Ok my American friends, advice needed on Newark Airport

[mergatroid]

Hi there, I wonder if anyone has any advice or suggestions. My wife and I fly to Orlando in October from England via Newark. When originally booked 5 months ago there was a 3 hour wait in Newark between flights. We've had an email informing us that the internal flight has changed and we now have a 6 hour wait from landing in Newark and taking off for Orlando . We land at 12.15 (local time) and depart at 18.20 (local time) and I'm wondering taking into account time lost at immigration and security etc, what to do to kill time? Is the airport big and comfortable, should we go into town locally for a meal or movie or have we enough time to pop into New York?

Any help is appreciated, I don't fancy flying for 7 hours and then just sitting there for 6 and waiting :shrug:

 

[acishere]

The airport security at Newark is going to pretty much mess up your timing if you try to leave the airport. Terminal C is where everything is while you wait there. Just dig in because like everyone else said, Newark isn't a place to explore. Its not the best city to immediately introduce travelers to when they arrive in NJ, though I guess at least its not Camden.

If you do take the NJTransit train from Newark airport to NYC, be sure you buy your ticket carefully. There are two Penn Stations - one in Newark, one stop away from the airport, (No! No! No!) and one in New York City, two stops from the airport. Make sure you buy the right ticket and exit at the right station.

I've done this multiple times which is sad since I'm on that train on a weekly basis.

Thanks for replying and the advice. For the first time ever I'm hoping for a few hours delayed flight from England. :wave:

Well you are in luck then because your flight into Newark will probably be delayed because its Newark Airport. I'm on a perfect streak of getting my homecoming flights delayed. I think I need to switch to the Atlantic City airport.

 

[wannabeBelle]

There's nothing wrong with the clientele at the Jersey Gardens mall.

I was just there for the first time in a long time last Sunday and it was a zoo!!! It was busy but that wasnt the problem, it was the attitude of the people, everyone pushing and shoving in the one store I was in. I was in Easy Spirit shoe store with my Mom who is not a spring chicken and was getting shoved out of the way, which wasnt too cool. I havent ever had that same experience at other outlet malls in NJ or in the regular malls such as Woodbridge or Menlo Park Mall. Almost without exception that has been my experience in the few times I have been there. Sorry if I offended anyone, it was not meant that way at all. Marie

 

[DrummerAlly]

I've done this multiple times which is sad since I'm on that train on a weekly basis.

I was speaking from experience as well.... :hammer:

6 Hours isn't quite enough time to enjoy a trip to NYC but if you've never seen the city, its probably enough time to experience a hot dog cart and good walk. Too stressful for my liking though.

 

[maryyl]

Give Newark a break

Oh my goodness, I registered here after months of lurking just so I can defend my poor Newark. I worked in Newark for more than a decade, and I've walked there after dark, alone, on a number of occasions.

Every city has bad parts, and Newark is no exception, but this city has lots to offer for a quick visit. The "Ironbound" section of town is a jewel and just a quick cab ride from the airport. You can find a number of great Spanish/Portuguese restaurants there. Among my favorites: Spanish Tavern and Casa Vasca. Great food and warm, welcoming people.

I think with a six-hour delay you could pop into Newark for a nice meal. You may not feel comfortable leaving the airport with security timing and whatnot, but Newark is certainly not a city you have to "avoid at all costs."

 

[xdan0920]

I was just there for the first time in a long time last Sunday and it was a zoo!!! It was busy but that wasnt the problem, it was the attitude of the people, everyone pushing and shoving in the one store I was in. I was in Easy Spirit shoe store with my Mom who is not a spring chicken and was getting shoved out of the way, which wasnt too cool. I havent ever had that same experience at other outlet malls in NJ or in the regular malls such as Woodbridge or Menlo Park Mall. Almost without exception that has been my experience in the few times I have been there. Sorry if I offended anyone, it was not meant that way at all. Marie

I agree with your take on Jersey Gardens. It is not a good experience to shop there. Some of the outlets are good, but not worth it.

Oh my goodness, I registered here after months of lurking just so I can defend my poor Newark. I worked in Newark for more than a decade, and I've walked there after dark, alone, on a number of occasions.

Every city has bad parts, and Newark is no exception, but this city has lots to offer for a quick visit. The "Ironbound" section of town is a jewel and just a quick cab ride from the airport. You can find a number of great Spanish/Portuguese restaurants there. Among my favorites: Spanish Tavern and Casa Vasca. Great food and warm, welcoming people.

I think with a six-hour delay you could pop into Newark for a nice meal. You may not feel comfortable leaving the airport with security timing and whatnot, but Newark is certainly not a city you have to "avoid at all costs."

I am sure you are right, and some parts of newark might be nice. The majority is a crime infested dump. Not exactly the place for two tourists to try and differentiate between.

I work down the road from Newark, and I NEVER ever go into the city. The exceptions being a Devil game or a concert.

 

[Zummi Gummi]

The Ironbound part of Newark has some of the nicest restaurants in the state.

The Prudential Center is a great venue to see a sporting event or concert.

NJPAC is widely recognized as the best concert/symphony venue in the country, both in terms of the architecture and the accoustics inside the hall.

There's a lot to recommend about Newark, and it's hardly the total "dump" some described it as. Quite frankly, there's more than a little bit of subtle racism in this thread.

That being said, I don't recommend a couple of tourists from a foreign country wandering around.

 

[wannabeBelle]

I agree with your take on Jersey Gardens. It is not a good experience to shop there. Some of the outlets are good, but not worth it.

I went to Jersey Shore Outlets down in Tinton Falls and had a great deal of luck there and found it to be a very pleasant experience, very similar to some of the outlets in Florida right down to the design. I like the Jackson outlets as well for the store selection, though it isnt as pretty as the Jersey Shore ones. Definitely check out those two if you are wanting that type of store, it may be worth a trip down there. It is only about 45 minutes from me, so it was definitely a nice afternoon out. Marie

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I grew up in NJ and if it were me- I'd stay put in the airport. While there are a lot of nice little towns really not too far away, and the decent places to visit in Newark and Jersey city area, not to mention the train from the airport into NYC...I think it's still too much risk of missing your connection. There are places to eat and relax in there. This may just be that leg of your journey where you want to make sure you have a good book or upload a new movie to watch during the wait.

 

[acishere]

I went to Jersey Shore Outlets down in Tinton Falls and had a great deal of luck there and found it to be a very pleasant experience, very similar to some of the outlets in Florida right down to the design. I like the Jackson outlets as well for the store selection, though it isnt as pretty as the Jersey Shore ones. Definitely check out those two if you are wanting that type of store, it may be worth a trip down there. It is only about 45 minutes from me, so it was definitely a nice afternoon out. Marie

Last Christmas I did most of my shopping at Jersey Shore Outlets and despite the walkways all being outdoors it was the most pleasant Christmas shopping experience I've had in a while.

 

[mergatroid]

Well thanks to everyone for all the replies. I think we'll stay in the airport after all. The last thing I wanted to do was cause any upset to people in Newark, I'm sure you have a lovely city and the warnings are just precautions rather than genuine concerns.

Looking on the net Continental Airlines have a good number of flights to Orlando leaving at various intervals that day, several in that 6 hour period. The other day I was given the option (not knowing this) of accepting the flight change at no cost on the proviso that any further flight changes of my choosing would be at cost to me, or cancelling and getting a full refund (there are no cheaper options, in fact others are more expensive). I accepted the change with the 6 hour layover as we don't want to miss our Florida holiday. Seeing the number of available flights with Continental online during that 6 hour period, I'm now thinking they've done this deliberately to get me to pay to move to an earlier flight (something I'm now contemplating doing)

 

[xdan0920]

The Ironbound part of Newark has some of the nicest restaurants in the state.

The Prudential Center is a great venue to see a sporting event or concert.

NJPAC is widely recognized as the best concert/symphony venue in the country, both in terms of the architecture and the accoustics inside the hall.

There's a lot to recommend about Newark, and it's hardly the total "dump" some described it as. Quite frankly, there's more than a little bit of subtle racism in this thread.

That being said, I don't recommend a couple of tourists from a foreign country wandering around.

It is not subtle racism. I am dealing in facts. Newark is one of the most dangerous cities in the United States. Consistently ranking in the top 25 nationally. It is our states second most dangerous city behind Camden. Are the crime statistics racist?

I went to Jersey Shore Outlets down in Tinton Falls and had a great deal of luck there and found it to be a very pleasant experience, very similar to some of the outlets in Florida right down to the design. I like the Jackson outlets as well for the store selection, though it isnt as pretty as the Jersey Shore ones. Definitely check out those two if you are wanting that type of store, it may be worth a trip down there. It is only about 45 minutes from me, so it was definitely a nice afternoon out. Marie

Jersey Shore outlets are really great. I think they are the best in NJ. I am way up north, so I usually go to Woodbury Commons up in NY. They are really good too.

 

[DrummerAlly]

There's a lot to recommend about Newark, and it's hardly the total "dump" some described it as. Quite frankly, there's more than a little bit of subtle racism in this thread.

That being said, I don't recommend a couple of tourists from a foreign country wandering around.

Whoa there...... I don't think anyone here is being racist by saying that Newark is not a tourist friendly destination (including you).