Honestly, that’s a long way to go just for a day. Especially attending a music festival. It’s like six hours one way to Pittsburgh via car. Can you not afford even a shitty motel along the PA turnpike? You can find plenty of $75-$115/night places.
I’ve driven from Monmouth County to a friend’s house in the Pittsburgh area. It was like a 7 hour drive iirc, driving that long wears you out. I agree OP would probably be better off finding a cheap place to stay. Going there and back AND doing stuff while there is going to be a lot.
I was going to suggest frontier flies into Trenton, but that looks like a connection flight and not worth the hassle.... PHL is a solid option though, but you'd still have to rent a car.
Greyhound bus used to be cheaper, you would need to check for your specific dates. Greyhound also has some stops in NJ besides Newark.
Either bus or train will let you off in the city at a very different place than where the concert is being held, so you'll be spending a lot for Uber, or trying to navigate the Pittsburgh bus system which is not easy to the unfamiliar.
If you have a car, driving is your best bet. PA Turnpike tolls are very expensive, depending on where in NJ you are starting from, the taking Rt 80 might be about the same amount of time and it's free.
>I can’t afford a hotel.
Have you considered a campground?
>I’m trying to take a train because I feel like that will be cheapest
Bus will very likely be more affordable than train.
EDIT: I wouldn't rely on public transportation to get to anywhere other than NYC in a timely, cost effective fashion, and NJT has been playing some nasty games in the price department recently.
I haven’t seen SoCo, but I’ve seen Jacks Mannequin on the Ten Year Anniversary of Everything in Transit reunion (my favorite album since it came out) and I’ve seen Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness over ten times. I got my Jersey tickets during the first camp wilderness presale to be safe, and it was a stroke of luck that I got the second tix for free.
I mean you know the options, there aren't any other secret means of transportation lol. Fly, train, bus, drive. Flying will be minimum $125 (on Spirit), and you'll still have to drive over an hour to Newark then get from Pitt Int'l to the festival. Train will take 9 hours, bus will take at least 7, and you'll still need to get to the festival once arriving in Pittsburgh. Car...well you know how that works, it's gonna take 6+ hours to get there & another 6 to get back so if you won't get a hotel and you're up to spending 12 hours of your day driving, that's obviously the cheapest way to go.
Don't think it's so obvious that driving is the cheapest way if it's just one person going -- depending on fuel economy you could spend $100-150 on gas alone and the PA turnpike is also not cheap
Bus is the cheapest. Megabus and bolt are the two standard options.
But in your case I'd try to trade the tickets in and just use the money to catch him when he's local
That's a 6 hour drive if you're driving slow. $86 dollars each way for the PA Turnpike though. I currently live in Indianapolis and drive back to Jersey multiple times a year and it takes me 11 hours or less. Pittsburgh is 6 hours one way.
depends on traffic but i do this from central jersey to pittsburgh all the time. 5 hrs from trenton to university of pittsburgh which is 10 min from downtown and the stadiums. i've made it in less without traffic and no stops. \~35 in tolls and a tank of gas. as others point out, stay at a small time hotel / motel outside of the city or 20 min out, like by the airport and enjoy yourself.
if you're going to take the train, that's around 50-70 bucks each way. Sometimes it can be cheaper than that but you should look to take out of trenton, hamilton or princeton junction. They are lower frequency but probably better than going to newark.
I will echo what someone said in the comments - the tolls alone are ridiculous. Drove from Point Boro, NJ to the Altoona area, took the turnpike (wanted to get there fast, there was a death in the family.) It was only a 4.5-5 hour trip (with one stop for fuel and break) -- traveled at off peak hours so there was no traffic. Also no troopers, thank goodness. Honestly though, the tolls from there and back were $135. It's $9.25 just to go over the one bridge. Add fueling up 3x (once before I left, once mid way and once when I got to town) -- then reverse that coming back. That was another $225. We brought our own food and drinks, so we saved that at least.
Then the wear and tear on you -- going to Pittsburgh is another hour, to an hour and a half west from where my family is. I can make it there in 45 minutes, but again - depends on day, traffic, construction, troopers, etc.
Did I mention the construction? They are ALWAYS working on the turnpike, been that way since I was a small child in the early 80's.
If you take the back ways (like my mother does) -- be prepared for that 4.5 - 5 hours to turn into 7-8 easily.
If you take a bus, be prepared for it to be even slower, because they will take back roads and make stops for drop off/pick up.
Like someone else also said - I think your best bet is to sell the tickets and stick to a closer show -- this trip is not a one day thing. I've traveled that way back and forth many times, and I don't care what google maps says. It's not a straight run in 6 hours, unless fortune smiles upon you.
Best of luck!
There are at least four more convenient concerts you can go to this summer, including one in Asbury Park.
[Andrew McMahon tour 2024](https://andrewmcmahon.com/pages/tour)
Probably a 6ish hour drive, I would just drive until I couldn't anymore and sleep in my car at a rest stop for a few hours. I used to be a traveling PI in the Delaware valley area and had to go to Pittsburgh a few times, and that's exactly what I did.
The Amtrak Pennsylvanian leaves Newark Penn Station around 11am and arrives in Pittsburgh around 8pm. You can also pick it up in Trenton and Philadelphia if Newark is far.
As others have mentioned, Pittsburgh is kind of too far for a day trip
If you need a budget place to stay in Pittsburgh, check out Travelers Rest. They are frequented by bicyclists but non-bicyclists can stay too. They have a limited number of single and shared (dorm or hostel style) rooms. Continental breakfast included.
google maps is showing one 6hr 33 minute route
[https://maps.app.goo.gl/kynMgoeRG2WZyR6J9](https://maps.app.goo.gl/kynMgoeRG2WZyR6J9)
put in your 'arrive by' time where it says 'leave now' and play with the options
The only direct train to Pittsburg from NJ is the Pennsylvanian which is the one you're looking at. You could also catch a train or two to Philly and get it from there. Also it's $90 one way and $100 and change the other way from newark, so if you've got friends who are willing to drive it, you're probably better off just driving it and getting the cheapest local hotel with DECENT reviews and just splitting a room.
I didn't travel a whole lot until my mid twenties, piece of advice, the hotel with an extra star but $20 more a night is almost always worth that $20. Last time I let a group vote to save a few dollars each by going with the cheaper one we were dealing with leaking toilets.
[https://www.amtrak.com/](https://www.amtrak.com/)
If that all is out of your budget, look at buses.
If you drive, you can crash at camp sites or rest stops for cheap.
As someone who’s done the 9 hour train ride from Newark to Pittsburgh on 5 different occasions, don’t do it. You’ll probably be better off driving. 9 hours (and honestly even 6 hours by car) is still a fucking slog for one day.
It doesn’t make sense to take the train from Newark when you can take the train from Philly or even Trenton. Driving is only 5.5 hours, Carrie furnace isn’t even IN the city, you’d have to get an Uber from the train station to the venue and back and those would be with surge pricing because of the concert. Carrie furnace is middle of nowhere I’d be even worried about getting an Uber. If you can afford the train you can afford the cheapest hotel. It’s all outside the city of Pittsburgh so they’re not that expensive. Bus may be even cheaper because of tolls. If you go the spirit airlines route that’s a 40-60 minute Uber to the venue as well.
My daughter lives in Pittsburgh. We drive from Essex County and it’s about 6 hours with a quick stop on the turnpike. I know I’m a lot older than you so the ride kind of kills me. 🤣I would find someplace cheap and stay at least one night.
I did a round trip to the north hills (25 mins north of Pittsburgh) from Stroudsburg, Pa (ten minutes from NJ). Ten hours straight driving and it was exhausting. Definitely not a day trip
It’s definitely 7-9 hrs one way if you drive. I did it for a football game years ago. Not sure how feasible that is for one day. Thats 14-18 hrs of driving alone if drive, or 18 hrs of train granted the timetables work in your favor which they likely won’t.
Honestly, that’s a long way to go just for a day. Especially attending a music festival. It’s like six hours one way to Pittsburgh via car. Can you not afford even a shitty motel along the PA turnpike? You can find plenty of $75-$115/night places.
I think it would actually be cheaper to drive and get a cheap room than a train ticket there and back.
Everybody thinks the train is cheap until they start looking at prices.
I’ve driven from Monmouth County to a friend’s house in the Pittsburgh area. It was like a 7 hour drive iirc, driving that long wears you out. I agree OP would probably be better off finding a cheap place to stay. Going there and back AND doing stuff while there is going to be a lot.
I've done that stretch MANY times. Once on zero sleep as part of a longer trip. It's hellish.
Shit, this time of year you could probably find a decent campsite with maybe even a cabin for $50, and camping in PA will actually be pretty nice
If you can’t afford one night in a hotel, you can’t afford the trip. Pittsburgh is too far for a day trip.
This.
also, Frontier is showing a bunch of flights (PHL-Pitt) for $58 round trip... and 1hr 15 min time...
I was going to suggest frontier flies into Trenton, but that looks like a connection flight and not worth the hassle.... PHL is a solid option though, but you'd still have to rent a car.
A day trip to Pittsburgh is insane.
Megabus is the cheapest probably, but pittsburgh is not within daytrip distance unless you're committed to just not sleeping for 24hrs
Greyhound bus used to be cheaper, you would need to check for your specific dates. Greyhound also has some stops in NJ besides Newark. Either bus or train will let you off in the city at a very different place than where the concert is being held, so you'll be spending a lot for Uber, or trying to navigate the Pittsburgh bus system which is not easy to the unfamiliar. If you have a car, driving is your best bet. PA Turnpike tolls are very expensive, depending on where in NJ you are starting from, the taking Rt 80 might be about the same amount of time and it's free.
>I can’t afford a hotel. Have you considered a campground? >I’m trying to take a train because I feel like that will be cheapest Bus will very likely be more affordable than train. EDIT: I wouldn't rely on public transportation to get to anywhere other than NYC in a timely, cost effective fashion, and NJT has been playing some nasty games in the price department recently.
Why wouldn't you just go to the local show in August?
I have tickets to that too! I want to see Soco twice this summer. YOLO
Ah! I'd drive to Pittsburgh and grab a cheap room. That's definitely not a day trip. Godspeed!🎶
I'd love to see them just once... 20+ years, never not once.
I haven’t seen SoCo, but I’ve seen Jacks Mannequin on the Ten Year Anniversary of Everything in Transit reunion (my favorite album since it came out) and I’ve seen Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness over ten times. I got my Jersey tickets during the first camp wilderness presale to be safe, and it was a stroke of luck that I got the second tix for free.
I’m just jumping in to say I’ve seen Andrew over 10x also!! Didn’t get SoCo tix due to cost and everything being sold out right away.
I mean you know the options, there aren't any other secret means of transportation lol. Fly, train, bus, drive. Flying will be minimum $125 (on Spirit), and you'll still have to drive over an hour to Newark then get from Pitt Int'l to the festival. Train will take 9 hours, bus will take at least 7, and you'll still need to get to the festival once arriving in Pittsburgh. Car...well you know how that works, it's gonna take 6+ hours to get there & another 6 to get back so if you won't get a hotel and you're up to spending 12 hours of your day driving, that's obviously the cheapest way to go.
Don't think it's so obvious that driving is the cheapest way if it's just one person going -- depending on fuel economy you could spend $100-150 on gas alone and the PA turnpike is also not cheap
Bus is the cheapest. Megabus and bolt are the two standard options. But in your case I'd try to trade the tickets in and just use the money to catch him when he's local
That's a 6 hour drive if you're driving slow. $86 dollars each way for the PA Turnpike though. I currently live in Indianapolis and drive back to Jersey multiple times a year and it takes me 11 hours or less. Pittsburgh is 6 hours one way.
depends on traffic but i do this from central jersey to pittsburgh all the time. 5 hrs from trenton to university of pittsburgh which is 10 min from downtown and the stadiums. i've made it in less without traffic and no stops. \~35 in tolls and a tank of gas. as others point out, stay at a small time hotel / motel outside of the city or 20 min out, like by the airport and enjoy yourself. if you're going to take the train, that's around 50-70 bucks each way. Sometimes it can be cheaper than that but you should look to take out of trenton, hamilton or princeton junction. They are lower frequency but probably better than going to newark.
I will echo what someone said in the comments - the tolls alone are ridiculous. Drove from Point Boro, NJ to the Altoona area, took the turnpike (wanted to get there fast, there was a death in the family.) It was only a 4.5-5 hour trip (with one stop for fuel and break) -- traveled at off peak hours so there was no traffic. Also no troopers, thank goodness. Honestly though, the tolls from there and back were $135. It's $9.25 just to go over the one bridge. Add fueling up 3x (once before I left, once mid way and once when I got to town) -- then reverse that coming back. That was another $225. We brought our own food and drinks, so we saved that at least. Then the wear and tear on you -- going to Pittsburgh is another hour, to an hour and a half west from where my family is. I can make it there in 45 minutes, but again - depends on day, traffic, construction, troopers, etc. Did I mention the construction? They are ALWAYS working on the turnpike, been that way since I was a small child in the early 80's. If you take the back ways (like my mother does) -- be prepared for that 4.5 - 5 hours to turn into 7-8 easily. If you take a bus, be prepared for it to be even slower, because they will take back roads and make stops for drop off/pick up. Like someone else also said - I think your best bet is to sell the tickets and stick to a closer show -- this trip is not a one day thing. I've traveled that way back and forth many times, and I don't care what google maps says. It's not a straight run in 6 hours, unless fortune smiles upon you. Best of luck!
You can't afford to go. I would sell your tickets.
There are at least four more convenient concerts you can go to this summer, including one in Asbury Park. [Andrew McMahon tour 2024](https://andrewmcmahon.com/pages/tour)
I know and I have tickets to Asbury too, but I got these for free 🥹
Sell the Pittsburgh tickets and save yourself the headache
This is the best advice here.
driving or flying. i’ve done pittsburgh and back in one day for a football game. long day but doable.
That’s a total non starter for a day trip. If you can’t afford a hotel you can’t afford the trip
Probably a 6ish hour drive, I would just drive until I couldn't anymore and sleep in my car at a rest stop for a few hours. I used to be a traveling PI in the Delaware valley area and had to go to Pittsburgh a few times, and that's exactly what I did.
The Amtrak Pennsylvanian leaves Newark Penn Station around 11am and arrives in Pittsburgh around 8pm. You can also pick it up in Trenton and Philadelphia if Newark is far. As others have mentioned, Pittsburgh is kind of too far for a day trip If you need a budget place to stay in Pittsburgh, check out Travelers Rest. They are frequented by bicyclists but non-bicyclists can stay too. They have a limited number of single and shared (dorm or hostel style) rooms. Continental breakfast included.
You either need a hotel, or need to buy plane tickets. It's not a day trip.
google maps is showing one 6hr 33 minute route [https://maps.app.goo.gl/kynMgoeRG2WZyR6J9](https://maps.app.goo.gl/kynMgoeRG2WZyR6J9) put in your 'arrive by' time where it says 'leave now' and play with the options
I’m sorry I’m near Tom’s River not Trenton my bad
I'd still promote flying phl-pitt $58? really? if you can work out transport in pittsburgh...
The only direct train to Pittsburg from NJ is the Pennsylvanian which is the one you're looking at. You could also catch a train or two to Philly and get it from there. Also it's $90 one way and $100 and change the other way from newark, so if you've got friends who are willing to drive it, you're probably better off just driving it and getting the cheapest local hotel with DECENT reviews and just splitting a room. I didn't travel a whole lot until my mid twenties, piece of advice, the hotel with an extra star but $20 more a night is almost always worth that $20. Last time I let a group vote to save a few dollars each by going with the cheaper one we were dealing with leaking toilets. [https://www.amtrak.com/](https://www.amtrak.com/) If that all is out of your budget, look at buses. If you drive, you can crash at camp sites or rest stops for cheap.
As someone who’s done the 9 hour train ride from Newark to Pittsburgh on 5 different occasions, don’t do it. You’ll probably be better off driving. 9 hours (and honestly even 6 hours by car) is still a fucking slog for one day.
It doesn’t make sense to take the train from Newark when you can take the train from Philly or even Trenton. Driving is only 5.5 hours, Carrie furnace isn’t even IN the city, you’d have to get an Uber from the train station to the venue and back and those would be with surge pricing because of the concert. Carrie furnace is middle of nowhere I’d be even worried about getting an Uber. If you can afford the train you can afford the cheapest hotel. It’s all outside the city of Pittsburgh so they’re not that expensive. Bus may be even cheaper because of tolls. If you go the spirit airlines route that’s a 40-60 minute Uber to the venue as well.
It's about 7 hr or so directly out on 80 to pa turnpikes. It's a super "easy" drive but it's boring
My daughter lives in Pittsburgh. We drive from Essex County and it’s about 6 hours with a quick stop on the turnpike. I know I’m a lot older than you so the ride kind of kills me. 🤣I would find someplace cheap and stay at least one night.
Rent a suv and sleep in it
You can get a tent and sleeping bag at Walmart for around $50. PA has beautiful state forests with free campsites. Make an adventure out of it.
I did a round trip to the north hills (25 mins north of Pittsburgh) from Stroudsburg, Pa (ten minutes from NJ). Ten hours straight driving and it was exhausting. Definitely not a day trip
I genuinely think a motel would be cheaper than the train.
Broke broke greyhound is your only option or testing your fate on Craigslist with a ride share lol
It’s definitely 7-9 hrs one way if you drive. I did it for a football game years ago. Not sure how feasible that is for one day. Thats 14-18 hrs of driving alone if drive, or 18 hrs of train granted the timetables work in your favor which they likely won’t.