Background
I went to Montauk for the first time last week and had a nice stay at the Montauk Yacht Club. I didn’t have a car, so I decided to try two different modes of transportation to get to/from Montauk. Montauk is about 120 miles from New York City, and you can take the train with the Long Island Railroad (LIRR), as well as some bus services. I decided to take the LIRR to Montauk, and then I took the Hampton Ambassador Bus back to the city.
Long Island Railroad (LIRR) Experience
Background & Booking
A ticket from New York Penn Station to Montauk was $23.50 off-peak, or $31.75 peak.
You have to connect at Jamaica Station to get on the Montauk line, and we took the first train of the day to Montauk, which departed Jamaica at 8:18 am, for a 10:58 am arrival. If you want to cut it close, you could take the 7:52 am train from Penn to arrive in Jamaica at 8:12 am and have a 6-minute connection time. We could have done that, and we would have made it, but we wanted to be safe and not risk missing the train to Montauk since the next one wouldn’t be for another 3.5 hours. We decided to take the 7:24 am to Jamaica, which would give us more room for delays.
Everything was on time, which was nice! So, from Penn to Montauk, it took us about 3 and a half hours, though it could be cut down to a little over 3 hours if you have a tight connection.
The Experience
I like taking the LIRR, and the trains are generally pretty well kept up. The trains that go from Penn to Jamaica are generally just one level, in a 2-3 configuration for seating. But, the Montauk line trains are 2 levels, and a 2-2 configuration for seating.
But, some things to consider, especially on a long trip, are the fact that the LIRR trains don’t have any power outlets & there is no Wi-Fi.
We arrived right on time, so all worked out.
Hampton Ambassador Experience
Background:
In terms of bus services from Montauk to New York City, during our early May visit, you could take the Hampton Jitney or the Hampton Ambassador. In the summer season, some other companies pop up as well. The Hampton Jitney is the original, no-frills commuter-style coach service that’s been a staple for decades. The Hampton Ambassador is the Jitney’s upscale sibling—think business class on wheels. It offers plush leather seats, more legroom, fewer passengers per coach, and upgraded snacks & wine.
Booking
The Hampton Ambassador from Montauk to New York City can be booked online in advance for $64 at the time of posting, or $72 if you’re paying on board. Additional fees include Pets ($15 each), Bikes/Surfboards ($15 each), and Luggage over 2 pieces ($25 each). For reference, the Hampton Jitney is $41 online & $49 if you’re paying on board.
Route & Stops
The website states that you should arrive at the pickup spot 7 minutes before the scheduled departure.
Our bus was scheduled to leave Montauk at 2:45 pm, and our scheduled arrival time in New York City was 6:00 pm.
Stops along the way included:
- Montauk
- Amagansett
- East Hampton
- Wainscott
- Bridgehampton
- Water Mill
- Southampton
- Airport Connection (Flushing)
- Midtown Manhattan
They do dropoffs in Midtown Manhattan, anywhere on 3rd Ave between 39th and 86th street.
The Experience
We were the only ones to get on the bus at Monatauk. The bus arrived 2 minutes before our scheduled departure time, and stayed for about 5 minutes before departing for the next stop.
The bus has 10 rows in a 1-2 configuration for a total of 30 seats, which is a nice setup. We ended up saving the $9 per passenger to reserve a seat since the seat map the day before seemed pretty empty, with only about 8 seats reserved in advance. That, coupled with the fact that we were travelling in the offseason, we assumed the bus wouldn’t be full, and it wasn’t. We ended up each getting a “2” row to ourselves.
The seats feature a tray table, and power outlets as well as USB-A charging, which are things the LIRR doesn’t offer. They have an old radio attached to the back of the seat where you can change channels and volume. Cupholders and offered between the seats as well. The seats also recline.
I would say the cleanliness could be improved, as it didn’t feel very luxurious with trash on the floor and crumbs on the tray tables. I don’t think they cleaned before starting our leg back to New York.
Every couple of rows, there was a TV screen, though nothing ever played until we left Southampton, where they played the safety video.
At Southampton, an attendant boarded the bus, and he came by with drinks and snacks.
Soda cans or water were offered, and for snacks, you could get Goldfish or Chocolate Chip Cookies.
They also say that they offer free wine samplings, and the attendant did come by with a bottle of rosé that was already opened and towards the bottom of the bottle. Only one guest on the train tried it while everyone else declined. I wasn’t too sure how long that bottle had been open for… I would have preferred a tiny can or a mini bottle.
After taking a nap, I realized we were approaching our arrival time of 6 pm. Sadly, since there was traffic, we only got to the Flushing stop for the airport connection at that time, and got to Midtown Manhattan 40 minutes later. I got off at the first stop, which was at 39th Street and 3rd Avenue, and so the journey was just shy of 4 hours. Traffic was not fun, and looking at our LIRR alternative that left at the same time from Montauk, we would have made it to Penn or Grand Central 40 minutes earlier.
Bathroom
I did have to use the bathroom once, and it’s in the back of the bus. Oddly, there is no sink, and so it’s just a toilet and a hand sanitizer dispenser. They also recommend you hold onto the bar when using the bathroom since it’s bumpy. I went when we were at one of the stops, so I didn’t have to worry about balancing.
Wi-Fi
The Hampton Ambassador has complimentary Wi-Fi and even a portal like an airline with free games, TV shows & movies to stream to your device. I was catching up on work throughout the bus ride, and the Wi-Fi worked pretty well. Using cellular data on the LIRR was sometimes spotty, so it was nice to have a more stable connection.
The Verdict
Overall, for those without a car, getting to Montauk from New York City isn’t too hard, and both the LIRR and Hampton Ambassador will do the trick. There are pros and cons to both, and I’m kind of split in the middle on which one I prefer. For the LIRR, it’s not affected by traffic, and the train ride is generally a bit smoother. And for the Hampton Ambassador, it’s nice to have Wi-Fi, power ports & a more boutique experience.
Have you been to Montauk and taken the LIRR and/or Hampton Ambassador? Which do you prefer for getting to Montauk?
Cheers,
Ty
Have any questions? I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking & planning trips. Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!
