Rowayton, CT
to ISP Airport.

Summer evenings bring a lot of guests to Rowayton's waterfront, and we run return trips from the airports to the village late into the night. Rowayton is a small village on the Five Mile River, with narrow lanes down to the water and Bell Island at the tip.

First leg: a few minutes up to I-95 at the Darien line. The rest of the way to Islip: I-95 into the Bronx, across the Throgs Neck Bridge and east on the Long Island Expressway to Ronkonkoma. Expect about 66 mi and 1 hr 18 min – 1 hr 38 min on a normal day; the Long Island Expressway is where the time goes when traffic is heavy.

ISP ranks farthest of the six airports from Rowayton; HPN is nearest at about 38 min. You get one fixed price for Rowayton to ISP before you book, tolls included.

ISP is small, so 75 minutes at the airport usually covers a domestic flight. From Rowayton, book the pickup about 3 hr before departure.

Islip's lines are short; the drive out on the Expressway is what needs the cushion. Flights before 8 AM are the easy case: roads are clear and the drive is closer to 1 hr 18 min.

Choosing between airports? Here's how ISP stacks up from Rowayton.

Take the New Haven Line from Rowayton to Grand Central, then the LIRR toward Ronkonkoma (usually changing at Jamaica) and a shuttle to the terminal — a long day.

By car it's one ride from your door: 1 hr 18 min – 1 hr 38 min to ISP. Islip's fares and lines can make the longer drive worth it — and with a car service the extra distance is just more time to sit back.

• The flight number — the car follows any delay
• How many passengers and bags (sedan up to 3, SUV up to 6)
• The building entrance, if it isn't obvious from the street
• The return flight, if you'd like the ride home booked too