There are more than one way to get to Fire Island.
Ferries
Ferries are the typical means of transportation to get in and out of fire island.
Bridge to Fire Island
Many people don't know that they can also get to Fire Island by car.
Transportation Continued
Now that the twenty first century has begun, it is clear that natural storms, such as earthquake and hurricanes, can affect our biodiversity and have a big impact on our environment – with the potential to destroy whole landscapes. For instance, because Fire Island is a small island in the middle of New York, it can suffer many consequences because of storms. However, Fire Island is still one of the best vacations spots in New York. So, it is imperative that Fire Island be restructured and fixed as soon as possible after Hurricane Sandy demolished a lot of the island. Therefore, the island can reap the benefits of tourists as soon as possible as the summer comes around again.
A vacation in Fire Island feels secluded from the city and the business world. When vising the island, tourists are able to forget their problems and relax. It is only 60 miles away from the city but if felt like we are in a paradise – almost like we were in the countryside. Manhattan is one of the biggest tourism centers in the World. Therefore, the city should have more advertisements about Fire Island and the beauty and serenity offered to tourists – it could be a getaway from all the hustle and bustle of the city. The Ads can target a plethora of people who visit the city everyday - not just citizens of New York but for visitors as well who are looking for a vacation on weekends or during the Summer time. A lot of people don’t know about Fire Island.
Transportation Information
Two hours by car, or the same amount of time by Long Island Railroad, will transport you to one of the Long Island South Shore, Villages of Bay Shore, Sayville or Patchogue from which point your ferry will take you to your magical retreat.
Water travel involves either boating across the Great South Bay, which allows the freedom to make port of call at the island communities (if docking space is available), or flying by seaplane, the quickest, most direct means of transportation. Seaplane transport offers the greatest aesthetic value, a 30-minute airborne adventure over land and water, taxing into the Great South Bay and alighting in the shallow waters. Complete detailed directions how to get to Fire Island by auto, train, seaplane and airplane via Long Island MacArthur Airport follows.
The western Fire Island communities, Kismet, Saltaire, Fair Harbor, Atlantique, Dunewood, Ocean Beach, Seaview and Point O'Woods are served by direct service from Bay Shore. The ferry at River Rd. Sayville serves the communities of Cherry Grove, Fire Island Pines, Barrett Beach and Sailors Haven; the Davis Park-Ocean Ridge ferry runs from Patchogue. The Watch Hill community also receives service through the Davis Park ferry.
All telephone area codes are 516 unless otherwise indicated.
AIR
Air transportation and a spectacular view of the City and its sprawling environs are now available through ExcelAire. ExcelAire floatplanes also referred to as seaplanes, depart from Manhattan at the 23rd Street Skyport located on the East River enroute to Fire Island Pines arriving within 30 minutes.
The seaplane can accommodate up to three adults. Flights are arranged at your convenience, but ExcelAire suggests that reservations be made a minimum of three days in advance, especially on weekends.
The amphibious floatplanes are capable of landing at any of the major airports, Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark as well as the Great South Bay. Maximizes time at the office and the beach, skip the traffic and have a great view.
Incidently, ExcelAire operates worldwide corporate jets, which include Gulfstream, Falcon 900 and will provide charter service in a Learjet, Citationjet or Helicopter. For additional information, contact Paul Schulte.
The Town of Islip's Long Island MacArthur Airport is four miles north of the Sayville ferry dock, seven from Patchogue, and eight from Bay Shore.
Directions to Islip's Long Island MacArthur Airport -- traveling West to East on the Long Island Expressway Routed 495 use exit 57 South to the service road, go to the second light on the service road and turn right which will be Veterans Highway. It is approximately 5 miles to the entrance of the airport, which is Johnson Avenue, which is identified by a large overhead sign at the entrance to the airport. When traveling west to East of southern State Parkway, get off at 44E on the Sunrise Highway, which is Rt. 27, then travel 5 miles to Johnson Avenue in Sayville. Turn left on Johnson Avenue, which leads directly into the airport entrance road after the second light.
When traveling to MacArthur airport on the sunrise highway, get off at Exit 51, within a short distance on the service road the road forks to the right and it becomes Route 450 for the Veterans Highway. Traveling approximately 2 miles you will see a large overhead sign just prior to the entrance to the airport at which time you turn right onto Johnson Avenue into the main airport. Traveling East to West on the Long Island Expressway Route 495 get off at exit 60, turn left off the service road to the 2nd light onto Ronkonkoma Avenue. Once you travel over a bridge, Ronkonkoma Avenue becomes Smithtown Avenue. At the next light turn left onto Lakeland Avenue then turn left again at the next light onto the Veterans Memorial Highway. On the Veterans Memorial Highway travel 2 lights until you reach Johnson Avenue and then make a left turn into the main entrance at the airport.
BY CAR
An observer of the jammed ferry-terminal parking lots in Bay Shore, Sayville and Patchogue would probably conclude that the cost of gasoline has not affected the summers on Fire Island. For the carless and those who wish to conserve energy and leave the cluttered roads of Long Island to others, major taxi companies provide scheduled station wagons, vans, taxis and 7 passenger Cadillac limousines which shuttle to and from New York. Weekenders are advised to travel as much before 3 p.m. on Friday as possible and before 10 a.m. to avert traffic congestion.
Manhattan is the starting point for the routes offered below and mileage figures are based from there. Travelers from northern N.J., the Bronx, Westchester and beyond, will make the quickest travel time by avoiding Manhattan and using Bronx-Queens bridge connections.
Through the center and northern sections of Long Island the two main routes are the Long Island Expressway and the Grand Central-Northern State Parkway. The latter is a circuitous, narrow route, while the wide Long Island Expressway offers the most speed despite heavy truck traffic. Along the South Shore the best route to the ferry towns is via the Southern State Parkway (if there's no Jones Beach traffic to contend with).
By Car: To reach the Fire Island ferries in Bay Shore, Sayville and Patchogue, L.I., by car from Manhattan, take the Long Island Expressway to Exit 53 (Bay Shore), Exit 59 (Sayville) or Exit 63 (Patchogue).
By Train: The Long Island Railroad still flourishes as the most widely used and, really, the most responsible means of travel to Fire Island. Unless you live in Tahiti, this is one of the best getaways currently available. And all you need to get there is a train ticket for the Long Island Rail Road. You'll quickly be on Fire Island without seeing one brake light. (Well, you might see a few if you look out the window near a highway.) To make the trip even faster and even more convenient, they have added extra trains for the summer season. To stretch your weekend, stay at the beach Sunday night and take their early morning train back to the city on Monday. You'll be back in plenty of time for work.
The Long Island Rail Road provides daily service from Penn Station to the three towns; one-way fares range from $6 to $7 on off-peak trains, $9.50 to $10.75 for peak hour trains; children 5 to 11 years old pay 50 cents during off-peak hours, one half of the adult fare during peak hours; children under 5 ride free at all times. The trains leave Penn Station every 30 to 60 minutes, beginning at 6:36 weekdays and at 7:15 A.M. on Saturdays and Sundays. The ferry terminal at Patchogue is within walking distance of the railroad station and the ferries at Bay shore and Sayville are a short taxi ride away. The railroad also offers daily excursions to the Watch Hill and Sunken Forest beaches and to Robert Moses State Park on Fire Island; these include a round-trip train ride.
The posh-oriented can ride between Manhattan and any ferry dock in air-conditioned luxury stretch limousine's, no less.
Taxis meet all trains, and transport passengers and baggage to the ferry docks.
BUSES
If you like riding with a lot of people but don't approve of standing all the way to Bay Shore on the L.I.R.R., you can travel back and forth to the ferries on an air-conditioned bus.
The service is provided by Islanders' Club between New York and Sayville for Cherry Grove and the Pines. Cocktails are served members, and your seat is by reservations.
FERRIES AND WATER TAXIS
Ferry Schedules are made to coincide with train arrivals, allowing time for the taxi to bring passengers from station to dock. The ferries generally wait when trains are delayed, but don't count on it!
If you're racing to make the very last boat listed in our schedules, take half a minute longer to make sure that the ferry is, indeed, returning that evening.
In general, most communities are directly serviced by a ferry or are within walking distance of the ferry dock in an adjoining community. There are, in addition, water taxis which make special trips on a round-the-clock basis; Special water taxis are available, 24 hours a day, weather permitting, if you miss the regularly scheduled ferries; and there are those craving adventure, who prefer them even when the bigger craft are running.
Bay Shore Ferries, off Montauk Highway (Main Street). Operates ferries year round to Ocean Beach, Fair Harbor, Dunewood, Atlantique, Kismet, Saltaire, Ocean Bay Park and Seaview.
Patchogue Ferries, operates ferries to Davis Park and Watch Hill in the National Seashore park from two ferry terminals in Patchogue: at Country Road 19 (for Watch Hill) and County Road 83 (Davis Park). and 6:20 A.M. to 10:30 P.M. Mondays through Thursdays.
A vacation in Fire Island feels secluded from the city and the business world. When vising the island, tourists are able to forget their problems and relax. It is only 60 miles away from the city but if felt like we are in a paradise – almost like we were in the countryside. Manhattan is one of the biggest tourism centers in the World. Therefore, the city should have more advertisements about Fire Island and the beauty and serenity offered to tourists – it could be a getaway from all the hustle and bustle of the city. The Ads can target a plethora of people who visit the city everyday - not just citizens of New York but for visitors as well who are looking for a vacation on weekends or during the Summer time. A lot of people don’t know about Fire Island.
Transportation Information
Two hours by car, or the same amount of time by Long Island Railroad, will transport you to one of the Long Island South Shore, Villages of Bay Shore, Sayville or Patchogue from which point your ferry will take you to your magical retreat.
Water travel involves either boating across the Great South Bay, which allows the freedom to make port of call at the island communities (if docking space is available), or flying by seaplane, the quickest, most direct means of transportation. Seaplane transport offers the greatest aesthetic value, a 30-minute airborne adventure over land and water, taxing into the Great South Bay and alighting in the shallow waters. Complete detailed directions how to get to Fire Island by auto, train, seaplane and airplane via Long Island MacArthur Airport follows.
The western Fire Island communities, Kismet, Saltaire, Fair Harbor, Atlantique, Dunewood, Ocean Beach, Seaview and Point O'Woods are served by direct service from Bay Shore. The ferry at River Rd. Sayville serves the communities of Cherry Grove, Fire Island Pines, Barrett Beach and Sailors Haven; the Davis Park-Ocean Ridge ferry runs from Patchogue. The Watch Hill community also receives service through the Davis Park ferry.
All telephone area codes are 516 unless otherwise indicated.
AIR
Air transportation and a spectacular view of the City and its sprawling environs are now available through ExcelAire. ExcelAire floatplanes also referred to as seaplanes, depart from Manhattan at the 23rd Street Skyport located on the East River enroute to Fire Island Pines arriving within 30 minutes.
The seaplane can accommodate up to three adults. Flights are arranged at your convenience, but ExcelAire suggests that reservations be made a minimum of three days in advance, especially on weekends.
The amphibious floatplanes are capable of landing at any of the major airports, Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark as well as the Great South Bay. Maximizes time at the office and the beach, skip the traffic and have a great view.
Incidently, ExcelAire operates worldwide corporate jets, which include Gulfstream, Falcon 900 and will provide charter service in a Learjet, Citationjet or Helicopter. For additional information, contact Paul Schulte.
The Town of Islip's Long Island MacArthur Airport is four miles north of the Sayville ferry dock, seven from Patchogue, and eight from Bay Shore.
Directions to Islip's Long Island MacArthur Airport -- traveling West to East on the Long Island Expressway Routed 495 use exit 57 South to the service road, go to the second light on the service road and turn right which will be Veterans Highway. It is approximately 5 miles to the entrance of the airport, which is Johnson Avenue, which is identified by a large overhead sign at the entrance to the airport. When traveling west to East of southern State Parkway, get off at 44E on the Sunrise Highway, which is Rt. 27, then travel 5 miles to Johnson Avenue in Sayville. Turn left on Johnson Avenue, which leads directly into the airport entrance road after the second light.
When traveling to MacArthur airport on the sunrise highway, get off at Exit 51, within a short distance on the service road the road forks to the right and it becomes Route 450 for the Veterans Highway. Traveling approximately 2 miles you will see a large overhead sign just prior to the entrance to the airport at which time you turn right onto Johnson Avenue into the main airport. Traveling East to West on the Long Island Expressway Route 495 get off at exit 60, turn left off the service road to the 2nd light onto Ronkonkoma Avenue. Once you travel over a bridge, Ronkonkoma Avenue becomes Smithtown Avenue. At the next light turn left onto Lakeland Avenue then turn left again at the next light onto the Veterans Memorial Highway. On the Veterans Memorial Highway travel 2 lights until you reach Johnson Avenue and then make a left turn into the main entrance at the airport.
BY CAR
An observer of the jammed ferry-terminal parking lots in Bay Shore, Sayville and Patchogue would probably conclude that the cost of gasoline has not affected the summers on Fire Island. For the carless and those who wish to conserve energy and leave the cluttered roads of Long Island to others, major taxi companies provide scheduled station wagons, vans, taxis and 7 passenger Cadillac limousines which shuttle to and from New York. Weekenders are advised to travel as much before 3 p.m. on Friday as possible and before 10 a.m. to avert traffic congestion.
Manhattan is the starting point for the routes offered below and mileage figures are based from there. Travelers from northern N.J., the Bronx, Westchester and beyond, will make the quickest travel time by avoiding Manhattan and using Bronx-Queens bridge connections.
Through the center and northern sections of Long Island the two main routes are the Long Island Expressway and the Grand Central-Northern State Parkway. The latter is a circuitous, narrow route, while the wide Long Island Expressway offers the most speed despite heavy truck traffic. Along the South Shore the best route to the ferry towns is via the Southern State Parkway (if there's no Jones Beach traffic to contend with).
By Car: To reach the Fire Island ferries in Bay Shore, Sayville and Patchogue, L.I., by car from Manhattan, take the Long Island Expressway to Exit 53 (Bay Shore), Exit 59 (Sayville) or Exit 63 (Patchogue).
By Train: The Long Island Railroad still flourishes as the most widely used and, really, the most responsible means of travel to Fire Island. Unless you live in Tahiti, this is one of the best getaways currently available. And all you need to get there is a train ticket for the Long Island Rail Road. You'll quickly be on Fire Island without seeing one brake light. (Well, you might see a few if you look out the window near a highway.) To make the trip even faster and even more convenient, they have added extra trains for the summer season. To stretch your weekend, stay at the beach Sunday night and take their early morning train back to the city on Monday. You'll be back in plenty of time for work.
The Long Island Rail Road provides daily service from Penn Station to the three towns; one-way fares range from $6 to $7 on off-peak trains, $9.50 to $10.75 for peak hour trains; children 5 to 11 years old pay 50 cents during off-peak hours, one half of the adult fare during peak hours; children under 5 ride free at all times. The trains leave Penn Station every 30 to 60 minutes, beginning at 6:36 weekdays and at 7:15 A.M. on Saturdays and Sundays. The ferry terminal at Patchogue is within walking distance of the railroad station and the ferries at Bay shore and Sayville are a short taxi ride away. The railroad also offers daily excursions to the Watch Hill and Sunken Forest beaches and to Robert Moses State Park on Fire Island; these include a round-trip train ride.
The posh-oriented can ride between Manhattan and any ferry dock in air-conditioned luxury stretch limousine's, no less.
Taxis meet all trains, and transport passengers and baggage to the ferry docks.
BUSES
If you like riding with a lot of people but don't approve of standing all the way to Bay Shore on the L.I.R.R., you can travel back and forth to the ferries on an air-conditioned bus.
The service is provided by Islanders' Club between New York and Sayville for Cherry Grove and the Pines. Cocktails are served members, and your seat is by reservations.
FERRIES AND WATER TAXIS
Ferry Schedules are made to coincide with train arrivals, allowing time for the taxi to bring passengers from station to dock. The ferries generally wait when trains are delayed, but don't count on it!
If you're racing to make the very last boat listed in our schedules, take half a minute longer to make sure that the ferry is, indeed, returning that evening.
In general, most communities are directly serviced by a ferry or are within walking distance of the ferry dock in an adjoining community. There are, in addition, water taxis which make special trips on a round-the-clock basis; Special water taxis are available, 24 hours a day, weather permitting, if you miss the regularly scheduled ferries; and there are those craving adventure, who prefer them even when the bigger craft are running.
Bay Shore Ferries, off Montauk Highway (Main Street). Operates ferries year round to Ocean Beach, Fair Harbor, Dunewood, Atlantique, Kismet, Saltaire, Ocean Bay Park and Seaview.
Patchogue Ferries, operates ferries to Davis Park and Watch Hill in the National Seashore park from two ferry terminals in Patchogue: at Country Road 19 (for Watch Hill) and County Road 83 (Davis Park). and 6:20 A.M. to 10:30 P.M. Mondays through Thursdays.