I was reading a list of the "Top Ten Busiest US Airports for Thanksgiving 2008" when perusing Orbitz yesterday, and of course EWR made the list. It claims the number seven position. (See article.)
What does this mean for you if you happen to be flying into North Jersey this Thanksgiving?
Perhaps you are already in the Garden State, having flown there yesterday. Good for you. But if you still have yet to fly, here is a friendly reminder for how to manage the holiday travel and still enjoy your Thanksgiving.
For getting through security with a little less hassle...
- Check for flight/airport delays well before you ever leave for the airport on your day of departure.
- Being Thanksgiving holiday travel, get to the airport EARLY with a minimum of 2.5-3 hours ahead of your scheduled departure. Take advantage of online check-in if at all possible.
- Pack light so you can avoid checking in any luggage. Leave the laptop at home if at all possible. (I know I know but... with today's "crackberries" and "iPears" it's entirely possible.)
- Wear slip on shoes that are closed-toed and comfortable.
- Take advantage of the many public transportation options available at EWR - AirTrain, NJ Transit, PATH. Taking a taxi will cost you lots more and especially around the holiday will take more time to get you to where you want to be.
If renting a car and staying in a hotel, you may want to book your hotel where there is a car rental desk on site. The car rental rates tend to be much higher on the airport than they are off-site. Most of the off-site hotels that are around EWR have a shuttle that will pick you up at the airport, or you can ride the AirTrain to the Newark Airport station (end of the line) and transfer to the trains to get to an outer Jersey suburb. See NJ Transit and Amtrak.
The following New Jersey hotels to the best of my knowledge have car rental desks on-site (this is not an exhaustive list):
- Doubletree Suites in Jersey City (North Jersey)
- Hilton Newark Penn Station Hotel (North Jersey)
- Hilton Short Hills (North Jersey)
- Hyatt Regency in New Brunswick (Central Jersey)
- Hyatt Regency in Princeton (Central Jersey)
- Wyndham Mount Laurel Hotel (near Philadelphia Intl Airport PHL - South Jersey)
- Clarion Hotel in Cherry Hill (South Jersey)
- Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel (South Jersey)
Please add others you know about in the comments section!
- There is continuing road construction on I-78 in North Jersey, and if taking it to get to Newark Liberty EWR, you gotta allow LOTS of extra time!
- As of the noon hour I'm writing this, there are no delays reported at EWR and travel appears to be moving along. The wet weather has moved out!
- As of the noon hour I'm writing this, there are no delays reported at PHL and travel appears to be moving along. As well, the wet weather here has moved out.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving wherever you happen to be!
Sofie
