A few years ago we flew into Newark, spent a few days in the city, took the train to Poughkeepsie to visit Vassar and rented a car from there to drive to summer camp in the Catskills. The train ride was a beautiful treat and driving out of Poughkeepsie was really easy.
If you rent from National, you can use coupons available online. There is always a discount. And you can stack them.
I’d rent in NYC and with Waze it’s easy to get out of the city if you don’t know where you are going. Rental cars usually come with an EZpass and the rental companies just charge you at the end for the amt of tolls.
I agree with starting at Wesleyan, then go west to Vassar and after that it’s basically just exits along I87/I90 all the way to Cleveland. I’d recommend stopping between Poughkeepsie and Rochester in Troy to see RPI.
Every hotel I had ever stayed at lets you leave your luggage there after you check out.
Hi all, We are back from our whirlwind spring break trip through NY, CT, and OH. Thanks to everyone for the travel tips. In the end we didn’t have to go back to the airport with the choir group (although that wasn’t decided by the group leader until the day before) so how it ended up going logistically: Monday - D20 and I left our group at the Times Square Sheraton and walked to the Lombardy (if I’d known we didn’t have to go to the airport I probably would have just extended our reservations but chose the Lombardy based on cost and proximity to the subway line to NYU and to grand central). Tuesday morning - checked out and left bags at hotel, subway to NYU, tour, subway back, walked to GC (nice weather, would have ubered or taxied if it was raining). Took Metro North to New Haven, walked about 4 blocks to Hertz and picked up rental car, drove to hotel near Wesleyan.
From there we did Wesleyan tour on Wednesday morning, 2 hour drive to Poughkeepsie, Vassar tour on Thursday morning, 5-ish hour drive to Rochester, U Rochester tour on Friday morning, little detour to see Niagara falls, finish drive to Cleveland, and CWRU tour on Saturday morning. Returned the car at Cleveland airport and flew home on Saturday evening.
So sorry that I only saw your question now! No need to prepurchase the tickets for Metronorth – you can get them just before boarding at kiosks or at a ticket window. If you buy on board there’s a fee, I’m pretty sure. I never buy mine on board so I’m not entirely sure.
This info is too little, too late, I know. I hope that all has been going well.
Thanks @Dustyfeathers - we are all done with our trip but maybe someone else will find it useful. Public transportation in the NYC region seems way more thorough than in CA.
@washugrad – I’m glad that it all went well!
(We do love the public transportation here – and are happy to not own a car. No parking to worry about, no repairs, no insurance, no digging out of snow, etc. etc. etc.)