closest station to where you%26#39;re going).

as0.mta.info/mnr/schedules/sched_form.cfm

I found a co. online that services Fairfield (NO personal experience with them)

http://maxpages.com/aeroride/FAIRFIELD_CT

It indicates the trip would cost about $135 plus tolls.

Another option would be to rent a car and drive yourselves. All the major car rental cos. have offices in Manhattan.

I have done this same trip to visit friends near Fairfield. Here%26#39;s how I would get there. First, check the Metro North train schedule to have an idea what time the trains depart. Ships disembark the passengers on a staggered schedule, so it%26#39;s hard to know exactly what time you would be off the cruise.

Take a taxi from the pier to Grand Central. As I recall, you buy Metro North tickets in the main concourse, then proceed to the correct track. When you arrive in Fairfield, take a taxi from the train station to your final destination.

It%26#39;s absolutely essential that you be able to carry your own luggage, without assistance. This would probably involve one large wheeled suitcase with attachable tote or duffle, per person. Do not try this trip with a lot of luggage during rush hour, i.e. 4-7pm on a Thursday.

If the taxi driver left you off on either the 42nd street or Lexington Av. sides of GCT, you should be able to just walk into the main concourse without using stairs or escalators (if you were left off on the Vanderbilt Av. side, I%26#39;m not so sure). In my experience, most trains on the New Haven line leave from the main level of GCT and do not involve stairs down to the actual track, just an easy sort of ramp.

In the unlikely event the train left from the lower level, you could get to the lower level by stairs, an escalator or a sort of ramp. I%26#39;m not certain there%26#39;s an elevator going down there. For at least some of the tracks on the lower level, you also have to go down stairs to get to the track and train. Again, I%26#39;m not aware of an elevator, although it%26#39;s likely there is one somewhere (it just may not be that easy to find).

Tracks on the main level have two digits (19, 21, etc.), while tracks on the lower level have three digits (101, etc.).

I haven%26#39;t seen a porter in GCT in years, so, as one of the other posters said, you need to be able to handle your bags yourself and avoid the rush hour.

given that ';granprof'; says she has 3-4 suitcases, it would be interesting to know what she decides to do