# transportation from train station to car rental in CT....



## gloria (Jan 6, 2008)

hey fellow tuggers -- 

in the fall we will be spending a week at the manhatten club, then catching a train to hartford/windsor locks, connecticut, where we will rent a car to spend the following week driving around and SOAKING in all the fall color in the berkshires......

my question.....

from some reading, i gleened that by riding the train to WINDSOR LOCKS rather than HARTFORD, CT, we'd be CLOSER to the BDL airport -- is that so?.....

is there a shuttle/taxi that runs between the windsor locks train station and BDL/car rentals? -- right now i have a reservation with budget car rental....

do you know who i could call to find out this sort of information?.....

i THANK YOU for ANY insight you can share.....


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## djs (Jan 6, 2008)

You are correct that Windsor Locks is closer to Bradley than Hartford (16 miles versus 3 miles).  I'd check with Budget but often car rental companies will reimburse upto a certain amount if you are take a cab from the train station to their airport location.  This may not be the case with "major" cities, but I know it's the case with Portland Maine and I believe it is with Burlington Vermont.

You'll have a great time in the Berkshires at that time of year.


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## nerodog (Jan 7, 2008)

*bradley airport/ windsor locks, ct*

Hi, I would suggest calling the Budget rental at Bradley itself to see if there is any transportation.. my guess is no...( if this was Europe it would be so easy !!) Anyways, its a good airport and location . Its a pretty drive to the Berkshires from the airport. What part of the Berks are you planning to visit ?? My suggestions would be to include Stockbridge and Lenox... Norman Rockwell museum is there and the famous Red Lion Inn for a nice lunch.


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## falmouth3 (Jan 7, 2008)

I realize that you have a reservation with Budget, but Enterprise advertises that they pick you up.  That my be something that you'd like to consider if Budget doesn't work out for you.

Sue


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## KenK (Jan 7, 2008)

I agree with Sue. 

You may have to bring the driver back to the rental area.  And you will need to  return to the agency for drive back when you are returning.


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## SailBadtheSinner (Jan 7, 2008)

I can answer this question. I am a resident of Windsor Locks.

QUESTION:_….. i gleened that by riding the train to WINDSOR LOCKS rather than HARTFORD, CT, we'd be CLOSER to the BDL airport -- is that so?....._

Yes, as pointed out by DJS

QUESTION:_….. is there a shuttle/taxi that runs between the windsor locks train station and BDL/car rentals?…._

There is no shuttle between the train station & the airport. BTW, the train station is just a platform with a rain shelter. There is taxi service available. Here is a link that lists taxi service for the area:
http://local.yahoo.com/ct/windsor+locks/Travel+Lodging/Taxi+Services/

There are numerous car rentals at the airport, but I would use one that is not on the airport property. The one I have used is Enterprise Rent-a-Car @ 12 Ella Grasso Tpke (860.292.7061). It is about 2-3 miles from the train station and they do advertise that they pick up. Plus their location is right off the airport connector which will get you on to the Interstate 91 without any local traffic.

If on your return, you are planning to drop the car off and fly out of Bradely, Enterprise does offer a shuttle service.

I know you didn’t ask, but while you are in New England, I would highly recommend a visit to Acadia National Park, Maine. http://www.nps.gov/acad/




SBtS


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## wackymother (Jan 8, 2008)

Check with Budget to see if they also do pickups. We rented a car from a Hertz Local Edition near our home because they advertised pickup and dropoff--then later I discovered that almost all of the local car-rental places will do that.


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## gloria (Jan 10, 2008)

thanks for ALL of the thoughts on my windsor locks CT, transportation needs....

where else but TUG can one get this kind of help in travel planning -- i so much APPRECIATE this group....


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## hvsteve1 (Jan 11, 2008)

I'm wondering why you are taking the train from NYC to Windsor Locks to rent a car and see the Berkshires. The tickets are going to be $68 (with some discounts for mutiple family members) per person to have yourselves dropped at a remote station which is not near the best part of the Berkshires. Amtrak is always expensive. You can take Metro North to Poughkeepsie for about 12 bucks per person off-peak, which covers most of the day northbound. The MTA has just announced a deal with Enterprise for them to provide rental cars at Metro North stations, and even give a discount for passengers. The ride from NY to Poughkeepsie is one of the most beautiful and interesting train trips in the country, there was even a tv show about it on PBS a few years back. You go through Manhattan and the Bronx where you see Yankee Stadium and many other interesting buildings. Northbound you travel along the Hudson River all the way, where you see the Palisades, Tappan Zee Bridge and the Hudson River Valley. You get a great view of West Point Across the river and see other sights such as Bear Mountain and Bannerman's Castel, the ruin of a castle imported from Europe and built on an island just off shore. You also see Storm King Mountain, one of the most popular subjects for painters of the famous Hudson River school. If you like art and antiques, you can opt to get off a few miles downriver at the Beacon station where they have the famous DIA art museum, which moved up from NYC and is famous for showing big artworks in its massive gallery. There also many art galleries and antique shops in Beacon, which has become quite a popular place for tourists. It's not hard to hit the Taconic from Beacon. The parkway, itself, is one of the most beautiful roads and is called a "parkway" because the land along it is one big, narrow state park. which starts in Westchester and ends in the Berkshires. That puts you in the Western Berkshires, which is where you probably want to spend most of your time in places like Great Barrington, Stockbridge, Lenox, etc, where all the beautiful fall colors and touristy towns are. You can work your way east on the Mass Pike. If you have kids, there's a Six Flags near Springfield. If you want to see colonial New England, you can end up at Sturbridge. Either way, you can then head south on I-91 or I-84 to (Ta Dah!) the airport. And the savings on your train tickets more than cover whatever slight price increase you'll find on a one-way car rental.


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## gloria (Jan 13, 2008)

*a new idea.....*



hvsteve1 said:


> I'm wondering why you are taking the train from NYC to Windsor Locks to rent a car and see the Berkshires. You can take Metro North to Poughkeepsie for about 12 bucks per person off-peak, which covers most of the day northbound. The MTA has just announced a deal with Enterprise for them to provide rental cars at Metro North stations, and even give a discount for passengers. The ride from NY to Poughkeepsie is one of the most beautiful and interesting train trips in the country, there was even a tv show about it on PBS a few years back.



hey -- 

this is my FIRST trip to NYC and new york state, western massachusetts, and connecticut......

when planning, i KNEW i didn't want to rent a car in NYC, so i thought my ONLY alternative was amtrak -- i didn't know about 'metro north'......

so, i THANK YOU for this "inside" information -- this is WHY i LOVE tug....

there are 2 reasons we've planned the connecticut road trip on our way to the berkshires: my cousin lives in the neighborhood and we're hoping to catch up for a visit, and i've HEARD that a fall drive in western connecticut, along the connecticut river, is one not to miss...

i'm going to include a metro north DAY TRIP up the hudson river on my "things to do while i'm in NYC," and i THANK YOU for the idea ......


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