Daughter was just accepted to Yale Graduate School of Public Health and now I’m scrambling to learn everything about it it. First issue, is from SFO, what is the best airport to land and then get to New haven, if you don’t have a car?
I’m seeing that EWR has an Amtrak station and a train schedule that goes to New haven.
What are the details? Once she gets to EWR, how does she get to the Amtrak Station to go to New Haven?
Once in New Haven, I assume she can take the Yale shuttle or take an Uber to her dorm or apartment?
Take the monorail (AirTrain) at Newark Airport to Newark Airport Rail Station. Then take Amtrak to State Street Station, New Haven CT. In New Haven, Take a taxi to Yale: https://www.amtrak.com/stations/ewr
When all is said and done, you may do as well with LaGuardia or JFK and one of the limousine shuttle services. Amtrak is comfortable and nice, and an exotic attraction to people who don’t live along the Northeast Corridor, but it is not so cheap.
You can also save money (at the expense of time and comfort) by taking multiple commuter trains, first into Manhattan from any of the NYC-area airports, and then from there to New Haven (where the station is the same one Amtrak uses).
Another option is Hartford Airport. Then train Hartford to New Haven.
The problem with using Hartford is that I doubt there are any direct, nonstop flights from San Francisco or San Jose to Hartford, and the cost is pretty high, too, whereas there are tons of competitive options if you are flying into the major airports serving NYC. Also, Bradley isn’t designed for easy access to the train, and the trains that would go from Bradley to New Haven run much less frequently than the NYC - New Haven trains.
But note that there are no direct flights into LGA from SFO or SJC.
Cheapest route and not so hard to do, really –
Newark – take NJ Transit train to Penn Station.
Subway or cab or walk to Grand Central Station (Subway: take Red 1 train uptown one stop to 42nd, transfer to S train across town to Grand Central)
Take MetroNorth train from Grand Central to New Haven
Take taxi to Yale destination.
Flying into LaGuardia is kind of a nightmare right now as it’s under construction. It’s enduring a major renovation and, when it’s done, there should be better public transportation there. JFK is too far to travel IMO in and out if you’re headed eventually to New Haven.
Agree with the NJTransit to MetroNorth option outlined above. Amtrak would involve no transfers. Navigating between Penn Station and Grand Central is a great way to get acclimated to the East Coast.
MetroNorth is definitely cheapest. I know some people Uber, but that costs a lot more.
Yale says Amtrak goes direct from EWR to New Haven. Check it. Just need to get to that station. Skip DIY detours.
^^ FWIW: If you travel off-peak, a one-way Amtrak ticket from Newark Airport to New Haven is $50.
If you travel at the same off-peak hours going:
NJ Transit train to NYC Penn Station = $13.00
Subway from Penn Station to Grand Central Station = $2.75
MetroNorth train from Grand Central to New Haven = $17.50
Total Cost = $33.25
If you or your child is traveling with a suitcase and a backpack and has to lug all of that through the crowds of Manhattan on the subways, IMHO it’s worth it to pay the extra $17 to travel direct from Newark Airport to New Haven on Amtrak.
And minimize bags by shipping ahead what you can.
The direct route also minimizes confusion in a new area. Later, when familiar, she can do whatever she wants.
And an airport limousine shuttle from your JFK terminal to the Yale Old Campus is somewhere around $60. If you are into minimizing confusion.
@lookingforward wrote
True, Amtrak does service the Newark airport station directly. However not every Northeast corridor Amtrak, nor the Acela stops at the airport station. Newark Penn station is only a 5 min ride away from EWR station. Depending on the time of day, the person might be stuck waiting at EWR for the next Amtrak for 2+ hours. It would be far easier to take the NJ Transit to either Newark Penn Station or NY Penn Station and then take the next Amtrak to New Haven.
For details, see the full schedule here.
https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/timetables/Northeast-Schedule-W04-030419.pdf
Right. And if something does delay a train, you want a back-up plan. As many years as I’ve public transpo’d into and around NYC, I’d go for simple, for a newbie. JHS’s idea of a shuttle is attractive.
A young friend, from the start, navigated getting to NYU from EWR. Not everyone has the skill. Or can figure it out intuitively. Younger, D1 couldn’t. (Lol, D2 could.) Now, despite making it around a 3rd world county, I’m not sure she’d go for anything complicated, first time out.
I think you guys are overthinking this - the best route from SFO is just to take a flight to New Haven and drive 10 min to Yale. The flights costs as little as $250 or so, maybe even cheaper. 2 hour layover in Philly.
I didn’t even know that New Haven has an airport. Yes I would agree that flying, with a layover would be the best.
I would take whatever route will be the normal route for getting home over breaks, considering costs and schedules. Might as well see what you’re signing up for for the next 4+ years.
My wife worked at Yale for a few years. The university is nice, New Haven isn’t. Use caution at night.
Daughter is a junior at Yale ,we live in east bay
U can take southwest ( one stop ) from either Oakland or SF to Hartford . She usually takes Uber to New Haven , around $60
Or she fles nonstop from Sfo to Newark, usually on United ( United fare includes fare for Amtrak) then takes Amtrak from airport to Hartford and Uber to campus
Just be sure to book way in advance for lowest prices.