Drive in or take the train?

We have tickets for a Broadway show on a Sunday afternoon, and we will be driving in from Philadelphia. Would it be better to park in New Jersey and take a train in, or just drive into the city and try to find parking?

Drive in or take the train?

I would not drive at all.

The rail trip from Philly to NYC via Amtrak is fast and pleasant. On the other hand, if you want to save money (although it adds about an hour to the trip) you can take the SEPTA commuter train to Trenton, and then the NJ Transit train from Trenton to NYC. Either way it would probably be cheaper than gas + tolls + parking.

Drive in or take the train?

For a Sunday, I would drive all the way into Manhattan and park.

www.iconparking.com

If you park in NJ, the cost of parking + bus/train/PATH tickets will add up to the parking in Manhattan.

The only bad thing about driving is that if there is an accident on the Turnpike, you%26#39;d be stuck in traffic for a long while. Allow plenty of time.

Now that summer is over and Sunday traffic is lighter, I would drive for the convenience of having a car going door to door. Amtrak is much faster (1 hour 20 minutes) but also a lot more expensive than the cost of driving. Unless I read it wrong the least expensive ticket for two on Amtrak, using regional service would be $212. I estimate the cost of using my car would be $25 for gas, $6 for the tunnel, $25 for tolls (I am not sure of the toll amount but I doubt it will be more than $25) and at least $20 for parking (could be less) - Total - somewhere around $80

If you drive in don%26#39;t try to leave right after the theatre - EVERYONE is getting their car then and some of those theatre district garages are very old, one car at a time up and down an elevator places, and you might be waiting for a long time. Go grab a bite to eat or a cup of coffee then come back and get your car.

If your tickets are for a Sunday matinee performance during the holiday season (Thanksgiving - New Year%26#39;s), be prepared for extra-heavy traffic congestion/gridlock coming into/leaving the City and in Manhattan itself.

Before you rule out Amtrak, enter these discount codes on the pricing pages on its web site:

V383 - for 2 people traveling together: 2nd ticket is 1/2 price

H620 - for 3-6 people traveling together; first 2 tickets are full fare, but the 3rd-6th tickets are 75%(!) off

These codes are for use on the ';regional service'; trains (i.e., not the Acella or a Metroliner train), but the Regional Service will serve you just fine.

I have, in the past (5+ years, but I don%26#39;t think it%26#39;s changed), taken Septa + NJ Transit to get from Phila 30th st station to Penn Station (they may also got into Grand Central now, which would be more conventient for you than Penn Station). It is quite easy and the transfer is well marked but does at about an hour to the whole trip.

I%26#39;ve driven between Phila %26amp; northern NJ (GW Bridge area) many, many times and it%26#39;s an easy drive, esp when you%26#39;ll be doing it. It will take 2 hours to get to the entrance of the Lincoln tunnel and traffic into the tunnel should be light on a Sunday, late morning or early afternoon. I%26#39;d advise getting in a bit early and having lunch in NYC, then the show.

The round trip to Trenton on SEPTA is $14. The Off-peak round trip from Trenton to NY on NJ Transit is $19.50. Thus, the total cost for one person is $33.50, and for two is $67. This is indeed cheaper than 200 miles worth of gasoline + tolls + parking.

Thanks for all the great information.

Using math:

200 miles/20 mpg = 10 gallons x $3 = $30

my Honda gets more mpg but maybe you have a gas guzzling SUV

$30 + $8.40 (tolls both ways exit 6 to exit 15E) + $6 (Lincoln Tunnel) + $30 parking = $74.40.