JFK to the North Fork on a Saturday afternoon?

May 16, 2017 9:50 PM

If I leave the West Coast on an morning nonstop, I'll get into JFK by 3 at the earliest. The last LIRR train to the North Fork leaves Jamaica at 2 on weekends. I'd really like to get to Riverhead, at least, preferably Mattituck, before having to have someone pick me up or getting a Lyft. Help?

If the answer is "rent a car", that's fine, I can do that. It just seems that there should be some form of transit that doesn't unduly punish me.

posted by wnissen to Travel & Transportation around Northville, NY (3 answers total)

You didn't say what your budget is, but if JFK doesn't help you could fly to MacArthur Airport, which is in Ronkonkoma about halfway between NYC and the east end of Long Island. American takes connecting flights there through Philadelphia, and Southwest from several other cities.

If you can afford a charter flight, then Gabreski Airport is in Westhampton that's a base for a private operator SheltAir. There actually is an airport in Mattituck but I have no info on who flies there.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 4:50 AM on May 17, 2017

Hampton Jitney (linked above) is definitely your best option here, in terms of combining maximum convenience with minimum cost. My parents live in Cutchogue and I live out of state —so I take it whenever I need to get on or off the North Fork. The Jitney has wifi and free water, too.
posted by obliquicity at 7:53 AM on May 17, 2017

Response by poster: I read that the train will run more frequently next summer, which is nice, but the Jitney seems to be the best option. American only flies a prop plane, and the Southwest flights are quite expensive compared to JFK. Thanks, all.
posted by wnissen at 10:27 PM on May 28, 2017