The 3 Best Ways to Get Between New York and Hartford Without a Car
If you’re trying to travel between New York City and Hartford, Connecticut car-free, you have several options. I’ve done them all.
I’ve been living car-free for six years and spend a lot of time navigating the quirks of U.S. transportation. I’ve also taken this route about a dozen times, as my partner has family in the Hartford area.
Here are the options.
The Most Frequent, Least expensive Option: Metro-North to New Haven, Then Amtrak’s Hartford Line
I end up choosing this because it’s the least expensive and the most frequent. You combine two trains. First, take Metro-North’s New Haven Line from Grand Central Terminal (or Harlem-125th if you live uptown) to New Haven Union Station, then transfer to Amtrak’s Hartford Line, which continues north through Hartford and up to Springfield and sometimes Greenfield. You can also transfer to a CT Transit Hartford Line train, which runs on the same route.
- Metro-North ticket: ~$18 (off-peak) to ~$22 (peak)
- Amtrak Hartford Line ticket: ~$8-$10
You don’t need to book these in advance. Both are commuter-style services with plenty of daily departures. That makes this the most flexible and budget-friendly option.
I wrote a whole blog post about this route.
The Transfer is The Major Downside, So the Overall Travel Time is Slow
Sometimes the transfer in New Haven is short, only a few minutes. Sometimes I’ve waited 40 minutes on weekends.
Also, the Metro-North has over a dozen stops, so it’s not a fast train.
The total trip take around 3.5–4 hours, depending on the timing of the trains.
At least New Haven is a real station with food, coffee, bathrooms, and a waiting room.
You Can Get Off Before or After Hartford
If you’re going to the Hartford area, one of the other stops may be closer. You could get off in Berlin, Hartford, Windsor, Windsor Locks, or continue on to Springfield.
We often get off at Windsor Locks, because my partner’s family lives in Granby.
No Traffic, East Side Access
I like avoiding traffic, and I like the option to get on at either Grand Central or Harlem-125th. I live near a 6 train, so this is much easier than getting to Port Authority or Penn Station for me.
Yes, it’s slow, but these train routes both have good on-time performance.
The Fastest (But Often Expensive) Option: Direct Amtrak Service
Yes, Amtrak offers direct service between NYC and Hartford, usually via the Northeast Regional or the Vermonter.
The upside to this one is obvious. You don’t have to transfer, you get all the comfort of an Amtrak ride (which is nicer than Metro-North), and it’s the fastest by a lot.
If you book in advance, you can get this for around $36.
It leaves from Penn Station.
Amtrak’s Dynamic Pricing Means It Can Get Expensive
If you’re looking last-minute, you’ll see these cost $100+. Wild.
That’s because Amtrak, with pressure to maximize revenue and with limited train sets, have adopted the dynamic pricing model of the airlines.
2-3 Routes Per Day
The frequency on this route isn’t great, either. You have twice as many Hartford Line trains from New Haven as you do Northeast Regional or the once-a-day Vermonter train that go from New York through Hartford.
I love the Vermonter train, and take it frequently to Vermont, but it doesn’t have good on-time performance.
Still, if you catch a good fare, this is by far the fastest way—around 2 hours and 30 minutes, give or take.
The Bus Option: I Prefer Peter Pan
Buses do connect NYC and Hartford. You have the option to take a Peter Pan, Greyhound or a Flix Bus.
Peter Pan runs direct buses from Port Authority to Hartford Union Station. These are usually around $35–$40 one-way. Peter Pan runs these every few hours during the day, so you have options.
If you’re lucky with traffic, the trip can take around 2.5 hours. That’s about as fast as the direct Amtrak train. If you’re not, it can take a lot longer. Buses are vulnerable to the whims of traffic.
Peter Pan is the better of the two bus lines. It’s more reliable, more professional, and slightly more comfortable than Greyhound.
Greyhound does this route too, sometimes with better departure times or prices. But their buses tend to be more delay-prone since they’re often long-distance routes. It’s also just an inferior comfort experience compared to Peter Pan.
Flix also operates this route from Penn Station to Hartford direct. Flix bought Greyhound, so they are the same company now.
For more in each of these you can check my guide to the Peter Pan Bus, my guide for the Greyhound Bus, or my guide to the Flix Bus.
Flying Makes No Sense
Between getting to JFK or LaGuardia, going through TSA, boarding, flying, and dealing with airport logistics will eat up more time than any train or bus.
Why Take Transit Instead of Driving
If you’re deciding between public transit and renting a car (or driving your own), here are some points to consider:
No Stress Driving in NYC or Along I-95 or I-91
This route includes some of the most miserable traffic in the Northeast. Whether it’s getting out of New York or crawling into Hartford, there’s a good chance you’ll get stuck somewhere.
Transit lets you relax, read, nap, or scroll.
Usually Cheaper
When you factor in gas, tolls, rental fees, and parking, especially in New York, it almost always comes out more expensive than a train or bus ticket, especially if you’re traveling solo.
Better for the Planet
Public transit has a much lower environmental impact per passenger than driving. And choosing it supports more investment in car-free travel.
More Car-Free Travel Tips
This post is part of my ongoing mission to prove that you don’t need a car to get around the U.S., even if the system makes it hard sometimes.
For a more personal look at this, check out my article living without a car.
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