I Tried the Ultra Chic New Way to Get from NYC to the Hamptons
I mean, can you really put a price on peace of mind?
Since the late 1800s, the Hamptons have been the place to summer in the Northeast. The idyllic string of seaside communities on Long Island are like a siren call to vacationers looking for soft sand beaches, a bubbling social scene, opulent oceanfront mansions, and Americana pastimes like tennis and polo.
But one thing that makes these summer getaways less than luxurious is getting there. Public transit options include crowded Amtrak trains or the Hampton Jitney bus—which, at the minimum, entails a three-to-four-hour journey, nevermind the frequent delays. And even if you have your own car or decide to rent one for the weekend, you’re dealing with the where, when, and how of it all, plus the struggle for parking once you get out east.
So in the case that you have a little extra budget to work with, Blacklane chauffeur service is now offering a new City-to-Beach route. This means riding in both comfort and style at any time and from any address in New York City to your Montauk or East Hampton destination. The chariot that awaits you will be one of the company’s many luxurious sedans and SUVs (sporting brands like Cadillac, BMW, and Mercedes), all of which are outfitted with courteous drivers, pristine interiors, spacious seating, and complimentary bottled water.
You may have seen Blacklane cars around the city before. They typically offer routes between major cities like New York City to Philadelphia and Miami to Palm Beach. But after collecting data that showed that “34% of travelers have experienced a flight or train delay in the past 12 months; 49 percent plan to go to the beach up to five times this summer; and nearly half of Americans cited these unexpected setbacks as the biggest turn-off when planning vacations,” the company decided to add a beach route this summer.
Never having taken a Blacklane chauffeur ride, I decided to try the bougie accommodation for myself. I scheduled an 11 am pickup for myself and my bestie from our apartment in Manhattan. After squeezing in an early morning pilates class and putting the finishing touches on my (unsurprisingly) overpacked suitcase around 10:15 am, I received a text from the chauffeur notifying me that he was on my street, with an emphasis that there was no rush to meet him. At 11:05 am, we made our way downstairs. A sleek, black Suburban and a friendly driver ready to grab our bags were waiting for us.
As we made our way out of the city, the driver reminded us that there were water bottles available to us and asked us if we had any music requests. We opted for the already playing smooth jazz—there’s something mindlessly comforting about the melodic tunes.
I started up my phone’s hotspot and plugged away at some upcoming stories on my laptop. My friend—on PTO—took a nap, scrolled through TikTok, and gazed out her window at the verdant scenery. Since both of us are prone to car sickness, we acknowledged the benefits of the car’s smooth drive and comfortable captain seats. Only hitting a few pockets of light traffic along the way, we pulled up to our lodgings—the chic Gurney’s Montauk—three hours later.
Two days later, after enjoying the hotel’s beachfront amenities (you can’t beat those End of the World ocean views) and exploring Montauk’s cute selection of small businesses (we miss you and your gluten-free wraps, Joni’s), our driver arrived for our scheduled pickup and we headed back to the city. A similar vibe to our first chauffeur experience followed—distraction-free remote working and comfortable naptime.
In short, Blacklane delivers. For $345 to $650 per ride—depending on type of car and pickup/dropoff location—these chauffeured rides offer a totally curated experience that elevates your Hamptons vacation from start to finish. I mean, who doesn’t want to have complete control over your transportation’s departure, temp, music, and companions? Especially when taking an Uber Black affords you less perks at the same cost—averaging more than $600 from Manhattan to Montauk.
Travelers can also book Blacklane cars for hourly rides, whether it's to shop around, go to dinner, or head home from a night on the town.
And the Hamptons isn’t the only destination available. City-to-Beach routes are also offered in Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, Palm Springs, Philadelphia, and San Francisco.
My major takeaway from this Blacklane experience is: It’s hard to put a price on peace of mind—but apparently, it’s at least a few hundred dollars.