We recently did this where we drove to Hamilton, NJ (just north of Philly) and took the NJ Transit train to Manhattan. Because it's a commuter train, the price is the same every day, doesn't vary with peak holiday travel. There is a parking garage at that station with overnight parking (I think it was only $14/day?)

Leave at 5 am and have teens sleep in car.

Anonymous wrote:Take the train. But if you must drive, the Lincoln Tunnel has a “sweet spot” between 10:30 am and 3:00 pm.

I agree with this. I think you'll be fine, OP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you get stuck in endless traffic in North Jersey, a backup plan is to pay for parking there and take NJ Transit or PATH into the city from there. Have done both.

OP here. I am very ignorant of geography in that area (I'm a foreigner). Where in NJ would be a good place to stop and park if needed? Would like to figure out a Plan B in advance.

Secaucus Junction. There is plenty of parking and the NJ Transit trains run frequently to Penn Station. It’s about a fifteen minute ride. The exit is right off the NJ Turnpike, and you can assess the traffic situation at the tunnel and make a decision at the last minute whether to drive in or not. Once at Penn, it’s easy to get to the UWS on the subway or you can grab a cab.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe too late but have you considered taking train?

When I looked weeks ago, both bus and train were pretty expensive. Maybe because it’s a popular time of the year?

Factor in fuel, time, and cost of daily parking spaces and you’ll likely be at a wash. Take the train, let the kids sleep, enjoy your breakfast, arrive in NYC.

I priced Amtrak for a daytrip from Philly and it was $1000 for 4. This time of year it’s not a wash cost-wise.

That’s because you’re trying to book last minute. I
Booked from DC in September and it was <$50 pp round trip

I’m a totally nervous driver and I don’t find driving in Manhattan stressful at all. It’s a grid at slow speeds.

Use Waze to avoid traffic. Stop at a rest stop if you need to. Get a parking app like spothero for Manhattan and book your spot.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people recommending to take the bus to avoid traffic don’t understand how busses work.

The bus is not to avoid traffic. It’s to avoid the stress of having to navigate insane drivers and parking. Let someone else do the driving.

Door to door, I doubt you’d ever save time taking the train or bus to NYC. The convenience of the train/bus is not having to figure out how to offload your car.

Anonymous wrote:The people recommending to take the bus to avoid traffic don’t understand how busses work.

The bus is not to avoid traffic. It’s to avoid the stress of having to navigate insane drivers and parking. Let someone else do the driving.

The people recommending to take the bus to avoid traffic don’t understand how busses work.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe too late but have you considered taking train?

When I looked weeks ago, both bus and train were pretty expensive. Maybe because it’s a popular time of the year?

Factor in fuel, time, and cost of daily parking spaces and you’ll likely be at a wash. Take the train, let the kids sleep, enjoy your breakfast, arrive in NYC.

I priced Amtrak for a daytrip from Philly and it was $1000 for 4. This time of year it’s not a wash cost-wise.

I do this drive often. I manage 3.5 hours from MD to downtown Jersey city with a quick stop for breakfast. (I wait to get past Baltimore to stop.)

In Jersey City, I park in the Columbus Garage, which is next to the Grove Street PATH entrance, and take the PATH into Manhattan. Parking there is $25/day. The PATH is less than $5 per person.

Tolls are about $60 round trip I think (and I don’t incur the bridge or tunnel toll going into the city).

I would highly encourage not driving into manhattan and parking. It’s just stressful. And if there is traffic, the train is much faster.

Calculate your drive departure so that you avoid Baltimore and anything past Newark at rush hours. You could feasibly leave the DC area at 10am and be ok driving into manhattan if you don’t make long stops.
But of course one accident on the road can derail the best plans.

Safe travels!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you get stuck in endless traffic in North Jersey, a backup plan is to pay for parking there and take NJ Transit or PATH into the city from there. Have done both.

OP here. I am very ignorant of geography in that area (I'm a foreigner). Where in NJ would be a good place to stop and park if needed? Would like to figure out a Plan B in advance.

There are many options but Hamilton train station is a good one for NJ transit (safe parking in a garage). It’s relatively early in Nj. NJ transit runs fairly frequently and is a lot less expensive than Amtrak.

In Jersey City there is parking and a PATH station. That’s much closer to NYC. PATH runs very frequently and is a short trip.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you get stuck in endless traffic in North Jersey, a backup plan is to pay for parking there and take NJ Transit or PATH into the city from there. Have done both.

OP here. I am very ignorant of geography in that area (I'm a foreigner). Where in NJ would be a good place to stop and park if needed? Would like to figure out a Plan B in advance.

Journal Square in Jersey City if you want to be within quick transit access. You can take PATH from there into Manhattan, either midtown or lower Manhattan. Then subway to your rental.

Or if you want to be further away (less traffic risk) but less train options, Metro Park NJ Transit station. Then take NJ Transit train to Penn Station in Manhattan, then subway to your rental.

Anonymous wrote:You leave as early as possible. Tell your teens to nap in the car. On December 31 you head in the opposite direction of Time Square at all costs.

NYC traffic is unpredictable because there are only a handful of bridges and tunnels to get there, and any minor accident can throw one of those routes into chaos. It’s best to hit the area early when volume is lower and to monitor traffic about 30 minutes out to see which paths are clear.

This.
Why are you letting your kids act like this, OP?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe too late but have you considered taking train?

When I looked weeks ago, both bus and train were pretty expensive. Maybe because it’s a popular time of the year?

Factor in fuel, time, and cost of daily parking spaces and you’ll likely be at a wash. Take the train, let the kids sleep, enjoy your breakfast, arrive in NYC.