The bus from New York City to Montauk is the Hampton Jitney Montauk Line: it picks up along Lexington Avenue in Manhattan at 96th Street, 85th Street, 77th Street, 69th Street, 59th Street, and 40th Street, plus a Queens Airport Connection stop, and ends at Montauk Village, 34 South Euclid Avenue. The ride takes about 3 and a half hours, and a one-way Montauk Line ticket is $43 prepaid or $51 on board, at fares effective June 25, 2026, so confirm the current fare on the Hampton Jitney site before you travel. There is no dedicated bus terminal building at either end: the Manhattan stops are curbside pickups, and the Montauk arrival is a curbside Village stop. The rail alternative is the LIRR Montauk Branch from Penn Station, which ends at Montauk station.
Picture a Friday afternoon in Manhattan, bags packed for a long weekend at the far end of Long Island, trying to work out where the bus actually leaves from. The answer is not a terminal with a departure board. It is a numbered spot on Lexington Avenue, and the bus you want is the one with Montauk on its sign, not the Amagansett or Southampton run. This page names every departure stop, every village stop on the way out, and where you get off in Montauk, with the train and private-car alternatives for the days the bus does not suit you.
Written by David Williams · Fact-checked by Alex Freeman, Editor-in-Chief · Last verified November 2026
7 facts to plan around
- The bus is the Hampton Jitney Montauk Line
- NYC pickups run down Lexington Avenue
- A Queens Airport Connection stop links JFK
- The ride takes about 3 and a half hours
- Montauk arrival is a curbside Village stop, not a terminal building
- Westbound drop-offs are on different streets
- The LIRR Montauk Branch is the rail alternative
The NYC departure stops
Eastbound Hampton Jitney Montauk Line buses pick up on the East Side of Manhattan along Lexington Avenue. The first stop is 96th Street between 3rd and Lexington Avenues, and the buses then stop at 85th Street and Lexington Avenue at 131 East 85th Street, at 77th Street, at 69th Street, at 59th Street and Lexington, and at 40th Street between 3rd and Lexington Avenues at 148 East 40th Street. The Hampton Ambassador service, the Jitney premium line, also picks up at 96th Street between 3rd and Lexington Avenues. Afternoon Montauk departures leave 85th Street and Lexington at 4:25 PM, 5:55 PM, and 8:00 PM on weekdays, with the last buses reaching Montauk Village at 8:25 PM, 9:25 PM, and 11:30 PM. Morning buses also run: weekday departures from 40th Street start at 9:15 AM, and the first eastbound bus leaves 96th Street at 8:30 AM. Arrive a few minutes early and look for the Montauk sign, because several Jitney lines share the same Lexington Avenue stops and only the Montauk Line runs the full length to the end of Long Island.
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Where the bus stops on the way to Montauk
After Manhattan, the Montauk Line stops at the Queens Airport Connection eastbound, which links the route to JFK, then at Manorville before running the length of the South Fork. The East End stops are Southampton, Water Mill, Bridgehampton, Wainscott, East Hampton, Amagansett, and Napeague, and the line ends at Montauk Village. Tell the driver your stop when you board, because the Jitney runs several lines out east and the Southampton and Amagansett runs end before Montauk. If you are flying into JFK and joining the bus from the airport, read how much public transport to JFK Airport costs to plan the airport leg, and see transfers from JFK Airport to Manhattan for the ways into the city if you miss the Queens connection.
Arriving in Montauk: the Village stop
The Montauk Line ends at Montauk Village, 34 South Euclid Avenue, in the center of the village. It is a curbside stop, not a terminal building with a waiting room or a ticket desk, so book and pay before you travel and keep your confirmation on your phone. Montauk is the last stop on the line, so you cannot ride past it by mistake, and the village center, the harbor, and the lighthouse road are all a short walk or a short local ride from the stop. The LIRR Montauk station sits at the end of the Montauk Branch in the same village, so the bus stop and the train station give you two ways in and out of the same small area.
Coming back: different drop-off points
Westbound buses do not drop off where eastbound buses pick up, because Manhattan avenues run one way. Returning coaches travel down Third Avenue, with drop-offs running from 86th Street down to 39th Street, and the Manhattan-bound route ends at Broadway and 79th Street. Westbound buses start from Montauk Village at 7:15 AM and run through the day into the night, so check the day schedule before you plan a late return. If you are staying out east past the last bus, a private car is the fallback, and that is where booking ahead matters most.
The train alternative: LIRR Montauk Branch
The Long Island Rail Road Montauk Branch runs from Penn Station, Grand Central Madison, and Jamaica out to Montauk, which is the end of the line. The trip takes roughly 3 hours and 10 minutes without a transfer, and since September 2026 the 5:13 PM weekday train from Penn Station runs to Montauk year-round as a one-seat ride, where before it ran only in the summer season. Outside that train, off-season trips can need a transfer, so check the TrainTime app for your date. The train is the better choice when summer Friday traffic turns the bus ride into a long crawl, and the bus is the better choice when you want a single seat from the Upper East Side without changing at Jamaica.
A private car instead of the bus
A private car removes the schedule entirely: JetBlack runs door-to-door cars from New York City to Montauk and across Long Island, with the price agreed in writing before the car moves. Hourly service in an Economy Sedan is $45 an hour with a 3-hour minimum. The $44 figure you may see elsewhere is the first-mile per-mile tier, not an hourly floor and not a trip price. Cancellation is free before your booking is confirmed, and after confirmation it costs $31 in total: $25 plus $5 in fees plus a $1 technology fee. A 20% tip is suggested and not included, and tolls and governmental fees sit outside the quoted fare. Make a reservation for a specific time and date, and you can request specific vehicle features or amenities at booking. If you want to compare Long Island car options first, read best Long Island car service, and check additional charges for tolls or other expenses so the quote holds no surprise. You can pay for your car service online or in advance, and pay for your car service to the airport the same way if your trip starts at JFK.
Questions travelers ask
Where do I catch the bus to Montauk in New York City?
Catch the Hampton Jitney Montauk Line on the East Side of Manhattan: 96th Street between 3rd and Lexington Avenues, 85th Street and Lexington Avenue at 131 East 85th Street, 77th Street, 69th Street, 59th Street and Lexington, and 40th Street between 3rd and Lexington Avenues at 148 East 40th Street. Look for the Montauk sign, because several Jitney lines share the same stops.
Where does the Montauk bus stop when it arrives?
The Montauk Line ends at Montauk Village, 34 South Euclid Avenue, a curbside stop in the village center, not a terminal building. On the way out it stops at Southampton, Water Mill, Bridgehampton, Wainscott, East Hampton, Amagansett, and Napeague. The LIRR Montauk station is in the same village, at the end of the Montauk Branch.
How long is the bus ride from NYC to Montauk?
The bus ride from Manhattan to Montauk Village takes about 3 and a half to 4 hours on the published schedule, and longer in summer Friday traffic. Afternoon buses leaving 85th Street and Lexington at 4:25 PM reach Montauk Village at 8:25 PM. Check the day schedule before you travel, because times change with the season.
Is there a train from NYC to Montauk instead?
Yes. The LIRR Montauk Branch runs from Penn Station, Grand Central Madison, and Jamaica to Montauk station, and the trip takes roughly 3 hours and 10 minutes without a transfer. Since September 2026 the 5:13 PM weekday train from Penn Station runs to Montauk year-round as a one-seat ride. Outside that train, off-season trips can need a transfer, so check the TrainTime app for your date.
Sources
- Hampton Jitney — Hampton Ambassador Spring Schedule, effective April 9, 2026: 96th Street, 85th Street and Lexington, 59th Street and Lexington, 40th Street pickups, Montauk departures, westbound Third Avenue drop-offs, accessed November 2026
- Moovit — Hampton Jitney Montauk bus route schedule and stops, last updated November 8, 2026: 85th and Lexington to Montauk Village, 14 stops, about 222 minutes, weekday 4:25 PM departures, Montauk Village 8:25 PM arrival, accessed November 2026
- Moovit — Hampton Jitney Montauk eastbound schedule, 96th Street to Montauk Village, last updated November 8, 2026: weekday service 8:30 AM to 10:50 PM, 40th Street departures from 9:15 AM, Napeague stop before Montauk Village, accessed November 2026
- Moovit — Hampton Jitney Montauk Manhattan-bound route, last updated November 2026: 27 stops from Montauk Village to Broadway and 79th Street, services from 7:15 AM daily, accessed November 2026
- BLADE — NYC to Hamptons: Fastest Ways to Travel, updated November 1, 2026: Hampton Jitney Montauk Line one-way fare $43 prepaid or $51 on board, fares effective June 25, 2026, accessed November 2026
- MTA — LIRR service changes starting May 19, 2025, updated April 28, 2025: summer Montauk Branch service, 5:13 PM Penn Station train extended to Montauk, accessed November 2026
- MTA via EIN Presswire — Infrastructure Upgrades for LIRR Montauk Branch, published August 25, 2026: 5:13 PM Penn Station to Montauk train year-round from September 2026, one-seat ride, roughly 3 hours and 10 minutes, accessed November 2026
- JetBlack Transportation — owner-confirmed service facts (Economy Sedan $45/hr with 3-hour minimum, $44 first-mile per-mile tier, cancellation $31 breakdown, 20% suggested tip, door-to-door Long Island car service with written quotes), confirmed 2026-10-26, accessed November 2026
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