<p>We also always sent DS back one day earlier. Two reasons: 1) concerns about flight cancellation/delay. 2) adjustment due to the time zone difference. (He also tends to go to bed later than usual while at home during break.)</p>
<p>Regarding “they never get the work done that they think they will while on break”:
as shallow as it may be, DS once said seeing other fellow students working hard on campus gave him some incentive/pressure to work hard also. But he does need to come home to unwind once in a while (thus almost always come home during break.)</p>
<p>There was an article (maybe on yaledailynews?) in which the author claims that Yalies tend to work harder than students at comparable schools. A part of the reason may be the 36 units graduation requirement? (and the pitiful 0.5 unit for science lab.)</p>
<p>For future reference and other parents who are reading this thread…</p>
<p>I now realize that there were OTHER transportation options that could have gotten my kiddo from Newark airport back to Yale late Saturday night. I just didn’t know what they were, and the Amtrak people were telling me there were no more trains, she would have to take the 6am train the next morning. But if I understand what someone posted earlier, there are OTHER trains that run on those same tracks and stop at the Newark airport? New Jersey trains than could have taken kiddo from EWR into Penn Station in NYC? From NYC Penn station she could have taken a taxi to Grand Central and caught a Metro North train to New Haven all the way up to 11:30pm, right?</p>
<p>I wish I would have known that earlier, because her flight that was scheduled to arrive in Newark @ 4:30pm arrived around 8pm, but if she would have had a way to get to Grand Central station by 11pm she could have caught a Metro North train to Yale. Or alternatively, if I would have known how to get her to JFK airport, she could have caught an airport shuttle back to Yale that night. (I called both CT Limo & Go Shuttles, but they had no service that night. Go shuttles even said they pulled all shuttles from both Newark & Bradley, and service ONLY LaGuardia and JFK during holiday periods.)</p>
<p>So, it would be extremely useful to know all the other transportation options out of Newark (EWR) airport to Yale. This will give OOS parents some Plan B alternatives if needed in a pinch:</p>
<p>New Jersey (EWR) train options & website for schedules?
Shuttle companies other than CT Limo or Go Shuttle for EWR to New Haven?
Transportation from EWR to get to either JFK or LaGuardia?
Bus connections or other ideas?</p>
<p>tugtraveller, I believe this is the bus my S caught at Grand Central that took him to Newark Airport. He took Metro North train to Grand Central. It also goes Newark Airport to Grand Central–and looks like it runs until 1:00 am from there.[Olympia</a> Trails | Newark Airport Express](<a href=“Olympia Trails | Page Not Found”>Airport Transportation | Coach USA)</p>
<p>You are correct that the NJ Transit trains (Northeast Corridor line) and the Amtrak trains travel along the same tracks. While my daughter normally takes the Amtrak, she has on occasion taken a combination of Metro North and NJ Transit to get to our home in NJ, which is why I suggested these trains as an alternative to Amtrak. Although the shuttle bus to Grand Central from the Newark Airport is probably the much better option for your daughter, I’m including information on NJ Transit and the NYC subway for completeness, since you wanted a list of the options.</p>
<p>There are probably more options to consider. My experience is limited to travel between our town in NJ and NH. Others will probably have other options to consider.</p>
<p>When flying into JFK or LGA, has anyone’s kiddo missed the last CT limo or GO limo for the night? (Isn’t the last shuttle at 11 pm?) If so, then what options do they have to get back to New Haven?</p>
<p>From LGA your only option after 11:00 PM would probably be a taxi. The last train from 125th street leaves around 11:30 PM. If you were taking the M60 bus from LGA to the station you would probably have to be on the 10:44 PM bus at the latest. Here is the bus schedule.</p>
<p>Metro North doesn’t quite run 24 hours–the “last” train from Grand Central to New Haven is at something like 1:47 a.m., and the next one is at 5 something in the morning.</p>
<p>Hunt, thanks for the follow up. Yes, you could take a train as late as 1:57 AM depending on the day and after that it’s about a 4 hour wait for the trains to start back.</p>
<p>Hunt, you’re right. I saw that the schedule wrapped around, meaning that there was no need to rush to make an 11:30 pm train, but I didn’t notice the gap of almost 4 hours after 1:47 am. Not sure it would be great to arrive at New Haven in the middle of the early morning, anyway.</p>
<p>Bradley Airport in Hartford/Springfield is the Best Option for Airtravel</p>
<p>Parent of a Senior checking in…My daughter has been flying to and from Yale for 3 1/2 years and this is my opinion.</p>
<p>My recommendation for “best” airport experience travelling to and from Yale, I would say Hartford/Springfield and the Connecticut Limo to/from Phelps Gate. The CT “limo” is either a van or a coach bus…for those who have never used the serivce. Paying a little bit more for BDL has been worth it. </p>
<p>This has been a better option for my daughter than the New York/New Jersey airports. Also, she has flown out of New Haven airport but connections are lousy and it is often expensive.</p>
<p>Anyone share my opinion? Or have a different “take” or recommendation?</p>
<p>^ We share your opinion about BDL being the best option for airtravel.</p>
<p>However, the only downside is that, when you could not avoid a connection flight at some city where there may be a winter storm if you go the BDL route, but it is a direct flight to, say, JFK or LGA, it is tempting to try the latter in the winter. To be sure, we only talked about this alternative but so far, we have always taken the BDL route.</p>
<p>Thanks CCParent and everyone who provided ideas and suggestions. Your responses gave me several excellent alternatives for the next time I need a quick plan B. If I would have known about the Newark Airport to Grand Central shuttle bus, that would have saved me putting kiddo up in an expensive airport hotel for the night. But live and learn, right?</p>
<p>I think parents from different parts of the country are dealing with widely different airline options, as far as what’s costly, inexpensive, or non-stop. Kdog044 can apparently get good fares on non-stop flights into LGA. For us, the only options for nonstop flights are to JFK (Delta, American & Jet Blue) or into Newark on United. For winter break we will use non-stops in and out of JFK for the first time, in an attempt to avoid weather-related problems with a 2nd flight.</p>
<p>But I was really excited when someone posted a few months ago that Southwest flies into Bradley airport. I hadn’t known that because I always use Expedia to check flight options. I like that Southwest gives you 2 free bags and no change fees. Southwest has already worked to our advantage, since DD decided to forgo the Yale-Harvard football game & come home earlier. No change fees, airfare was the same, and we had her at home for 3 extra days. Unfortunately, Southwest will always have at least 1 stopover from our city. </p>
<p>She now knows that she will be finished with finals 2 or 3 days ahead of when her Christmas tickets are booked. But that great Delta nonstop flight in/out of JFK carries a change fee of $150 + higher airfare, so I think we’ll have to pass on having her come home earlier. However, I just booked Southwest from Bradley for May 8th, because I like having the flexibility to change the flight dates without penalty. The 2 free checked bags at the end of the school year will come in handy, too.</p>
<p>As a frosh parent, I’m also curious about what Yalies do at Spring Break? We are assuming DD will stay on campus, volunteer, study, or do something useful for Spring Break (there in New Haven or nearby). What will most Yalies do for Spring Break? Will many stay on campus, go home, or do volunteer work elsewhere? Just wondering what to expect. Thanks.</p>
<p>^ DS came home at Spring Break most of times.</p>
<p>The “Fall Break” seems to be something new.</p>
<p>DS tends to be more stressed when he flies back to campus than when he flies back home for some unknown reason. It is definitely not because he does not love Yale.</p>
<p>Our student stays on campus because of an EC…however other than that group, the campus is for the most part empty. The spring break is long so the kids go somewhere…home, trips etc…
Dorms are closed, dining halls are closed. </p>
<p>The Fall Break was a change in calendar this year from last year. Again K1’s EC kept them on campus which was fine when the storm/travel got crazy…</p>
<p>I was thinking maybe someone who knows the ins/outs of the travel options could put it in one document and we could ask entomom to put a sticky on it?</p>
<p>We had had good luck with BDL though booked K1 last yr to fly out of New Haven
THAT was a disaster.
The flight got cancelled as the puddle jumper aircraft to connect in Phl wasn’t there. The airline wanted K1 to wait til “maybe” late in the day (flt was early am)…and so when the flt got changed out of BDL…we paid alot of $$ for K1 to grab a cab to make the flt out of BDL. The NewHaven transp could have given a voucher–and didn’t and the airline wouldn’t given and reimbursement when K1 was there at BDL…</p>
<p>Have heard nothing but bad things about flying in and out of Tweed…though we rolled the dice on the ticket which was $100 less and a short taxi from campus than Ct Limo to BDL…</p>
<p>Like many a LGA or JFk flt is a nonstop which is nicer…it’s the ground transfer …
Even Newark is a non stop…and the train to the airport would be handy—</p>
<p>idk.
K1 only flies into Ct in Aug…
then home at Thanksgiving,
and again for Christmas…
and then home in May…<br>
no other trips due to ECs …so we have limited experience.</p>
<p>Tweed doesn’t make a lot of sense as it stands now. Back in the 80’s they had non-stops to Chicago for the same price as a flight out of LGA and that was great while it lasted. DS tried it once and the flight was delayed and he missed his connection. As for LGA vs. BDL, he has tried both and overwhelmingly favors LGA both for the cost savings (which are his) and the fact there are so many flight options. He has not needed to use a limo service after the first semester since he has so many NYC based friends that he has often traveled home with them and gotten a drop-off at the airport the next day. They enjoy the visits with each other’s families and we have done the same for his friends visiting our part of the country. The problem with Southwest to BDL is it flies from a secondary airport in my area that is less convenient and there is no cost savings besides the free checked baggage (and perhaps change fees). Southwest often costs more than UA or AA from my origination city and besides freshman move-in, my kid has never needed to check two bags.</p>