<p>My d goes to school in the Albany area. I had a VERY long trip taking her back to school after the Columbus Day weekend. The NY state thruway was backed up at exit 18 Newburgh (going south) to the Tappan Zee bridge. For those of you who travel to and from Albany from LI, what is the best route? We took the Taconic when we brought her to school for the first time, but that road is very narrow and winding…it seems downright dangerous at points.
I have looked at maps and there seems to be many ways to get there…any tips? What about going through NJ?
I’m dreading bringing her back after Thanksgiving. I guess we will have to leave very early that Sunday morning!</p>
<p>No point going through NJ since to get to NJ from LI you’d have to deal with much of the awful city traffic anyway, and then follow the same routes you’ve just described. Trip from New Jersey to both the Hudson Valley area and the western Massachusetts/Berkshires involves either Thruway or Taconic. I don’t think the Taconic is so bad during the day incidentally–you just have to not exceed the speed limit. I would avoid it at night though because it is so winding and sometimes totally untraveled, which is great in daytime but a little unnerving in total darkness when you can’t enjoy its beauty. </p>
<p>I would not leave super-early on Sunday–traffic is unpredictable and could be bad at almost any time, so you might as well have a nice morning, relaxing lunch or brunch, and get her back to school in time for dinner and hanging out with friends. Then when you drive home from Albany on the Thruway Sunday evening you may be past the worst of the traffic (or not)! If you drive back from Albany in midafternoon Sunday you will probably have the worst of both worlds–early start and heavy traffic.</p>
<p>Any train possibilities? To Penn Station fron LI and then to Albany via Amtrak maybe?</p>
<p>Doesn’t SUNY Albany have school sponsored buses from LI? Yea, she’d have to sit in traffic, but a good nap couldn’t hurt before the stretch before finals…and you wouldn’t have to deal with it…</p>
<p>I have traveled between Albany and NYC countless times and do so on the Amtrak train which takes 2 1/2 hours. In my opinion, rather than you making the roundtrip car ride on the busiest travel days of the year from LI to Albany, have your D take the Amtrak between NYC and Albany. She also could use a train from your house into Penn Station or you could drive her just into the city and have her take the Amtrak from there.</p>
<p>Even more aggravating: we have to pay tolls to use these overcrowded bridges and roads. I can’t wait to get out of here, but I have a minimum of 3 more years. Years ago I settled on the Taconic route to get to Albany. Just watch out for the numerous speed traps. I would also vote for Amtrak or even check on the Greyhound schedules.</p>
<p>chocolate,
If you feel like you would still like to drive her rather than have her take Amtrak, instead of coming all the way south to the Tappan Zee Bridge, consider getting off at Exit 17 in Newburgh, and taking the Newburgh/Beacon Bridge to I-84, going across I-84 and then getting on the Taconic just before the start of Putnam County, or continuing on I-84 across to I-684 and coming all the way South on 684 to the Hutch. The TZ Bridge is experiencing plenty of problems now (which are supposed to be cleared up before T-giving), but it is a nightmare on Thanksgiving. I would not consider going over it unless you were beyond it by noon at the VERY latest. You will hit a ridiculous amount of traffic coming back on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, unless you come back late at night. Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks for your replies. That 84/684 looks like a good option. As someone mentioned, I could do the Taconic during the day, but not at night. </p>
<p>Also, I had never really considered Amtrak. I looked for schedules/fares online and all trains seem to take 2 1/2 hours. Nice! It might definitely work going back on Sunday after Tgiving. (No evening trains to nyc on the Tuesday before, so we’ll have to pick her up.) Her school is only 10 minutes away from the train station, so it shouldn’t cost too much for a cab. Pricey, but worth the money not to sit in traffic. Looks promising…Thanks!</p>
<p>Chocolate…
I was surprised to read that you could not get Amtrak for Tuesday night from Albany into Penn Station. I found it just fine. </p>
<p>There are two choices for your daughter Tuesday evening, Nov. 25 (I have taken trains from Albany into NYC many many times and it really is 2 1/2 hours) and you could pick your D up in the city (much easier!! than a round trip car ride in much traffic to Albany and back):</p>
<p>Train #68, the Adirondack, leaves Albany-Rensselaer at 6:05 PM and gets into New York Penn Station at 8:35 PM on Nov. 25. </p>
<p>Train #64, the Maple Leaf, leaves Albany-Rensselaer at 7:05 PM and gets into New York Penn Station at 9:35 PM on Nov. 25.</p>
<p>I suggest reserving spots on the train in advance online. </p>
<p>Each of these options is $69 one way. I venture to say that the cost of the train and taxi costs less than roundtrip gas from LI to Albany.
Susan</p>
<p>chocolate,
If you are going to pursue the Amtrak option, as soozievt says, make sure to get that reservation done sooner rather than later. These trains do sell out.</p>
<p>What an idiot I am! When I typed in the date of departure I left the default option for time, assuming that the entire schedule would be posted. The last train leaving Albany using this option was 4:05. When I read your post, Soozievt, I checked again and chose “evening”. There are indeed 2 trains leaving at the times you posted. My husband said he would drive to the city to pick her up if this works out. Costly weekend, but it’s better than sitting in traffic. She had a bit of a scary experience with a friend in penn station this past summer and will be nervous. If my husband is there when she gets off the train, she should be fine.</p>
<p>I can’t believe I never considered Amtrak. Thanks a bunch!</p>
<p>chocolate – another vote for Amtrak – and consider signing your D up for the Student Advantage discount card as well, which will shave ~ 10% off the ticket.</p>
<p>re: Amtrak-- the later you book, the higher the price, so always try to plan ahead.</p>
<p>chocolate
Another LI’er questioning whether Albany sponsors the bus rides to-from Long Island for the breaks.I live in Melville near Route 110 and see the buses coming and going from the parking lot of the Waldbaums/Kohls shopping strip all the time. Last ones I saw were after the fall break weekends, parents were dropping their kids at about 3:30-4PM
Seems like an option well worth looking into,if its offered.</p>
<p>cathymee - are there really Albany to LI buses? Would be nice to skip that Port Authority to Penn Station step. Wonder if the same goes for other SUNYs with large populations of LIers. The BOLT bus runs from Boston straight to Penn Station (and vice versa), but don’t know if it’s available in other cities. S1 tried to get it for Thanksgiving break, but it was completely booked. Only $20 or so… He will use Amtrak, which is handly, but pricey.</p>
<p>Maybe your husband could take LIE into Penn to meet her, help her with her stuff…lots easier than driving into the city…no place to park at Penn Station so she would have to schlep through there on her own to find him with the car.</p>
<p>“Wonder if the same goes for other SUNYs with large populations of LIers.”</p>
<p>Yes, they do…Binghamton has been providing Express buses since the 70’s through their student association…</p>
<p>Thanks rodney-- good to know</p>
<p>I live near the Taconic Pkwy. The Taconic Northbound , while still narrow, is a much easier drive than the Taconic Southbound. You are going uphill through the most windy section. I would recommend taking the Taconic Northbound to Albany and the Thruway Southbound back to LI. The Taconic NEVER gets the kind of traffic LI roads or the Thruway have.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info on the Taconic southbound:) Wouldn’t think there would be a difference.</p>
<p>And D goes to a small school near Albany, not SUNY-- but the bus info is good to pass around. Most of us parents around here just drive their kids back and forth. We are spoiling, them, I know. Perhaps because we remember the LONG, smelly Greyhound trips when we went to the distant SUNY’s years and years ago:)</p>
<p>If you are new to the Taconic Parkway a word of caution. In addition to the winding, narrow sections, the Taconic is notorious for the heavy deer population. They are particularly bad north of the Dutchess/Putnam county line, with the heaviest concentration north of Rhinebeck. I’ve been driving the Taconic for more than 20 years and have made it a practice to avoid driving it after dark between mid-October and January if at all possible. I’ve hit deer three times since moving to the Hudson Valley but fortunately never at high speed on the Taconic. You see deer on the Thruway but its nothing like the Taconic.</p>