Why the LIRR Is Your Best Bet This Memorial Day Weekend
Memorial Day weekend 2026 falls on Saturday, May 23 through Monday, May 25, and Jones Beach will see its seasonal crush of sun-seekers. Driving means bumper-to-bumper traffic on the Meadowbrook and Wantagh parkways, plus $10 parking that fills by 10 a.m. The Long Island Rail Road offers a smarter play: air-conditioned coaches, no gridlock, and a dedicated shuttle bus from Freeport station that drops you steps from the sand.
Weekend LIRR service ramps up for the holiday, with extra morning trains departing Penn Station on the Long Beach and Babylon branches. Expect crowds—Memorial Day ridership typically doubles compared to a regular May Saturday—but the railroad adds capacity and the shuttle buses run continuously from first train to last. If you time it right, you'll be on the beach by 11 a.m. and back in Manhattan for dinner.
Penn Station Departures: Which Platform, Which Train
Penn Station's LIRR concourse sits one level below Amtrak, accessible via the Seventh Avenue or Eighth Avenue entrances. On Memorial Day weekend, look for the Long Beach or Far Rockaway branches departing from tracks 13 through 21. Trains leave roughly every 30 minutes starting at 8:17 a.m., with peak-hour express runs at 9:02 a.m. and 10:14 a.m. that skip intermediate stops and shave ten minutes off the journey to Freeport.
Buy your ticket before you board—conductors charge a $6.50 surcharge for on-train purchases. The LIRR's TrainTime app or the ticket machines near the waiting area accept credit cards and let you store a digital pass. An off-peak round-trip to Freeport costs $19.50; peak fares jump to $27. If you're traveling in a group of four or more, consider a CityTicket on weekends for $5 each way, valid only on Saturday and Sunday but a steal if your crew is flexible on dates.
Long Beach Line vs. Babylon Transfer: The Route Debate
Two routes will get you to Jones Beach, and locals argue both sides. The Long Beach branch runs direct to Freeport, where the Jones Beach shuttle meets every arriving train. Total travel time from Penn Station is about 55 minutes to Freeport, then a 20-minute bus ride to Field 5. It's straightforward, requires no transfers, and the shuttle is free with your LIRR ticket.
The alternative is the Babylon line to Babylon station, then a transfer to the seasonal Jones Beach Express bus. This route can be faster—45 minutes to Babylon, 30 minutes on the express bus—but the bus runs only every 90 minutes on weekends, so a mistimed connection means a long wait on the platform. Stick with the Long Beach–Freeport route unless you're chasing a specific early train; the reliability and frequency make it the safer play for a spontaneous beach day.
What to Bring: The Train-to-Beach Packing List
LIRR coaches have overhead racks and floor space for beach gear, but avoid oversized umbrellas or coolers that block the aisle. A collapsible chair, a small soft cooler, and a tote for towels fit easily. The shuttle bus has luggage racks, but space fills fast on holiday weekends, so pack light. Sunscreen, a hat, and a refillable water bottle are non-negotiable—Jones Beach's concession stands charge $5 for a 16-ounce bottle.
One often-overlooked item: a plastic bag for sandy shoes and wet suits. The ride home is less pleasant when half the car smells like seaweed and everyone's tracking grit. Also bring cash—some boardwalk vendors and the older snack shacks near Field 6 don't take cards. A small backpack beats a beach bag with dangling straps that catch on seat edges and fellow passengers.
Sand-to-Train Timing: When to Start the Homeward Trek
The last shuttle bus from Jones Beach to Freeport departs at 7:45 p.m. on Memorial Day weekend, connecting to an 8:22 p.m. Long Beach train that reaches Penn Station by 9:35 p.m. Miss that bus and you're calling a rideshare or waiting until Monday morning. Plan to leave the beach no later than 7:15 p.m. to account for the walk from your spot to the bus loop and the inevitable line.
Earlier trains—around 5:30 p.m. and 6:40 p.m.—are less crowded and give you a buffer if the shuttle runs behind schedule. The 5:30 p.m. departure also lets you catch the tail end of golden hour on the westbound ride, with views over the Great South Bay as the train crosses the trestle near Island Park. If you're aiming for dinner in the city, that earlier window is your friend.
Practical Notes for a Smooth Round Trip
A few details can make or break your day. Freeport station has a small covered waiting area but no food vendors, so grab breakfast before you leave Penn Station—Zaro's near track 20 opens at 7 a.m. and does a solid egg sandwich. Bathrooms at Freeport are outdoors and often have a line; use the facilities at Penn before boarding. The shuttle bus is a standard MTA coach with no bathroom, so plan accordingly for the 20-minute ride.
- Check the LIRR TrainTime app for real-time updates—holiday weekends sometimes see track changes or delays.
- Bring a light jacket or long-sleeve shirt; the train's air conditioning runs cold, and the beach breeze picks up after 5 p.m.
- Download offline maps or save the shuttle schedule as a screenshot—cell service can be spotty near the Freeport platform.
- If you're stopping at the Long Beach boardwalk, take the train one stop past Freeport to Long Beach station and walk three blocks south to the ocean.
- The LIRR allows bikes on off-peak trains, but the shuttle bus to Jones Beach does not—leave the two-wheeler at home.
The Unsung Long Beach Boardwalk Stop
If your group can't agree on a full Jones Beach commitment, Long Beach offers a compromise. One stop past Freeport on the same Long Beach line, the station sits six blocks from a two-mile boardwalk lined with family-run shacks that have served fried clams and soft-serve since the 1970s. Skuby's, near Magnolia Boulevard, does a no-frills fish taco that locals swear by, and the beach here is narrower but far less crowded than Jones Beach's main fields.
The vibe is quieter, the water just as swimmable, and you skip the shuttle bus entirely. It's a strong play if you want a shorter day or plan to grab an early dinner before heading back. The Long Beach LIRR station has more frequent return trains—every 20 to 30 minutes until midnight—so you're not locked into the Jones Beach shuttle's rigid schedule. For a Memorial Day weekend that prioritizes flexibility and good boardwalk food over sprawling crowds, Long Beach is the sleeper pick.
Sources consulted: MTA Long Island Rail Road Schedules · Jones Beach State Park – NY Parks · City of Long Beach, NY · NYC Tourism + Conventions
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