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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Bayonne, New Jersey
Treat Bayonne as a half-day or a cruise-day base, not a sightseeing trip: 1 night if you sail from Cape Liberty, otherwise 4–5 h from Jersey City.
Bayonne is a working-class Hudson County city on a peninsula between Newark Bay and the Kill Van Kull, 30–40 min from Manhattan by light rail and PATH. Its draw is narrow and specific: the Tear Drop Memorial and Cape Liberty Cruise Port at the old military ocean terminal, a large county park, and a low-rise residential grid that feels nothing like Manhattan. Most travellers see it in an afternoon or use it as a cheaper bed for New York, not as a destination in itself.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, wind off the bay), late Jul–Aug (humid)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget US$70–110 excl. bed · Mid US$120–190 excl. bed · High US$220+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Poison Control 1-800-222-1222
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | US$3–5 |
| Diner breakfast | US$10–16 |
| Sandwich or slice of pizza | US$5–12 |
| Sit-down dinner, main | US$18–32 |
| Draught beer in a bar | US$6–9 |
| Taxi or rideshare, 5 kmTaxi or rideshare, 3.1 mi | US$15–22 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- EWR · Newark Liberty International
- Closest big airport; about 20–30 min by car via the Turnpike, longer in rush hour.
- JFK · John F. Kennedy International
- About 1–1.5 h by car depending on traffic; no direct rail link to Bayonne.
- LGA · LaGuardia
- About 1–1.25 h by car; no direct rail link to Bayonne.
Typical fares
- Taxi, 34th St light rail to the Tear Drop Memorial
- about US$15–20, about 10 min (check)
- PATH, Hoboken to 33rd St Manhattan
- about US$3, about 15 min (check)
Get around
The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail runs the length of Bayonne with four stops (8th St, 22nd St, 34th St, 45th St) and continues north through Jersey City to Hoboken Terminal, where you transfer to PATH for Manhattan. NJ Transit and private buses run on Broadway, Kennedy Blvd and Avenue C. The city is spread out and the memorial and cruise port have no pedestrian or bus access, so plan on a taxi or rideshare for those.
See and do
Known for
- Tear Drop Memorial (To the Struggle Against World Terrorism)
- Cape Liberty Cruise Port
- Stephen R. Gregg Park
- Bayonne Bridge walk and bike path
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Jersey City | Hudson-Bergen Light Rail north to Exchange Place or Newport, then walk | About 30–40 min |
| Hoboken | Light rail to Hoboken Terminal | About 40–50 min |
| Staten Island | MTA S89 bus from the 34th St light rail station, or walk or bike the Bayonne Bridge path | About 30–45 min |
| Union City | Light rail to Hoboken, then NJ Transit bus north | About 1 h |
| Weehawken | Light rail to Port Imperial, then the NY Waterway ferry | About 1 h |
| Secaucus | Light rail to Hoboken, then NJ Transit train | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Broadway and 8th St (south end)
- Light rail at 8th St, diners and shops on Broadway; the most walkable base without a car.
- Kennedy Blvd / 34th–45th St
- Near Stephen R. Gregg Park and the 34th St and 45th St light rail stops; quiet residential streets.
- Route 440 / New Hook Rd
- Motels and the two shopping centres; car-first, walkable to little.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the light rail station? | Where is the light rail station? |
| To this address, please | To this address, please |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Is the tip included? | Is the tip included? |
| How long is the wait? | How long is the wait? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- The Tear Drop Memorial and Cape Liberty have no pedestrian or bus access: from the 34th St light rail stop it is roughly a 3-mile taxi or rideshare ride.
- Only three road ways in and out (Bayonne Bridge, Route 440, New Jersey Turnpike); rush hour backs up badly on the Turnpike exit.
- Sales tax is added at the till; posted prices are not final.
- Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, US$1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.
Bayonne is a low-rise residential city and street crime is not the main worry; the real risks are traffic on Route 440 and the Turnpike, unlit waterfront paths after dark, and the fact that the memorial and cruise port are unreachable on foot.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Bayonne, New Jersey yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Tear Drop Memorial (To the Struggle Against World Terrorism)
- Cape Liberty Cruise Port
- Stephen R. Gregg Park
- Bayonne Bridge walk and bike path
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Bayonne official site: www.bayonnenj.org/
- Hudson County — Stephen R. Gregg Park: www.hudsoncountynj.org/stephen-r-gregg-park-bayonne
- Port Authority of New York and New Jersey — Bayonne Bridge: www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/en/bayonne-bridge.html
- Cape Liberty Cruise Port — directions and parking: www.cruiseliberty.com/directions_parking.html
- Wikivoyage: Bayonne (New Jersey), revision 5206074 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5206074
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Bayonne, New Jersey
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Poison Control1-800-222-1222
No embassies in Bayonne; consulates-general are in New York City, about 40–60 min by light rail and PATH.
US emergency number is 911 everywhere; no separate fire or ambulance number.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/bayonne-new-jersey). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.