[Jilly5]

We are going on a trip to NYC. Our plan is to drive from Boston to Southern Connecticut and then take a bus or a train into the city. However, we are not sure where to park and what lots fill up. Our plan is to park on Friday during the late morning and return on Sunday. Advice?

[csklint]

i did that and parked at the train station in new haven - it worked really well. there was plenty of space, and there is an express train. plus you don't need to deal with route 95 below new haven which can get really ugly. have fun!

[dougnaie]

I have parked in Old Saybrook and taken the train in...worked great!

[kidyankee784]

Originally Posted by dougnaie

I have parked in Old Saybrook and taken the train in...worked great!

You would have to switch trains in New Haven if you take Shoreline East from any eastern CT shoreline town.

My suggestion is to drive to New Haven and take the train. The station is the last stop on Metro North so train time will be longer, but parking is plentiful. Milford is also ok, but parking might be an issue. Stay away from most stations south of Bridgeport, as parking can be a problem. I would suggest Stamford since parking isn't an issue and the train is only 40 minutes, but if you plan on driving down during the Friday morning rush hour, you would spend at least an hour in traffic.

[JayCT]

Keep in mind that the garage at Union Station in New Haven fills up in the morning. I have arrived there around 10:00 AM to find it full and had to find other parking. There is a garage across the street that I have used a couple of times, but once I found it full too. I then had to go over to a garage downtown. Not fun. I recommend that you try to arrive as early as possible to get a space right at the station. Jay

[dougnaie]

When we took the train from Old Saybrook just this January, we went directly from there to Penn Station - no switching. Perhaps we are speaking about two different routes. Regardless, I have found this to be a very easy, family friendly way to visit the city and recommend it as an option.

[nhctguy]

I prefer taking the train from Milford and I live in New Haven. Milford is the stop right after new haven. Milford parking is free on the weekends and there are usually plenty of spots right next to the platform. Plus, there are machines that allow you to purchase tickets prior to boarding.

[nhctguy]

i'm sorry, i didn't read the question correctly - If you go on Friday, you will pay the daily fee in Milford, but no cost for Sat or Sun.

[JViello]

IMHO finding a stop in lower FFC works out better for weekend trips as the bulk of their "ridership" is the M-F commute and that leaves the stations relatively "open" on the weekends.

Since it's the weekend, I would try and drive as close as you can and then take the train as you will not be dealing with commuting traffic. It's much quicker that way.

Check out Stamford. It's a large station and because of that offers a myriad of departure and arrival times in case you want that extra hour or whatever in NYC spur of the moment. Stamford also has some express trips that saves a lot of time as they don't stop at every point along the way.