<p>I’m unfamiliar with traffic in the area and also the efficiency of the Newark airport. What time should one leave Princeton to get to EWR, return a car, and catch an 8 p.m. international flight?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>3 PM if you don’t want to feel stressed and are flying coach (=long check in lines). It is only a 40 mile drive, but a drive with lots of traffic lights until you hit the freeway, and confusing access around the airport (i.e. you could spend an extra 30 minutes if you miss an exit).</p>
<p>So, 1.5 hr for the drive, 30 minutes to return the car, and you have 3 hours before the flight.</p>
<p>Another reason to get an early start back is that rush hour builds early in the area if I recall: lots of folks on flex work schedules leaving work by 4 PM, so traffic really starts to slow down. So your 1.5 hour drive is suddenly a 2.5 hour drive and you spend the night in the airport.</p>
<p>It’s been a while since I’ve done the drives to Newark, so the locals may have other advice, but I well recall how tense it was findiing the right exits as I would drive to the airport. Things are not badly marked, but there are so many signs to read and so many lanes of traffic, that an occasional visitor like myself finds it easy to see the right sign too late. So allow plenty of extra time in case you miss a turn. This area is congested!</p>
<p>You didn’t say what day of the week it is and what airline , which can affect the transit.
You should arrive for an international flight at least two hours ahead of time.
Allow at least an hour and a half to get to airport , return the car and take the shuttle to the terminal.
We arrive at Newark at 3 for a 6pm flight. We usually have too much time, but it beats the alternative…</p>
<p>Wow. I’m glad I asked. I was planning on leaving around 5 p.m.!</p>
<p>We’re doing the campus tour and flying to Madrid for my son’s first fencing World Cup. I’d better err on the side of caution.</p>
<p>Still, I hope some locals tell me that 3 is unnecessarily early.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>crossposted with lje62…</p>
<p>It will be a Thursday and we’re flying Continental. We were hoping to stick our heads in on the Princeton fencing practice at 4:30, but that seems unrealistic.</p>
<p>I did this just recently.</p>
<p>I had a 5:45pm flight on Continental on a Sunday.</p>
<p>I left the campus at 3:25. By the time I returned my car and got to the airport it was almost 5:00. The lines were so long I had to go through the first class security and by the time I got to the gate the flight was boarding.</p>
<p>You have to take a train from the rental cars to the airport. And Newark is very crowded these days - at least on Sunday nights.</p>
<p>3 is unnecessarily early, as I think the various other posts make clear. But 4:45 would probably be living dangerously. You really want to be at the airport, car returned, by no later than 6:15 or so. While it is often possible to make the drive from university to parking lot in well under an hour, it’s hardly impossible that it might take 1:30 to do it, especially if there’s heavy traffic (which becomes highly likely as you get into the 5-6 zone). Then you have to get from the parking lot to the terminal. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t plan to see the fencing practice.</p>
<p><em>Local here</em></p>
<p>I make this drive every two weeks, and I wouldn’t leave later than 4 for an international flight with a rental car involved.</p>
<p>Even 4 would make me a little nervous for an international flight if it is a weekday evening. Yes, it is a quick drive up the turnpike from Princeton to the Newark Airport exit–UNLESS there is traffick which as noted becomes likely at that time of day. And returning a rental car ar the airport is not necessarily fast either–it isn’t necessarily quick and easy the way it might be ecpected to be–could be a line to get in to the rdturn lot, a slow return clerk, line to sign stuff, delay getting from return to terminal. (I am always too early to get to Newark for a departure, but traffic in the area is just too undertain to allow for much flexibility.) Better to leave Princeton earlier than you wish to and then wait in relative serenit at teh airporty after check-in with a book or magazine than to worry about missing a flight–or actually miss it. Compromiseon 3:30 if you must–but keep in mind all the inefficiencies and complexities of travel in and around Newark airport.</p>
<p>Quick drive up the turnpike only if all goes extremely well. Don’t forget that the local drive from P to get to the turnpike takes longer than one might think. We have family on LI and son attends P, so do this fairly often. Generally seems quicker to take Rt1 north as far as possible than to cut over to the turnpike at Princeton, as that is a convoluted, small roads way to go (Rt 1 and the turnpike come closer together as you proceed north.)</p>
<p>Also, we generally find that taking the “cars/trucks” lanes moves quicker thanthe “cars only” lanes on the turnpike. I personally am a worrywart, but I would be in the car by 3:30. </p>
<p>Have you already rented the car, or is there a reason for the car? NJ transit to Newark might be a better option for you. Train comes right from Princeton Junction to P campus (called the dinky).</p>
<p>Thanks for all of the responses. I’ve got to rethink my plan. Driving unfamiliar highways in rush hour to a rental car return that’s off-airport before an international flight is sounding a bit stressful.</p>
<p>I can’t take the train from EWR to Princeton (our arriving flight is too late for the last train), but I can rent a car one way at EWR with a Princeton dropoff.</p>
<p>Then the only question is getting back to the airport. I can take a taxi from the rental car return to Princeton Junction and take the train ($31 for the two of us) to the airport. Princeton Junction to EWR is less than an hour, but I am warned that luggage space is limited (we’ll have regular luggage plus a rolling fencing bag) and it looks as if then we’ll have to take “Airtrain” to the terminal. A little less stressful than the rental car, but not a lot better.</p>
<p>Alternatively, we could drop the rental car in Princeton and take a taxi directly to the airport. A little more money ($128), but they’de drop us at the terminal and I wouldn’t have to think about connection details. We’d still be vulnerable to traffic, though.</p>
<p>Any more thoughts?</p>
<p>Thanks again</p>
<p>The NJ transit trains to princeton junction run all night (although not as often). So you could take a train from Newark Airport once your flight gets in and then take a taxi from princeton junction to princeton (~$12). This only works if you’re staying at the nassau inn, because otherwise you really need a car to get to/from campus. </p>
<p>Luggage space isn’t particularly limited on the trains, you can just put it in the seating area instead of up above, unless its really really crowded. But going towards the city at ~5 shouldn’t be too bad. Also, you need to take the airtrain if you’re returning a rental car anyway, so that’s a moot point.</p>