Long Island extends east of New York City. It has a varied landscape and is home to the famous Hamptons. It’s well worth the road trip with our discount car rentals in Manhattan. However, you will need a car to get around. Our guide on how to get around with our discount car rentals Manhattan will help.
Know Your Surroundings
Before you head off with your discount car rentals Manhattan friends, know the layout of the land. Long Island is 5 times longer than its width. It has several roads running its 110-mile length, making east-west traveling easy. North or south is another story, as it involves driving east or west to the desired north-south route and then east-west again.
Tip: only vehicles with passenger plates are permitted on the Long Island parkways. Commercial or truck plates will be ticketed.
East-West Routes
There are seven highways running east-west for you to explore with your discount car rentals Manhattan.
- Ocean Parkway: this runs east and west on Fire Island between the south end of Meadowbrook State Parkway and Captree State Park. This route is scenic and popular among those looking to avoid rush hour traffic on the Southern State Parkway.
- Montauk Highway (NY Route 27A): This is the southernmost main, it runs from Freeport to Montauk. It is a bit of a slower drive, but it makes up for it in the scenery.
- Sunrise Highway (NY Route 27): this runs just north of Montauk Highway. This highway gets very wide in Nassau County but suffers from congestion problems.
- Southern State Parkway: Southern State Parkway runs just north of Sunrise Highway and ends in East Islip. This road is limited access, but you can make a very good time on it. If you want to continue east, get off at the Sunrise Highway exit.
- Long Island Expressway (I-495): this highway has earned the affectionate term of “parking lot” during rush hour. The LIE runs through the middle of Long Island and is the quickest way to get to Riverhead or Wine Country. At off times, the road moves quickly.
- NY Route 25: This runs north of the expressway and will take you from Queens Village to Orient Point. Folks from Nassau County call it the Jericho Turnpike. It’s a very slow road through Nassau and Suffolk.
- NY Route 25a: This is the equivalent of Montauk Highway. It’s slow, but you get to see every single town.
North-South Routes
There are eight highways running north-south for you to explore with your discount car rentals Manhattan.
- Cross Island Parkway: the westernmost parkway on Long Island, it borders Queens and Nassau. On the north end, you can access Throgs Neck and Whitestones Bridges. On the south end, you can access Sunrise Highway, the Belt Parkway and JFK Airport.
- Meadowbrook State Parkway: this is 7 miles east of the Cross Island and runs between Northern State Parkway and Jones Beach.
- Seaford-Oysterbay Expressway (NY Route 135): Due to its long name, Long Islanders refer to this as S.O.B. The S.O.B. gets you from Montauk Highway in Seaford to Jericho Turnpike (25) in Woodbury.
- Bethpage State Parkway: this creates a shortcut through Massapequa and Bethpage via the Southern State and the S.O.B.
- Sagtikos State Parkway / Sunken Meadow Parkway: (“The Sag”) runs down the middle of Long Island between Southern State and Northern State. Upon crossing Northern State it becomes Sunken Meadow Parkway. It terminates in Sunken Meadow State Park. It runs down to Robert Moses State Park on Fire Island.
- Nichols Road (CR 97): runs from Sunrise Highway in Bluepoint to 25A in Stony Brook and Setauket. This is a fast-moving road and a great way to get across the island.
- William Floyd Parkway (CR 46): easternmost parkway and runs from 25A in East Shoreham to Smith Point Park on Fire Island. This road is your last chance to cross Long Island before reaching the Hamptons, Riverhead, or the north fork.