I adore Woodbury Common! Even though it is outside the city, I shop there frequently. The selection of stores is fantastic, and the prices can’t be beat.
I mostly shop for clothes and shoes at Woodbury, but I often find great deals on housewares and accessories there too.
My most recent scores were a beautiful watch at 60% off, and a pair of Ray-Bans for about $50.
There are some tricks to know to have the best possible experience, whether you choose to get there by bus, train, or car.
This post has all the details on how to get to Woodbury Common Outlet by bus, including special deals on transportation. I also go over how to get there by car and train.
I will walk through my experience taking a Tour America bus, as well as the ins and outs of other bus companies, and other transit options, so you can decide which one is right for you!
You will see tips and notes throughout based on my experiences.
No matter what transit option you choose, there are some FAQs and overall tips for visiting at the end of the post.
For opinions and advice on Woodbury Common, go to the bottom of this post and see what some of the roughly 255k members of our NYC Travel Tips Facebook Group have to say.
The group consists of locals, regular visitors to NYC, and newbies to the city. You don't need to join the group to read the comments.
So why not check the group out when you are done with this post? You can even post a question yourself!
- What is Woodbury Common
- Bus Tickets
- Pick-up Locations
- Woodbury Common Bus Schedule
- Other Transportation Options
- FAQs
Disclosure: While our recommendations are always unbiased, we may receive a small share of sales through some of the links below at no cost to you. See the full text.
Woodbury Common Premium Outlet is the most well-known of the New York premium shopping outlets and has over 220 stores including many upscale stores.
Woodbury Common is just a quick trip from New York City and offers you the chance to shop a wide variety of stores in one location- often for better deals than you will find in the city itself.
Woodbury Common is in the town of Central Valley in New York State and is approximately a one-hour drive north of New York City (depending on traffic).
Its featured and most popular designer stores include Armani Outlet, Banana Republic Factory Store, Burberry, Christian Dior, Coach Outlet, Dolce & Gabbana, Ann Taylor, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Neiman Marcus Last Call, Adidas, Nike Factory Store, Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store, and Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th.
Premier children’s brands such as OshKosh B'gosh, Nautica Kids, and The Children’s Place Outlet are all a part of Woodbury Common as well, so you can get great kid’s stuff here as well!
Deals can definitely vary here, but generally, things will be anywhere from 25-65% off full retail.
NOTE: These are great discounts, but bear in mind that if you are talking about luxury brands, the prices aren’t necessarily cheap, but are a great deal for what you are getting.
If you are an avid shopper, this is one outing you don’t want to miss!
If you are spending the day here, you’ll likely get hungry. Fortunately, Woodbury Common has you covered there.
The Market Hall is filled with great food options. Don’t think “mall food court.” This is a cut above! There are also places scattered throughout Woodbury Common to grab a coffee or a snack.
Learn more on their website.
You can get there by bus, train, and car (if you have access to one or decide to rent one).
Keep reading to hear more about these options, so you can decide what is best for you!
Several bus services offer great deals that include not just transportation, but also other money-saving perks.
TIP: Don't forget to check Groupon for special deals on tickets for the bus to Woodbury Common.
Below I go through the bus options including my experience in taking one of them!
Tour America (and my experience!)
This company provides round-trip transportation to Woodbury Common, with several different departures and return times.
These tickets require you to reserve a seat on a specific bus at a specific time, with departure times starting at 8:30 a.m. and running until 11:30 a.m.
Return times start at 3 p.m. and run until 7:30 p.m.
Each ticket includes a VIP book of deals you can use to save money at multiple stores in the shopping center.
No matter which departure or return time you select, you’ll pay $42 for this ticket to and from Woodbury Common (children 3-11 are $30).
Purchase tickets or learn more.
My Experience with Tour America
I decided to use Tour America to take the bus to Woodbury Common.
Even though there are a lot of options, there were several things that helped me make this decision. Here are a couple of the main ones:
First, I wanted a company where I was reserving a seat on a specific bus.
Having been to Woodbury many times and seen the crowd at the bus plaza, I knew I didn’t want to worry about getting on the bus of my choice.
That said, I am local and can get to Woodbury Common as often as I like.
If you are a first-time visitor who wants the option of staying longer, this may not be the right choice for you.
Next, I also wanted a bus that didn’t pick up and drop off from Port Authority Bus Terminal.
Even though I live right off the subway line that goes there, I find navigating Port Authority to be stressful sometimes. But that is a personal preference!
Many travelers may like the convenience of leaving from the terminal (restrooms, places to buy a coffee, etc.)
Lastly, though not by any means a must-have, the free WiFi on the bus is nice!
The bus to Woodbury Common departs from 1651 Broadway (between 51st and 52nd). It is super easy to find- it is right in front of a McDonalds.
Because this is a reserved seat on a bus, I didn’t feel the need to get there crazy early. The company recommends 10 minutes before departure, which is what I did.
Not having to arrive way before was great, because I booked the 8:30 am bus!
I chose that one because I know that Woodbury Common gets really busy as the day goes on, so I wanted to get a few hours there in the morning before the crowds were heavy.
I also opted to go on a Wednesday. My biggest piece of advice, no matter how you choose to get there, is to go on a weekday if at all possible.
Woodbury Common is busy pretty much every day, but weekends are definitely the most crowded.
By midday on a weekend you will almost certainly see a line to get into the most popular stores.
I waited for a half hour once to get into the Nike store to buy some running shorts on a Saturday and vowed never again.
I think the bus would be simple to find, even for a first-time visitor to NYC.
Besides the McDonalds' landmark, there is a bus stop sign that says Woodbury, a company sign, and agents from the company there.
It was pretty hard to miss! The process of finding and boarding the bus was quick and streamlined.
I thought the bus was clean and comfortable, and the ride was pretty uneventful.
The trip to Woodbury took less than an hour and a half which is pretty average in my experience. It can be more or less, depending on the traffic.
But the great thing about going in the morning is that most traffic is heading into the city, not out. And the reverse will be true for the return trip!
The ticket includes a VIP Coupon booklet for the outlets, as well as a map. The coupon booklets are given by most bus companies, and they do offer some really good deals.
I highly recommend using some of your time on the bus to scan through the coupons to see what you might be able to use.
This is also a good time to look at the map and make a plan for what stores you want to see and in what order.
The coupon books are a really nice perk- I think most people will be able to get some savings from them, no matter what kind of shopper you are.
When we arrived at Woodbury Common, I was ready with a plan for which stores I was going to hit first! I had some nice hours shopping, as well as lunch in the Market Hall.
I had booked the earliest return time (3 pm), but those who want more hours there have several later options for return trips, up through 7:30 pm.
The pick-up for the return trip was Bus Plaza 2, used by several companies.
As with the morning trip, I didn’t feel like I needed to hang out there to stake out a place in line, since I had a reserved ticket.
I got there about 10 minutes before departure- same as in the morning. But you do want to make sure you are back in plenty of time so as not to miss your bus.
That is the one downside with reserved tickets. If you miss yours, you may have a hard time switching to a later one or may be charged a fee for doing so.
The return trip was equally pleasant to the morning trip, and from the looks of the bags being loaded on, some people had done some major shipping!
The drop-off location near Times Square was just a couple of blocks from my subway line, so it was easy and convenient for me to get home! Overall, a great experience, and one that suited my needs really well.
CitySights NY
This company offers one of the best deals on a shuttle bus to and from Woodbury Common.
They offer three different ticket options, allowing you to pick how and when you want to visit this shopping mall.
The cheapest option is their super saver ticket, but this ticket requires you to depart and return at fixed times to get the lowest price.
Alternatively, you can also choose a flex ticket which allows you to depart and return at your own pace for just a few dollars more.
Finally, their sights and shopping ticket includes both a flex ticket to Woodbury Common and a 48-hour hop-on hop-off bus tour in New York City.
Each ticket option includes a free booklet full of deals, allowing you to save even more money at the shopping center.
NOTE: As of Jan 2025, only the flex ticket option is currently available.
- Flex Tickets: $37/Adults | $26/Children
Purchase tickets or learn more.
This daily bus service departs from the Port Authority Bus Terminal at Gate 409.
Departure times for this service start at 8:30 a.m., and return times can run until about 8:30 p.m.
Present your e-ticket at the Shortline ticket counter located in the South wing of the Port Authority Bus Terminal, with the entrance on 41st Street and 8th Avenue, ground level, approximately 15-20 minutes before your preferred departure time.
They also offer buses from the following locations on weekdays:
- Rockefeller Plaza at 49th St: 8:30 am, 9 am
- 53rd St & 7th Ave: 8:45 am, 9:15 am
- Waldorf Astoria at 49th St & Lexington Ave: 8:30 am, 9 am
CitySights is a fantastic option for a lot of reasons, particularly if you are a first-time visitor to Woodbury Common.
The flexibility of not having to choose a specific departure/return may be a really good fit for some travelers.
You may want to keep your wakeup time flexible if you have late-night plans the day before.
If you have never been to Woodbury, you may find you want way more or less time there than you originally planned. CitySights can accommodate that.
If you are a shop-til-you-drop person, they also offer some of the latest return trip options!
The option of other pickup locations (on weekdays) is also great. You may find that one of these other options is much easier for you than Port Authority.
TIP: Use a Tourist Pass
If you are considering purchasing a New York City money-saving tourist attraction pass, the CitySights shuttle service to Woodbury Common is included in the Explorer Pass and the New York Sightseeing Pass.
Alternatively, you can also usually get $7 off with the New York Pass.
Each service also includes a VIP voucher booklet you can use to save even more money at the shopping center.
NOTE: Although this is an excellent option if you are already planning to purchase a tourist pass, it almost certainly won’t be worth buying one of these passes if you only intend to use it for this purpose.
But if you think you are interested in several of the attractions included with the pass, it is absolutely worth considering.
Gray Line
In addition to all the other services this company offers, they also provide a shuttle bus to Woodbury Common.
This round-trip bus ride to and from the shopping center is similar to other options on our list in that it includes a free booklet full of deals with hundreds of dollars in savings.
One of the advantages of choosing Gray Line is that they allow you to use the ticket anytime you want throughout the day- similar to the CitySights flex ticket.
This means you can depart for Woodbury Common and return to the city whenever you wish.
I have taken many friends and family members to Woodbury Common over the years. Generally, people are surprised by how large it is, and we spend more time there than they thought we would.
You may really want to give yourself that flexibility, especially if you are a first-timer!
The Gray Line Woodbury Common bus ticket is about $47 per person, and seating on their buses is provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Purchase tickets or learn more.
This bus departs from the Port Authority Bus Terminal on 42nd St at the corner of 8th Ave.
Departure times start at 8:30 am and run until 2:45 pm, while returns start at around 3:30 pm and run until close to 8 pm.
As you can see from the map below, there are several locations in Midtown Manhattan where bus companies depart.
The location with the most departures daily is Port Authority Bus Terminal, but there are ways to save money with at other departure locations.
Map of all pickup locations
- The green markers are locations with departures 7 days a week.
- The red markers are locations with departures from Monday to Friday only.
- When you click on a pin, information will pop up with pick-up and return times from that location.
Woodbury Common Bus Schedule from Port Authority
BY TRAIN FROM MANHATTAN AND NEW JERSEY
You can travel by train, but it may take you more time and may cost more money (depending on when you go) than taking a bus.
For those staying in New Jersey, the train might make more sense.
From New York Penn Station (located on West 33rd Street and 8th Avenue), purchase a ticket to Harriman Station.
This station is located along the Port Jervis Rail Line. The one-way fare from Penn Station to Harriman Station is $15.50 ($31 round-trip).
*Purchase your ticket BEFORE you board the train. Otherwise, you will have to pay an additional fee if you buy it on the train.
You can use this NJ Transit Trip Planner to get exact train schedules.
Once you arrive at the Harriman train station, you have two options to get to Woodbury Common:
On weekends only (excluding major holidays) you can take the Main Line Shuttle Trolley.
VERY IMPORTANT: There is only one-morning pick-up from Harriman Station at 10:28 a.m., arriving at Woodbury Common at 10:33 a.m.; and only one evening departure from Woodbury Common at 5:45 p.m., arriving at Harriman Station at 6:10 p.m. The Main Line fare is $1.60 each way.
When you arrive at the station, call an Uber or contact one of these taxi companies.
Taxi fare one way is approximately $8-$10.
- Village Taxi: 845-783-6112
- Monroe Taxi: 845-782-8141
- Woodbury Taxi: 845-662-1272
NOTE: Uber isn’t nearly as prevalent in this area as in the city, so you may have to wait for your ride. The taxi companies will probably be a bit faster but still plan on waiting for a few minutes. This isn’t Manhattan!
In my opinion, the train is just more of a hassle than taking a bus, and even if you can use the Main Line Shuttle, it isn’t much cheaper. But if you strongly prefer trains over buses, the option is definitely there!
RENTAL CAR TO WOODBURY COMMON
Woodbury Common Premium Outlets is located on Route 32 in Central Valley approximately one hour north of New York City.
Going by rental car could be the cheapest and most convenient, depending on your circumstances.
Rental rates for the day with insurance, gas (petrol), and insurance can be as cheap as $80/day, so if you have 3 or more people going, a car rental may be the way to go.
A car rental will obviously give you the most flexibility in deciding when to come and go.
Check out rental car prices with Expedia.
Directions
Main Route:
New York State Thruway (I-87) to Harriman, Exit 16.
Alternate Routes:
George Washington Bridge (upper level) to Palisades Interstate Parkway (north) to Route 6 West (Exit 18, Central Valley).
Exit onto Route 32 North (right turn at the traffic light); proceed to the center entrance on the right.
New York State Thruway (I-87 North) to Exit 15a onto Route 17 North. Continue approximately 15 miles onto Route 32 North; proceed to the center entrance on the right.
I have done this drive many times. Even though it is technically a little longer, I strongly prefer the Palisade route. It is beautiful and feels a lot less stressful.
There are no commercial trucks allowed on this road, and the traffic tends to be better. It only adds a few minutes to the drive and is well worth it.
TIP 1: If you have never driven in Manhattan, it can be stressful.
See if you can find a car rental pickup uptown on the west side- the closer to the George Washington Bridge, the better.
You will minimize the amount of time you will actually have to drive in the city. Hop on the bridge, stay in the right lane, and get directly onto the Palisades!
TIP 2: There are a couple of crazy intersections right as you get to Woodbury, and they can confuse people. Use a GPS, and take the exact lanes they tell you, and it will be fine!
Woodbury Common is huge, and the parking lots match it. Arrive early in the day if you want a closer parking spot.
Otherwise, you may end up carrying your shopping bags further than you’d like!
Car Rentals
If you rent a car from one of the below car companies, you will receive a free Savings Passport.
You must present your rental car key at the Woodbury Common Information Center. Check out some prices here.
- Dollar Car Rental (800) 800-4000
- Thrifty Car Rental (800) 847-4389
- Zipcar (866) 494-7227
What is the best day to visit Woodbury Common?
Weekdays (Monday to Friday) are typically less crowded than weekends (Saturday & Sunday), offering a more relaxed shopping experience.
Most days get crowded once you hit noon or after, so go in the morning on ANY day if you don’t like crowds.
Avoid major holidays for smaller crowds. But these holidays can bring special sales and promotions, so don’t rule them out!
Just arrive as early in the day as possible, for lighter crowds and better parking.
The best day ultimately depends on your preferences and priorities.
What is the busiest day to visit Woodbury Common?
The busiest day to visit Woodbury Common Outlet is typically on Saturdays and Sundays.
Holiday weekends and major shopping events can also lead to exceptionally high crowds.
It's best to avoid these peak times if you prefer a less crowded shopping experience.
On Saturdays and Sundays you will often see lines outside of Nike, Gucci, Burberry, and other popular stores.
How long does it take to get to Woodbury Common from NYC?
The travel time from New York City to Woodbury Common in Central Valley, New York, typically takes about 1 to 1.5 hours by car, depending on traffic conditions and the route you take.
If you opt for public transportation, a bus ride from Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan can take approx 1.5 to 2 hours.
Keep in mind that travel times may vary, so it's a good idea to check current traffic or bus schedules before your trip.
How long should I spend there?
This can really vary, but I would say to plan to spend at least 5 hours here.
Woodbury Common is a really big place, with over 200 stores.
You will likely also need to stop and have lunch at some point, so factor that into your timing!
GENERAL TIPS
- I have already said it multiple times, but it bears repeating: get there early in the day! Weekdays are less crowded, but they will still be busy once you hit the afternoon.
- Though all of the stores are obviously indoors, I would still generally consider Woodbury Common an outdoor activity. You will be outside as you walk to various stores, and it is a big place. Dress for the weather, whatever it is!
- Make a plan for which stores you want to visit and check the map to see what stores are in the same section/near each other. If not, you will burn up a lot of time crisscrossing back and forth.
- A lot of people bring a suitcase! It can be easier to transport all of your finds without having to carry a dozen different shopping bags. Some people will even buy a new suitcase right at Woodbury Common for this purpose. You will see many suitcases being loaded onto the buses to and from the city.
- The Market Hall (where the majority of the food options are) can get really crowded between noon and 1 pm. Consider eating lunch a little earlier or later to avoid longer lines and be able to find a place to sit.
- If you are taking a bus, check what stores are closest to the bus plaza that you will leave from, and plan to do those last. That way you are right where you need to be to make your departure. I have been to Woodbury Common many times, and still find myself turned around sometimes. You don’t want to miss your bus because you took a wrong turn and ended up at the opposite end of the complex!
HAPPY SHOPPING!
TIPS FROM LOCALS AND TRAVELERS
Here are some thoughts on Woodbury Common from members of our New York Travel Tips group on Facebook.
For advice on all things New York City from locals and tourists, make sure to check out our Facebook group!
The first question many people have is “Is a trip to Woodbury Common worth it?”
For some, absolutely! As for the savings, these folks loved it! But then again, it will depend on what stores you are interested in.
Of course, not everyone agrees. Here is what some others said.
These group members have some wise advice if you do decide to go.
First-time visitors asked which outlet was better, Woodbury Common or The Mills at Jersey Gardens.
You can read about The Mills and other outlet malls from our post, Other NYC Shopping Outlets.
We hope this post was helpful to you and wherever you end up going, enjoy shopping!
