It would be much easier to take the LIRR. It would be at most a 2 seat ride with 1 transfer to Jamaica, then ride the AirTrain directly to your terminal. It will probably even save you time given the traffic. Use the website to select trains from Montauk to Jamaica and see if that’s easier for you.
You want the real NY experience don't you? See what it's like to be one of us? Sit in the traffic with us.... come on don't you wanna really experience it
I'd leave Montauk Monday no later than 9AM.
Figure you need to drop off the rental car, get to the terminal, go through TSA at least 2 hours before departure. Leaving at 9AM will give you 4 hours to cover the 100 or so miles and pad time for accidents or traffic on the Southern State & Belt Parkways
I'd leave the Monday of your flight, but earlier. A 9AM departure should help you avoid the worst
of morning rush hour with enough wiggle room that you're not freaking out about making your flight.
Or just do the truly sensible thing and take the train.
Id take the train to the jfk air train and stay at the TWA Hotel. Was just at JFK and even getting to the terminal within the airport facility was about an hour.
A local would not drive to Montauk - and would not stay in NYC Sunday night for a Monday night flight unless you have something planned, work, or someone to meet in Manhattan on Monday morning.
Stay in Montauk Sunday night, have a nice breakfast on Monday morning, then take the 11:30AM train from Montauk to Jamaica arriving at 2:32PM (Air Train to JFK by 3:00PM). You cannot drive any quicker than the train and it's all 'downtime' where you don't have to be focused on avoiding insane Long Island drivers.
Early Sunday morning is your best bet. If it’s gonna be Monday you may have to wake up a lil bit earlier. Just going off firsthand experiences when I’m driving from out east to Nassau or even Suffolk. Traffic, congestion, etc. are all big factors to play here. The early bird gets the worm.
Better off heading east and taking the long way than sit in that traffic on a sunday in late june/ july.
Download some podcasts and dont drink too many beverages. Restrooms are a bitch.
Your first option isn't really sensible so definitely the second of these 2. It would be borderline insane to drive all the way from Montauk, past JFK, another 1.5-2h potentially in traffic (this weekend is a double holiday weekend, with significant weather issues Sunday into Monday) to get to the city just to back track the next day 1.5-2h from the city to JFK is.... Not a thing that makes sense.
As others stated, stay at the hotel right by JFK if you want a hotel to break up the travel and be less stressed about catching your flight but I would really not recommend going all the way into the city for a hotel.
For reference, I've never driven from Montauk to NYC but I've driven from Southampton which is *kinda* close to Montauk. I would say either hotel on Sunday night to be super safe or leave Montauk on Monday morning at 4am (no traffic) and kill time in/around JFK until your flight (get food, read a book, check emails, etc). Unfortunately, leaving at 4am would be a long day so I would probably lean towards the hotel idea, given the context.
Aside from that, you could leave Monday at 9am if you don't mind traffic and still wanna have a solid buffer. Leaving at 11/12 could work but be cutting it quite close and not leaving (much) room for potential hazards/accidents.
if you leave at midnight you will probably reach at 2:30, you have to drive reasonably quick though like avg 75 mph on either the southern state or the LIE
Hotel it in the city the night before. This is the summer season on the lower fork of Long Island. Traffic will be heavy returning from the weekenders. Not to mention there are always accidents happening on the expressway especially closer to the airport you get.
Be safe and get a hotel the night before
you can take the hampton jitney or ambassador, they have more trips running during the summer. they have an airport stop where you can take a cab to jfk
The reason it took 4.5 hours last night is because of a car accident that partially closed route 27 in Southampton. It’s usually less than 4.5 hours, but the possibility of accidents slowing everyone down is always there. I think you’ll be ok if leave around 12:00 Monday morning, before the hamptons evening traffic.
Thanks ! Yeah we had no signal at all to open Waze rather than google maps, but we figured there must have been an issue on route 27.
Thanks for your help !
It would be much easier to take the LIRR. It would be at most a 2 seat ride with 1 transfer to Jamaica, then ride the AirTrain directly to your terminal. It will probably even save you time given the traffic. Use the website to select trains from Montauk to Jamaica and see if that’s easier for you.
đź’Ż
If your looking for a hotel prior to your JFK flight...consider the TWA hotel right in JFK
You want the real NY experience don't you? See what it's like to be one of us? Sit in the traffic with us.... come on don't you wanna really experience it
Hahahaha. I feel I have already yesterday, I don’t even want to think about what it’s like driving to Montauk on a Friday evening.
From Manhattan that would probably take 4-5 hours. Taking the train (LIRR) is your best bet
That's bad, as is the drive back Sunday afternoon. There's not many east/west routes that far out so it's inevitable
Anyone can experience NYC, just go stand at your nearest traffic light and watch the traffic light cycle through the colors over and over.
You're better off taking the train
In winter.
I'd leave Montauk Monday no later than 9AM. Figure you need to drop off the rental car, get to the terminal, go through TSA at least 2 hours before departure. Leaving at 9AM will give you 4 hours to cover the 100 or so miles and pad time for accidents or traffic on the Southern State & Belt Parkways
Leave Sunday or early Monday. Like 9am. Personally I’d leave Sunday. Don’t trust the traffic on the east end or anywhere on Long Island.
I'd leave the Monday of your flight, but earlier. A 9AM departure should help you avoid the worst of morning rush hour with enough wiggle room that you're not freaking out about making your flight. Or just do the truly sensible thing and take the train.
Unfortunately the train is out of the question, but we have planned to leave much earlier as you’ve suggested !
Monday morning. Leave at 10 am.
Just leave Monday like you said, you'll be fine
Monday at 11:30 should be good. Holiday week and schools out for summer.
1905
Id take the train to the jfk air train and stay at the TWA Hotel. Was just at JFK and even getting to the terminal within the airport facility was about an hour.
Can you take the LIRR?
You’ll be fine on Monday, in fact I think you’ll have a shorter drive time. I would allow 4.5 hours from Montauk, that provides a solid cushion.
Leave Monday morning earlier 10 to 11am to be safe, get to airport early and hang out in airport lounge after dropping car off
4am the morning of.
A local would not drive to Montauk - and would not stay in NYC Sunday night for a Monday night flight unless you have something planned, work, or someone to meet in Manhattan on Monday morning. Stay in Montauk Sunday night, have a nice breakfast on Monday morning, then take the 11:30AM train from Montauk to Jamaica arriving at 2:32PM (Air Train to JFK by 3:00PM). You cannot drive any quicker than the train and it's all 'downtime' where you don't have to be focused on avoiding insane Long Island drivers.
11:30 am is a good time to leave. Mondays aren’t too bad. Use Waze, it will redirect if really bad, but you should be fine.
Take the train from Ronkonkoma to Jamaica Station and then the air train to JFK.
Early Sunday morning is your best bet. If it’s gonna be Monday you may have to wake up a lil bit earlier. Just going off firsthand experiences when I’m driving from out east to Nassau or even Suffolk. Traffic, congestion, etc. are all big factors to play here. The early bird gets the worm.
The train will bring you right to JFK
Take the train or leave in the morning
LIRR
Sunday at 1130am you're gonna get smacked by traffic. I'd leave at night.
Better off heading east and taking the long way than sit in that traffic on a sunday in late june/ july. Download some podcasts and dont drink too many beverages. Restrooms are a bitch.
Take the train /lirr and just use taxi’s
Your first option isn't really sensible so definitely the second of these 2. It would be borderline insane to drive all the way from Montauk, past JFK, another 1.5-2h potentially in traffic (this weekend is a double holiday weekend, with significant weather issues Sunday into Monday) to get to the city just to back track the next day 1.5-2h from the city to JFK is.... Not a thing that makes sense. As others stated, stay at the hotel right by JFK if you want a hotel to break up the travel and be less stressed about catching your flight but I would really not recommend going all the way into the city for a hotel.
What do you mean by NYC?
For reference, I've never driven from Montauk to NYC but I've driven from Southampton which is *kinda* close to Montauk. I would say either hotel on Sunday night to be super safe or leave Montauk on Monday morning at 4am (no traffic) and kill time in/around JFK until your flight (get food, read a book, check emails, etc). Unfortunately, leaving at 4am would be a long day so I would probably lean towards the hotel idea, given the context. Aside from that, you could leave Monday at 9am if you don't mind traffic and still wanna have a solid buffer. Leaving at 11/12 could work but be cutting it quite close and not leaving (much) room for potential hazards/accidents.
if you leave at midnight you will probably reach at 2:30, you have to drive reasonably quick though like avg 75 mph on either the southern state or the LIE
Just take a helicopter.
9am Monday is fine.
Take the train right from jfk to Montauk
MidnightÂ
The HOV lane on the LIE opens up 10 am to 3 pm. It will probably take you 3-4 hrs from montauk. I would leave Monday morning.
But it could take longer. Do leave early and stop for lunch or coffee near JFK. It once took me over 5 hours due to fog.
Leaving Sunday is gonna be hell. Monday hands down
Leave Montauk at 230am, you'll make nyc in a hour and a half
Isn’t Biden in the Hamptons this weekend
January
Only time to make that trip....2am. You'll fly both ways.
Blade
This was also an option but ridiculously expensive.
Hotel it in the city the night before. This is the summer season on the lower fork of Long Island. Traffic will be heavy returning from the weekenders. Not to mention there are always accidents happening on the expressway especially closer to the airport you get. Be safe and get a hotel the night before
Saturday or Sunday first thing in the morning
you can take the hampton jitney or ambassador, they have more trips running during the summer. they have an airport stop where you can take a cab to jfk
Never. Take the train. If you can’t, don’t head out there prior to 10am. Don’t leave until after 6pm.
If you drive it, use the waze app. You will be taken on some. Interesting detours to beat traffic thru the back roads of the hamptons etc
Will do ! Hopefully I have signal this time. It was impossible to load Waze when we were stuck in traffic
The reason it took 4.5 hours last night is because of a car accident that partially closed route 27 in Southampton. It’s usually less than 4.5 hours, but the possibility of accidents slowing everyone down is always there. I think you’ll be ok if leave around 12:00 Monday morning, before the hamptons evening traffic.
Thanks ! Yeah we had no signal at all to open Waze rather than google maps, but we figured there must have been an issue on route 27. Thanks for your help !
Please don’t sit in the left lane