Train/Bus From New York City?

I%26#39;ll be in New York for a week later this month and I%26#39;m planning one day (Sunday) roundtrip to Hartford and see I could use either Amtrak or Greyhound. It looks like with Amtrak you go to New Haven and then take a shuttle to Hartford. Since the shuttle is part of the Amtrak reservation I assume that the shuttle is at the train station and runs on a regular schedule.

Greyhound (or another line I%26#39;ve forgotten the name) goes directly to Hartford. The cost is about the same. I need to be there by 2:30 and either can get me there with 2-3 hours to spare.

I think I would rather do the train but wasn%26#39;t certain about the shuttle part of the trip. Which would you guys recommend?

Train/Bus From New York City?

Amtrak goes from NYC (Penn Station) to Hartford (via New Haven). I%26#39;m not sure why you%26#39;re being told that you would have to take a shuttle from New Haven to Hartford. Have you called Amtrak or are you relying on its website?

I frequently take MetroNorth from New Haven to NYC (Grand Central) because the trains run much more frequently than Amtrak, but it%26#39;s a 35-40 minute car ride from New Haven to Hartford which would require either the bus (as you mentioned) or a car.

Enjoy your stay in Hartford!!

Train/Bus From New York City?

The shuttle is just a small train, 2 cars, that goes from New Haven to Hartford (actually goes to Springfield, MA, but Hartford is one of the stops). It is usually directly across the platform from the train from which you are exiting at New Haven. Amtrak can often be delayed, but it is a nicer ride than the bus.

The bus runs much more frequently, though make sure to get a non-stop bus if you can, as some make stops prior to Hartford. Peter Pan and Greyhound are purchased at the same ticket counter. I personally prefer Peter Pan as they sometimes show movies and go through the Lincoln Tunnel and then across the GWB while Greyhound insists on dealing with Manhattan traffic, but for you just get the next available bus. The bus is usually a bit cheaper than Amtrak.

Don%26#39;t forget that the highway between NYC and New Haven is one of the most (in not the most) heavily travelled corridors in the country. In that respect the trains are generally more reliable as you don%26#39;t have the problems with traffic tie ups or accidents that are out of the control of bus drivers. Plus you can get up and walk around.

This was strange as I have just discovered tripadvisors forums and I was going to ask the same question! I will be going from New York to Hartford midweek at the end of the month. I have no idea about public transport in USA and weather. If there is snow do the roads/trains run ok? Is it best to book Amtrak train tickets in advance? Many Thanks.

You probably don%26#39;t need to book Amtrak in advance, but if you have set times you could do that.

Roads are more affected than trains by snow, but a heavy snow will affect trains as well.

Better you take the train; the bus from NYC can be an epic journey.

Some of the trains from Penn Station in NYC are direct through Hartford but most do require that you transfer to the shuttle in New Haven. The shuttle is indeed across the platform from the train from NYC once you reach New Haven...and the shuttle is an Amtrak operation as well.

Incidentally, the bus station is part of ';Union Station'; where the trains stop in Hartford - so you%26#39;d end up in the same place regardless.

A few tips

One -- while you don%26#39;t HAVE to book AMTRAK in advance, it%26#39;s to your advantage to. The fares go up in a more simple way than airline fares -- once the cheap ones are sold out, the next higher one kicks in. You can cancel for no penalty as long as you haven%26#39;t picked up the tickets yet.

Other thing -- if the stations are convenient, Amtrak is more reliable than bus except one service: long distance trains. SO, if you%26#39;re in this route, take a Northeast Corridor train, NOT the Vermonter (or the Lakeshore Limited should you decide to go east west). NEC trains run pretty close to on time +- 10-20 minutes. Long distance trains, well, you%26#39;re pretty sure what DAY they%26#39;re coming, but routinely are hours off, espescially towards the end of their routes.

I ended up taking the Greyhound out of the Port Authority and it was a very easy trip. We only stopped once and arrived in Hartford a little ahead of schedule. It was even better on the Peter Pan bus on the way back as it was non-stop to NYC. An added bonus was we came in down Fifth Avenue so got some nightime views of the fancy stores in for free.

Could someone local to this area tell me if there is any way of getting from NYC to New Britain via public transport?

I can save nearly $1000 on my hire car if I get it from NB rather than NYC so I don%26#39;t mind changing trains etc!!

Bus runs to New Britain peterpanbus.com/tickets/fares-and-schedules.…

You could take Metro North or Amtrak train to New Haven, then the Amtrak shuttle to Berlin which is next to New Britain and a short cab ride.