Beat the Traffic: The Fastest Way to Get to The Hamptons
by Ellie Smith / June 27, 2025
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
A long weekend break in the Hamptons is any New Yorker’s dream, but when everyone has the same dream, traffic becomes a nightmare. If you're trying to avoid the worst of Hamptons traffic, your choice of transport can make all the difference. Here are the main ways to get there from the city if you don’t want to drive:
Long Island Rail Road (LIRR): Trains run from Penn Station to several Hamptons towns, including Southampton, East Hampton, and Montauk. Expect a ride of around 3 hours, with crowds common on weekends.
Hampton Jitney / Hampton Luxury Liner: These bus services operate from Manhattan and offer multiple daily departures. Travel times vary, but delays are likely during peak hours.
Chartered helicopter or seaplane: Flights from Manhattan to East Hampton typically take 30 - 45 minutes and run on limited schedules.
Private chauffeured service: For ultimate convenience and flexibility, a Blacklane ride offers door-to-door comfort backed by over a decade of experience navigating NYC’s traffic patterns and weekend rushes.
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How far is The Hamptons from New York City?
The distance from New York City to The Hamptons is approximately 100 miles, which can take 2-3 hours depending on traffic conditions.
Since we offer city to city rides between New York City and East Hampton, Montauk, Greenport, and Southampton, we analyzed the median drive times for thousands of rides taken between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend in 2021, and found some pretty big differences:
Tip #1: Extend your weekend in a different direction
While in theory it makes sense to leave a little early to get more out of your weekend, it turns out most other New Yorkers have the same idea.
Our figures for Tuesday and Wednesday reveal an untapped opportunity to avoid traffic. Instead of taking Thursday and Friday off to extend your trip, consider starting your trip earlier, and perhaps adding a couple days after the weekend.
Tip #2: Choose your departure time wisely
The time you choose to leave can also be the difference between a quick, leisurely drive and a frustrating, traffic-heavy crawl.
According to our analysis of median ride durations, the most congested window is between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., when travel time peaks at 2 hours and 21 minutes. By contrast, those departing between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. enjoy the quickest journey, with a median duration of just 58 minutes. Early risers who leave between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. can also expect relatively smooth sailing, with a median trip of 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Tip #3: Book a Blacklane!
You knew it was coming… but seriously, by booking your chauffeured ride with Blacklane, you won’t have to face Hamptons traffic yourself, just leave from New York City in comfort and let someone else handle the hassle. As per our data, Thursday and Friday are the most popular days to take a Blacklane to the Hamptons, so booking ahead means one less thing to worry about.
With our top-tier sedans as well as larger SUVs or Vans for groups, there’s an option for everyone, and you can feel good about your footprint since all our rides are carbon offset. Just choose the best time for you, and leave the driving to the professionals. Plus, if your plans change you can easily change your booking or cancel for free up until 24 hours before any city to city ride.
Download the Blacklane app today to be able to book rides not just in the NYC area, but also across the U.S. and over 50 more countries.
