GETTING AROUND THE SOMERSET HILLS
HEADING TO NYC AND POINTS BEYOND!
Commuting To, From, and Around Basking Ridge, Bedminster, Bernardsville, Far Hills, and The Hills Areas of Basking Ridge and Bedminster, NJ!
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Our towns are serviced by bus, train, major highways, and thoroughfares.
Leaving the area for ski slopes, ocean resorts, Newark Airport, New York City, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, is also relatively easy as there are several routes available. |
Getting Around:
General Travel / Distance Information: The Basking Ridge, Bernardsville, Bedminster, Far Hills towns are between 38 miles
(Basking Ridge) and about 55 miles from Midtown Manhattan, depending upon the exact coordinates. Newark Airport is approximately 25 miles away on Rt. 78. It's about an hour and fifteen minutes to the New Jersey shore via 287 and the Garden State Parkway, one hour to ski resorts via 287 and 80, and about 40 minutes or less to the Pennsylvania border via 78. CT border is approximately 75 miles away, via 287, and roads through the Tappan Zee Bridge, then Merritt Parkway of 98.
Map: Map of surrounding counties from Basking Ridge vantage point. Uses Googlemaps. You can blast a map to and from anywhere with map link!
Trains: Links to NJ Transit including schedules, fares, alerts, and more. We are Morris and Essex Line. There are several rush hour trains on the Peapack-Gladstone line that go directly into Manhattan each business day. At other times, a change in Summit is necessary. Morris County has a fuller schedule into Manhattan. Also includes links to NJ Transit buses. Both the Basking Ridge and Lyons stations are actually in Basking Ridge. The others are intuitively named. Convent Station is part of Morristown.
NJ Transit Map: Diagram of all lines and stations.
Buses: Choose your route for schedules. Links to Lakeland Bus Company which follows the Route 78 corridor into Manhattan, as well as Routes 46 and 80. Super express buses can make it into Port Authority in less than an hour from Lyons in Basking Ridge. For those not familiar with the area, Lyons is also in the town of Basking Ridge. Just when the traffic begins to build, the bus is able to take its own lane, and go right into Port Authority.
Driving: Links to live traffic cams. 287, 78, and 80 are all in close proximity to the area. 78 is the major route into NYC, whether midtown or downtown, as well as Newark Airport. If you have a passenger, I recommend the WAZE app for up to the minute traffic advisories. DO NOT USE THIS APP IF YOU ARE THE DRIVER!!!!!!
Did you know:
Flying: Newark Liberty Airport is the closest, although LaGuardia and JFK also serve NJ. It is a straight run on highway 78 right to the airport, about 25 miles away, and about a half hour drive when there is NO traffic. Budget time accordingly. It's rare that there is no traffic. I usually leave the car at The Parking Spot if I am staying more than overnight. Go to www.theparkingspot.com_, click the discounts and coupons link, and bring the coupon with you. I've recently signed up for the frequent parking, and have already earned two free days of parking.
General Travel / Distance Information: The Basking Ridge, Bernardsville, Bedminster, Far Hills towns are between 38 miles
(Basking Ridge) and about 55 miles from Midtown Manhattan, depending upon the exact coordinates. Newark Airport is approximately 25 miles away on Rt. 78. It's about an hour and fifteen minutes to the New Jersey shore via 287 and the Garden State Parkway, one hour to ski resorts via 287 and 80, and about 40 minutes or less to the Pennsylvania border via 78. CT border is approximately 75 miles away, via 287, and roads through the Tappan Zee Bridge, then Merritt Parkway of 98.
Map: Map of surrounding counties from Basking Ridge vantage point. Uses Googlemaps. You can blast a map to and from anywhere with map link!
Trains: Links to NJ Transit including schedules, fares, alerts, and more. We are Morris and Essex Line. There are several rush hour trains on the Peapack-Gladstone line that go directly into Manhattan each business day. At other times, a change in Summit is necessary. Morris County has a fuller schedule into Manhattan. Also includes links to NJ Transit buses. Both the Basking Ridge and Lyons stations are actually in Basking Ridge. The others are intuitively named. Convent Station is part of Morristown.
NJ Transit Map: Diagram of all lines and stations.
Buses: Choose your route for schedules. Links to Lakeland Bus Company which follows the Route 78 corridor into Manhattan, as well as Routes 46 and 80. Super express buses can make it into Port Authority in less than an hour from Lyons in Basking Ridge. For those not familiar with the area, Lyons is also in the town of Basking Ridge. Just when the traffic begins to build, the bus is able to take its own lane, and go right into Port Authority.
Driving: Links to live traffic cams. 287, 78, and 80 are all in close proximity to the area. 78 is the major route into NYC, whether midtown or downtown, as well as Newark Airport. If you have a passenger, I recommend the WAZE app for up to the minute traffic advisories. DO NOT USE THIS APP IF YOU ARE THE DRIVER!!!!!!
Did you know:
- Highway 287 and the Garden State Parkway number their exits by the mile posts? For example, the distance between Exit 30 and Exit 22 is eight miles. You can determine how far your trip on 287 or the Garden State Parkway is by subtracting the larger of your starting point and ending point from the other.
- Off-peak, the trip to NYC Is under an hour. Call me about a well-kept secret for parking in NYC right on top of the Port Authority building, where you'll exit the lot right into the tunnel! This can save 40 minutes or more from NYC during the peak drive home.
- During rush hour, 78 is usually pretty open, but as you approach the tunnels, bring a book, unless on the bus.
- Many commuters also drive to Summit or Maplewood once they determine where to park, and then take a train into NYC, as the road between is pretty open, and there are more direct trains from those stations.
- Route 202 and 206 also traverse through the towns.
- Heading to Westchester or Connecticut?
Try 287 to the Tappan Zee Bridge, and avoid NYC entirely. It's a short distance longer as the crow flies than the GW Bridge, but the time made up can more than compensate. 287N to 80E will get you to the GW. - Going to Brooklyn or Long Island -- 287 South heads to the Outerbridge then Verrazano. If backed up, 78 to Turnpike will take you to the Goethals, then Verrazano.
Flying: Newark Liberty Airport is the closest, although LaGuardia and JFK also serve NJ. It is a straight run on highway 78 right to the airport, about 25 miles away, and about a half hour drive when there is NO traffic. Budget time accordingly. It's rare that there is no traffic. I usually leave the car at The Parking Spot if I am staying more than overnight. Go to www.theparkingspot.com_, click the discounts and coupons link, and bring the coupon with you. I've recently signed up for the frequent parking, and have already earned two free days of parking.