All summer long, I anticipated my long-awaited concert of the summer, Bruno Mars’ The Romantic Tour. I purchased the tickets all the way back in January, so Aug. 21 couldn’t come soon enough. However, I’m from Connecticut, and I purchased tickets for MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. A trip was on the horizon.
I’ve been to multiple concerts at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Last year at Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres Tour, it took over two hours to leave the parking lot, as it’s a one way street in and out of the stadium. I had work the next day, and ended up getting home at 3 a.m., so that was not an easy morning for me.
So for this concert, I decided to try and take public transport from Connecticut to MetLife. Let’s see how I did it!
Use your u-Pass
As University of Connecticut students, every single one of us is able to claim free a U-Pass, allowing us to take CT Rail, CT Transit Buses, and Metro-North Lines inside the borders of Connecticut. U-Passes last for six months, and all you have to do is search up UConn U-Pass and fill out your information to get it sent right to you!
First, I took the CT Rail Hartford Line, which travels between Springfield and New Haven, making stops in Windsor Locks, Windsor, Hartford, Berlin, Meriden, Wallingford, New Haven State Street, and New Haven Union Station. I utilize their website linked above to navigate the train times.
I drove my car about 10 minutes to the Berlin station and hopped on. This ride was completely free with my U-Pass. The ride was about 38 minutes long.
Next, I got off at New Haven Union Station, where I boarded a Metro North train to Grand Central Station in Manhattan. When you are using a U-Pass, you only purchase a ticket from Greenwich (the last stop in Connecticut), to Grand Central. A round trip ticket off-peak (pretty much any time that isn’t the morning and evening rush hours), is relatively inexpensive.
The ride from New Haven Union Station is approximately 110-125 minutes long, and in my experience, Metro North is quite reliable for being on time. The train from Greenwich to Grand Central roundtrip costs $23.50 for off-peak hours.
Navigating NEw York
I then arrived in New York! But here is when things get a little more complicated. To get to MetLife from New York City, you have to walk or subway from Grand Central to Penn Station in order to board the New Jersey Line. It’s a 1.2 mile walk, about 20-25 minutes long on average.
Utilizing free transit apps such as Transit, NJ Transit, or Metro North will help streamline your trip, allowing you to see accurate train arrival times and departures. When you have train line apps, you can easily purchase your tickets on your phone, and don’t have to worry about paying at the station or on the train.
Last Stop: New Jersey
When I arrived to Penn Station, I navigated to the New Jersey railroad section. Here, you are going to take the New Jersey Transit Line, and get off at the first station called Secaucus Junction.
Now, on game or concert days, MetLife has a train called Meadowlands Station, which runs well before and after the concert. The train can get very packed on the way back, but they have a lot of them running, so there is no need to rush out after the show.
The best part is, the train from Penn Station to Meadowlands costs only $12.90 for a round trip! You’ve made it!
Your overall price of travel is $36.40 when using your U-Pass from Connecticut. Be sure to account for how much time you need. I left at 12:30 p.m. to get to New Jersey for 5 p.m. Other popular venues in the area are Madison Square Garden in New York City, and Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, both with public transport options. The best part of the train is you don’t have to do any of the driving, saving you time, gas money, and reducing your carbon emissions.
Getting to Bruno Mars without all of the hassle of driving and parking was extremely simple, and allowed me to enjoy the amazing show stress free. So next time you want to head to a concert, think about using public transportation to get there and back!