Question re itinerary/connection/layover in NYP

[user 31210]

This is my first time taking Amtrak so I could be reading the itinerary wrong or getting the meaning of 'connection' wrong, but my understanding is that when my itinerary says I get to Moynihan at 8:35PM, I have a "10h 40m connection in NYP | Transfer" (copied from the itinerary), and I depart from Moynihan at 7:15AM; that means I am in New York, off the train and waiting for another at the station, for about 11 hours. Please correct me if I am wrong on any of that. I am fully prepared to just take a sleeping pill on the first train since I'm on it for about 10 hours, then stay awake and read in Moynihan station all night, but I have no idea if they let people stay that long or in the dead of night. I'm under no illusions that that would be a pleasant 11 hours, but it's preferable to wandering around NYC in the middle of night, and at least to me, better than getting a very expensive hotel room. So my question is, am I allowed to stay in the station from 8:35 PM to 7:15 AM?

 

[pennyk]

I am not sure if you would be allowed to stay in the station overnight, but I would not want to do so even if permitted. I am guessing the seating areas are not open all night long. The Metropolitan Lounge is not open all night long. I would certainly want to get a hotel room.

Hopefully someone with more information can provide more information.

 

[zephyr17]

This is my first time taking Amtrak so I could be reading the itinerary wrong or getting the meaning of 'connection' wrong, but my understanding is that when my itinerary says I get to Moynihan at 8:35PM, I have a "10h 40m connection in NYP | Transfer" (copied from the itinerary), and I depart from Moynihan at 7:15AM; that means I am in New York, off the train and waiting for another at the station, for about 11 hours. Please correct me if I am wrong on any of that. I am fully prepared to just take a sleeping pill on the first train since I'm on it for about 10 hours, then stay awake and read in Moynihan station all night, but I have no idea if they let people stay that long or in the dead of night. I'm under no illusions that that would be a pleasant 11 hours, but it's preferable to wandering around NYC in the middle of night, and at least to me, better than getting a very expensive hotel room. So my question is, am I allowed to stay in the station from 8:35 PM to 7:15 AM?

No, at least at Moynihan. Moynihan is closed between 1 am and 5 am. They may let you hang out on the Penn Station side if you show your ticket.

It isn't something I would like to do or reccomend, though.

Maybe an NYC local can chime in if the old "circular" Amtrak seating area in Penn is still in operation.

 

[GAT]

There are several hotels around $130 - $160 listed on Trip Advisor near Moynihan. some indicated at 0.2 or 0.3 miles away. That would be your safest bet if you can swing the cost. Here is one link: https://www.tripadvisor.com/HotelsN...ynihan_Train_Hall-New_York_City_New_York.html

 

[Bob Dylan]

This is my first time taking Amtrak so I could be reading the itinerary wrong or getting the meaning of 'connection' wrong, but my understanding is that when my itinerary says I get to Moynihan at 8:35PM, I have a "10h 40m connection in NYP | Transfer" (copied from the itinerary), and I depart from Moynihan at 7:15AM; that means I am in New York, off the train and waiting for another at the station, for about 11 hours. Please correct me if I am wrong on any of that. I am fully prepared to just take a sleeping pill on the first train since I'm on it for about 10 hours, then stay awake and read in Moynihan station all night, but I have no idea if they let people stay that long or in the dead of night. I'm under no illusions that that would be a pleasant 11 hours, but it's preferable to wandering around NYC in the middle of night, and at least to me, better than getting a very expensive hotel room. So my question is, am I allowed to stay in the station from 8:35 PM to 7:15 AM?

There are several Hostels in New York City that have reasonable rates ( under $75 a night and even Less!)if you don't want to pay $150-$200 a night for a Room around Penn. Station.

Trust us, you don't want to hang out all night in Penn Station!

 

[Chatter163]

Can you tell us which trains you are taking, and from where to where?

 

[Railroad Bill]

The Fairfield Inn across the street from Moynihan is the closest and best choice if the price is not too high. Have stayed there couple times this year.

 

[Amtrak25]

Just because the ticket says "Moynihan" doesn't mean you have to board there. Legacy Penn Station can be used also. But if you are going to Canada, then you should go to Moynihan for Amtrak's passport check.

Do not stay in Penn Station overnight. Among other things the bathrooms are disgusting and have vagrancy issues.

"Transfer" is nothing more than a computer-generated term that says you will get off one train and on another some time later, without regard that it is the next day.

 

[zephyr17]

Can you tell us which trains you are taking, and from where to where?

By deduction from the scheduled arrival and departure times, and the 10 hours on the inbound train, the OP is arriving on the Carolinian and departing on the Maple Leaf.

 

[TC_NYC]

Yeah you realllllly don't want to be spending the night in the station at New York, either the old station or the new one. Tons of homeless make the station their home at night and it's a pretty nasty place. I've been there at 2am for the overnight regional to Boston and it's an experience I never hope to go through again.

If you don't want to spend money on a NYC hotel consider taking a train up to Albany, NY and spending the night there, there's a 7:15pm train as well as a 8:55pm, but personally I would get a room at the Fairfield Inn right across the street from the hotel.

 

[Bob Dylan]

The Fairfield Inn across the street from Moynihan is the closest and best choice if the price is not too high. Have stayed there couple times this year.

Ditto! You can't get any Closer unless you Sleep in the Station!

 

[Stremba]

Yeah you realllllly don't want to be spending the night in the station at New York, either the old station or the new one. Tons of homeless make the station their home at night and it's a pretty nasty place. I've been there at 2am for the overnight regional to Boston and it's an experience I never hope to go through again.

If you don't want to spend money on a NYC hotel consider taking a train up to Albany, NY and spending the night there, there's a 7:15pm train as well as a 8:55pm, but personally I would get a room at the Fairfield Inn right across the street from the hotel.

OP is scheduled to arrive at 8:35, so 7:15 obviously won’t work, and the 8:55 connection would certainly not be guaranteed by Amtrak. He/she is probably stuck in NYC for the night. The Fairfield probably is the best bet.

 

[TC_NYC]

OP is scheduled to arrive at 8:35, so 7:15 obviously won’t work, and the 8:55 connection would certainly not be guaranteed by Amtrak. He/she is probably stuck in NYC for the night. The Fairfield probably is the best bet.

Oh I thought they where getting in earlier than that, mixed up the two times. Then yeah definitely spend the night in a hotel would be my suggestion.

 

[user 31210]

Thank you for the replies and sorry for the late update! Between the many assurances that staying in the station is too bad an idea and the uncertainty of even being allowed to do so, I will start looking for a cheap enough hostel. I am indeed coming on the Carolinian and departing on the Maple Leaf.

 

[Stremba]

Not sure how much cheaper it might be, but you could also look at getting off the Carolinian in Newark. There may be some cheaper hotel options there, and it’s about a 20 minute ride from Newark Penn to NYP on a NJ Transit commuter train the next morning.

 

[zephyr17]

You'd likely be allowed on the Penn Station side (east of 8th Ave, under Madison Square Garden). It's open 24/7. But you really wouldn't want to.

Chances are at least 50/50 you'd come up from the platform on the Penn side anyway, either the lower Long Island RR lower level or the old Amtrak/NJT upper level. Where you land in Moynihan/Penn is kinda a crapshoot depending on which escalator you take.

 

[amy1277]

You'd likely be allowed on the Penn Station side (east of 8th Ave, under Madison Square Garden). It's open 24/7. But you really wouldn't want to.

Chances are at least 50/50 you'd come up from the platform on the Penn side anyway, either the lower Long Island RR lower level or the old Amtrak/NJT upper level. Where you land in Moynihan/Penn is kinda a crapshoot depending on which escalator you take.

Good point! I learned this quickly on my first trip on the NER (from RI) after Moynihan was built. Went up the first escalator I saw, along with 95% of the crowd, and ended up in Penn.
Now I just keep walking on the platform toward the front of the train until I see actual signs on escalators for Moynihan.
Obviously this will change depending on route/direction.

 

[amy1277]

The Fairfield is definitely closest…I also stay at the New Yorker (Wyndham) sometimes and the price is comparable. It’s one block away on 34th and 8th.

 

[daybeers]

Not sure how much cheaper it might be, but you could also look at getting off the Carolinian in Newark. There may be some cheaper hotel options there, and it’s about a 20 minute ride from Newark Penn to NYP on a NJ Transit commuter train the next morning.

This is what I would do. There's also PATH for $2.75 plus $2.75 for the subway connection. A little more hassle, but runs much more frequently.

 

[joelkfla]

This is what I would do. There's also PATH for $2.75 plus $2.75 for the subway connection. A little more hassle, but runs much more frequently.

Would the Amtrak fare be higher because it would be 2 separate trips instead of a connection? Or can you make a Multi-City ticket with segment 1 ending at NWK Penn & segment 2 boarding at NYP?

 

[zephyr17]

Would the Amtrak fare be higher because it would be 2 separate trips instead of a connection? Or can you make a Multi-City ticket with segment 1 ending at NWK Penn & segment 2 boarding at NYP?

You could do it with Multi City, but would likely lose the through fare advantage anyway

Nothing stopping the OP from simply getting off the Carolinian at Newark with an NYP ticket, though.

 

[Bonser]

Good point! I learned this quickly on my first trip on the NER (from RI) after Moynihan was built. Went up the first escalator I saw, along with 95% of the crowd, and ended up in Penn.
Now I just keep walking on the platform toward the front of the train until I see actual signs on escalators for Moynihan.
Obviously this will change depending on route/direction.

The signage at Penn Sta is absolutely pitiful. I live here and grew up here and have been in the old, old Penn Sta (a beautiful dream of a station) and the old one and the Moynihan one thousands of times combined (no exaggeration) and either I still get confused or it takes a good 5 minutes to get from train to the Moynihan. The Moynihan is so overrated and misplaced in conjunction to the tracks. At least the present "old" Penn Sta is close to the tracks.

 

[zephyr17]

The signage at Penn Sta is absolutely pitiful. I live here and grew up here and have been in the old, old Penn Sta (a beautiful dream of a station) and the old one and the Moynihan one thousands of times combined (no exaggeration) and either I still get confused or it takes a good 5 minutes to get from train to the Moynihan. The Moynihan is so overrated and misplaced in conjunction to the tracks. At least the present "old" Penn Sta is close to the tracks.

I really like Moynihan and use it when departing, even though it is out of the way, but when arriving I prefer Penn because I am almost always heading towards 6th Avenue and don't want to backtrack. With that said, I typically take the nearest escalator and whether I end up on the lower LIRR level or upper Amtrak/NJT level is a crapshoot.

Amtrak still pretty much seems to be spotting trains under Penn.

The signage does suck, and Penn is a bit of a maze. Happily I've been there enough now that I know my out wherever I come up off the platform level, although it takes me a second to orient myself (okay, where the heck am I this time?).

 

[Mailliw]

My default hotel in NYC is the Jane Hotel. It's a former seamen's hostel (the surviving Titanic crew stayed there), and has really quirky decor. The rooms are  tiny, but have a surprising amount of storage space. Basically it's like staying in an Amtrak roomette or vintage sleeping compartment in Europe.
https://www.thejanenyc.com/

 

[west point]

Newark has a small room hotel the Robert Treat. Up the hill from station. Have no idea their charges now.