The Almanac · The reckoning
The ledger.
All seven passages on one page, cheapest first. Time is typical and non-peak; the summer Friday wall on NY-27 lengthens every road-bound passage and leaves the rail and the air alone.
| Passage | Door-to-door | Fare | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-Drive Your own wheels, the Expressway, and the parking math. | 2 h – 3 h 30 m | Free–$160 per day + gas/tolls | Read → |
| LIRR Train Penn or Grand Central to the Montauk Branch. | 2 h 30 m – 3 h 45 m | $24–$33 per person | Read → |
| The Shelter Island Ferry Crossing No direct boat — the real water route runs through Shelter Island. | 3 h 30 m – 4 h 30 m | $33–$60 ferry tolls + fuel | Read → |
| Hampton Jitney (Coach) The South Fork institution, boarded on the Upper East Side. | 2 h 45 m – 3 h 45 m | $41–$49 per person | Read → |
| Private Black-Car Transfer Your Manhattan door to your East End door, no transfers. | 2 h – 3 h | $290–$560 per car | Read → |
| Helicopter Forty minutes of air over four hours of road. | 1 h – 1 h 20 m | $595–$4,770 per seat / charter | Read → |
| Seaplane Off the East River, onto the East End — water to water. | 1 h 10 m – 1 h 40 m | $595–$795 per seat | Read → |
How to read it
The cheapest passages — the train and the Jitney — are also the slowest and leave you a last mile from your door. The fastest — helicopter and seaplane — cost the most and depend on weather. The black car is the only one that is both door-to-door and weatherproof, which is what you pay for.
Use the reckoner to narrow the seven to the two or three that fit your trip.