Drive guide · 3 days, 4 campuses

Marist, Fairfield, LIU and NJIT in 3 Days: A Hudson Valley, Connecticut, Long Island and Newark College Trip

A parent-first plan for seeing Marist University in Poughkeepsie, Fairfield University in Connecticut, Long Island University's Post campus in Brookville and NJIT in Newark in three days from one Westchester hotel: official visit sign-ups, parking at all four schools, three hotels from budget to upscale, drive times, the Walkway Over the Hudson for siblings and seasonal weather, every fact sourced and checked Oct 29, 2026.

A large gray stone building with a slate roof at Marist University, above a grassy slope under a blue sky
A campus building at Marist University (Sep 2019). Photo: Antony-22 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Last checked Oct 29, 2026. Every fact comes from the pages listed in Sources at the bottom. Some hotel and tour links are affiliate links (disclosure).

The short version

Trip at a glance

Schools
Marist University (Poughkeepsie, NY) · Fairfield University (Fairfield, CT) · Long Island University, Post campus (Brookville, NY) · New Jersey Institute of Technology (Newark, NJ)
Days
3 days: Marist on day 1, Fairfield and LIU Post on day 2, NJIT on day 3 before you fly home. Arrive the evening before.
Fly into
LaGuardia (LGA), about 43 minutes from the Westchester Marriott with no traffic. Fly home from Newark Liberty (EWR), about 12 minutes from NJIT.
Best base
Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown for all three nights: about 53 minutes to Fairfield, 55 minutes to NJIT, an hour to LIU Post and 1 hr 26 min to Marist with no traffic.
Car or transit
Rent a car: the four campuses are in three states, and the longest drive (to Marist) is about 53 miles each way.
Registration
All four schools take visit sign-ups online. LIU asks you to register by 5 p.m. the day before your tour.

1. Who this guide is for

This plan is for parents with a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, who want to see four very different campuses around New York City in one trip: Marist on the Hudson River in Poughkeepsie, Fairfield on the Connecticut shore, Long Island University's Post campus on Long Island's North Shore and NJIT in downtown Newark.

You sleep in one place for all three nights, the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown, which sits roughly in the middle of the four schools, so there's no packing up between visits.

Why this order

  • Day 1: Marist's main visit is a 30-minute information session with an Admissions counselor followed by a guided tour of its riverfront campus, and the Walkway Over the Hudson is about 5 minutes away.
  • Day 2: Fairfield's campus visit is a 30-minute information session followed by a campus tour, and LIU Post's student-led walking tour runs about 75 minutes.
  • Day 3: an NJIT campus tour includes time with a member of the admissions team and a tour led by a student ambassador, and Newark Liberty is about 12 minutes away.
How the four visits work
  • Marist: book an information session and tour, or a guided tour only, from Marist's visit calendar. Info sessions with tours are typically offered seven days a week, year-round, with some exceptions; guided-tour-only visits are weekdays.
  • Fairfield: register for a campus visit online, a 30-minute information session followed by a campus tour. Self-guided tour maps are in the red mailboxes outside the Kelley Center entrances.
  • LIU Post: register for a campus tour by 5 p.m. the day before; you can bring up to two guests.
  • NJIT: choose an in-person (or virtual) tour on NJIT's tour calendar; your confirmation email includes parking instructions if you're driving.
Tour availability varies by season.
  • Marist offers a $2,000 Visit Grant (applied as $500 a year) to students who complete an official on-campus visit with an Admissions representative by Dec. 1 of senior year.
  • Marist's Fall Preview Day on Nov. 14, 2026, includes complimentary tickets to the Red Foxes' football game against Butler; its final fall Open House is Nov. 8.
  • Marist runs weekly sunset tours from late March to early October.

2. The suggested 3-day drive

  • All drive times are no-traffic estimates from OpenStreetMap routing; New York-area traffic can easily add a lot of time, so leave early.

Arrival evening: fly into LaGuardia and check in at Tarrytown

  1. LaGuardia Airport (LGA) → Westchester Marriott (670 White Plains Rd., Tarrytown)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~43 min, 26.4 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Rental car
  • Expedia lists free self-parking at the Westchester Marriott.

Day 1: Marist in Poughkeepsie, then the Walkway Over the Hudson

  1. Westchester Marriott → Marist University, Murray Student Center (3399 North Rd., Poughkeepsie)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~1 hr 26 min, 53.3 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Rental car
  2. Marist → Walkway Over the Hudson (61 Parker Ave., Poughkeepsie)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~5 min, 1.4 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Rental car
  3. Walkway Over the Hudson → Westchester Marriott

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~1 hr 24 min, 53.9 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Rental car
  • Admissions visitors park in the Midrise Lot.
  • For lunch, Murray Dining Hall is in the Murray Student Center, and Marist lists more than a dozen eateries on campus, including the Steel Plant Café.
  • The Walkway is free during regular hours, is open seven days a week and is 1.28 miles long from gate to gate.

Day 2: Fairfield in Connecticut, then LIU Post on Long Island

  1. Westchester Marriott → Fairfield University (1073 N. Benson Rd., Fairfield, CT)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~53 min, 38.2 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Rental car
  2. Fairfield → LIU Post (720 Northern Blvd., Brookville, NY)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~1 hr 30 min, 59.8 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Rental car
  3. LIU Post → Westchester Marriott

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~1 hr 2 min, 35.9 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Rental car
  • Book a morning Fairfield visit and an afternoon LIU tour so the drive between them fits; the route crosses into Long Island by bridge.
  • At Fairfield, get a visitor parking pass from the Parking Office in the basement of Loyola Hall; visitor lots are C-1, C-2, C-6 and K-1.
  • At LIU Post, visitors need a visitor parking pass from the Department of Public Safety.

Day 3: NJIT in Newark, then fly home

  1. Westchester Marriott → NJIT (University Heights, Newark, NJ)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~55 min, 42.1 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Rental car
  2. NJIT → Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~12 min, 4.5 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Rental car
  • Your NJIT confirmation email has parking instructions for drivers.
  • NJIT suggests the Ironbound neighborhood for a meal, naming Teixeira's Bakery, Seabra's Marisqueira, Nasto's Old World Desserts, Fornos of Spain, Adega Grill and Mompou Tapas Bar & Lounge.

3. Campus by campus

A large gray stone building with a slate roof at Marist University, above a grassy slope under a blue sky
A campus building at Marist University (Sep 2019). Photo: Antony-22 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

Marist University (Poughkeepsie, NY)

Where visits start
  • The main visit is a 30-minute information session with an Admissions counselor, then a guided tour, typically offered year-round, seven days a week, with some exceptions. A guided-tour-only option is typically offered on weekdays.
  • Marist's calendar shows all available on-campus visits; Admissions office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends.
  • Complete an official on-campus visit with an Admissions representative by Dec. 1 of senior year and Marist applies a $2,000 Visit Grant toward tuition ($500 a year).
Visitor parking
  • Visitor parking for Admissions visitors is in the Midrise Lot.
  • Questions about parking go to Campus Safety: (845) 575-3333 or safety@marist.edu.
Getting there
  • Marist is about 1 hr 26 min from the Westchester Marriott with no traffic.
  • Marist is 1 mile from the Poughkeepsie train station, served by Metro-North and Amtrak, and about 90 miles north of New York City.
What to know
  • The Marist photo in this guide shows one of the stone buildings on its Poughkeepsie campus.
  • Marist says it's one of only six colleges and universities in the nation affiliated with a Presidential Library.
  • Murray Dining Hall is in the Murray Student Center, and campus dining includes the Steel Plant Café and international food in the North End complex.
Contact
Marist University Office of Admission, 3399 North Rd., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601; (845) 575-3226, admission@marist.edu.

Last checked Oct 29, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: Marist: In-person visit options · Marist: Visiting Marist · Marist: Campus map

The entrance to Bellarmine Hall at Fairfield University, a stone Tudor-style building that houses the Fairfield University Art Museum
Bellarmine Hall at Fairfield University (May 2018). Photo: Zeete · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

Fairfield University (Fairfield, CT)

Where visits start
  • A campus visit is a 30-minute information session followed by a campus tour; register online.
  • Fairfield has five schools and colleges, and several run their own visit events, with separate sign-ups on the visit page.
  • For a self-guided tour, maps with a suggested route are in the red mailboxes outside the Kelley Center entrances.
Visitor parking
  • All visitors must get a visitor parking pass from the Parking Office, in the basement of Loyola Hall next to the Department of Public Safety. Visitor lots are C-1, C-2, C-6 and K-1.
  • Parking questions: 203-254-4156 or parking@fairfield.edu.
Getting there
  • Fairfield is about 53 minutes from the Westchester Marriott and about 1 hr 30 min from LIU Post with no traffic.
  • Fairfield lists Westchester County Airport (37 miles) and LaGuardia (49 miles) as its closest airports and a Metro-North station 1 mile from campus, with New York City about an hour away by train.
What to know
  • The Fairfield photo in this guide shows the entrance to Bellarmine Hall, home of the Fairfield University Art Museum.
  • Fairfield's area hotels page lists two partner hotels with a Fairfield family booking code (see the hotel rates section below).
Contact
Fairfield University Office of Undergraduate Admission, 1073 North Benson Rd., Fairfield, CT 06824; (203) 254-4100, admis@fairfield.edu.

Last checked Oct 29, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: Fairfield: Campus visits and tours · Fairfield: Transportation and parking · Fairfield: Area hotels and restaurants

Campus

Long Island University, Post campus (Brookville, NY)

Where visits start
  • Student-led walking tours run about 75 minutes, with stops at academic buildings, a residence hall and the student center.
  • Register by 5 p.m. the day before your tour; you can bring up to two guests.
  • LIU also runs Shark Saturdays, which add an information session to the tour, and Shark Nation Experience Days.
Visitor parking
  • Visitors need a visitor parking pass from the Department of Public Safety.
  • From Westchester, LIU's directions use the Throgs Neck Bridge and I-295 to the Long Island Expressway (I-495), then Exit 39, Glen Cove Road north for 2 miles and a right on Northern Boulevard (Route 25A); the campus is 2 miles up on the right.
Getting there
  • LIU Post is about an hour from the Westchester Marriott with no traffic.
  • LIU says LaGuardia is about 35 minutes from campus. Without a car, the LIRR reaches nearby stations and the NICE n20H bus serves the campus.
What to know
  • LIU Post's campus is on Northern Boulevard in Brookville, on Long Island's North Shore.
Contact
LIU Post, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville, NY 11548; 516-299-2900.

Last checked Oct 29, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: LIU Post: Location and directions · LIU Post: Vehicle rules and visitor passes

A tan brick clock tower with red banners beside a glass skybridge and a plaza on the NJIT campus in Newark
The NJIT campus in Newark (Mar 2026). Photo: ajay_suresh · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

New Jersey Institute of Technology (Newark, NJ)

Where visits start
  • Each tour session includes time with a member of the University Admissions team and a tour from a Student Ambassador; pick an in-person or virtual tour on the calendar.
  • NJIT shares Newark's University Heights neighborhood with Rutgers University-Newark, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and Essex County College.
Visitor parking
  • After you register, NJIT emails a confirmation with parking instructions for drivers.
Getting there
  • NJIT is about 55 minutes from the Westchester Marriott and about 12 minutes from Newark Liberty (EWR) with no traffic; NJIT puts EWR 5 miles away.
  • Without a car, take Newark Light Rail from Newark Penn Station to the Warren Street stop; NJ Transit's Broad Street Station is a five-block walk.
What to know
  • The NJIT photo in this guide shows a corner of its Newark campus.
  • NJIT's things-to-do list includes the Newark Museum of Art, Branch Brook Park, the Prudential Center and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.
  • NJIT also lists hotels close to campus, including the Courtyard Newark Downtown and the Hampton Inn & Suites Newark-Harrison-Riverwalk, if you'd rather spend your last night in Newark.
Contact
New Jersey Institute of Technology, University Heights, Newark, NJ 07102; (973) 596-3000.

Last checked Oct 29, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: NJIT: Explore our campus · NJIT: Public transportation to campus · NJIT: Local accommodations

4. Where to stay: three nights in Westchester

Price tiers (Budget, Mid-range, Upscale) follow each hotel's star class on Expedia. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.

Hotel · Our pickUpscale

Westchester Marriott

670 White Plains Rd., Tarrytown, NY 10591

Why here

  • It's roughly central to all four schools: about 53 minutes to Fairfield, 55 minutes to NJIT, an hour to LIU Post and 1 hr 26 min to Marist with no traffic, and about 43 minutes from LGA.
  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 4.5-star property, so we place it in the Upscale tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.

Good to know

  • Expedia lists 444 rooms, free self-parking, a spa and an on-site restaurant. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateMid-range

Residence Inn by Marriott White Plains Westchester County

5 Barker Ave., White Plains, NY 10601

Why here

  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 3-star property, so we place it in the Mid-range tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
  • It's about 49 minutes from Fairfield, 57 minutes from LIU Post, 59 minutes from NJIT and 1 hr 29 min from Marist with no traffic.

Good to know

  • Expedia lists free breakfast and paid self-parking. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateBudget

Days Inn by Wyndham Elmsford / White Plains

25 Valley Ave., Elmsford, NY 10523

Why here

  • Expedia lists this motel as a 2-star property, so we place it in the Budget tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
  • It's about 53 minutes from Fairfield, 54 minutes from NJIT and 1 hr 25 min from Marist with no traffic.

Good to know

  • Expedia lists 125 rooms, free grab-and-go breakfast and free self-parking. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

One Westchester base means no hotel changes. If you'd rather not drive back from Newark before your flight, NJIT's own list of nearby hotels is a good place to look for your last night.

5. Meals between tours

Hours change, so check before you go.

On campus at Marist

Marist Dining is run by Gourmet Dining, with more than a dozen eateries on campus.

Eat

Murray Dining Hall

Murray Student Center, Marist University, Poughkeepsie, NY

Marist's main dining hall, in the Murray Student Center.

Details →

Eat

Saxbys

Dyson Center atrium, Marist University, Poughkeepsie, NY

A student-run café where Marist students work every role, from barista to Student CEO.

Details →

Newark's Ironbound, near NJIT

NJIT's own dining recommendations for visitors are all in the Ironbound neighborhood.

Eat

Teixeira's Bakery

Ironbound, Newark, NJ

On NJIT's list of Ironbound restaurants for visitors.

Details →

Eat

Fornos of Spain

Ironbound, Newark, NJ

On NJIT's list of Ironbound restaurants for visitors.

Details →

6. Things for siblings along the route

With siblings

Walkway Over the Hudson

61 Parker Ave., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

A former railroad bridge turned pedestrian park, 1.28 miles gate to gate, about 5 minutes from Marist. It's free during regular hours and open seven days a week; call 845-834-2867 to confirm hours.

Official page →

With siblings

The Newark Museum of Art

49 Washington St., Newark, NJ 07102

Open Thursday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. There's no on-site parking during construction, so use a nearby garage.

Official page →

With siblings

A Red Foxes, Stags, Sharks or Highlanders game

Poughkeepsie, Fairfield, Brookville and Newark

Check the Marist, Fairfield, LIU and NJIT athletics calendars for a home game on your dates.

Official page →

7. Practical tips

Driving and parking

  • Plan on paperwork for parking: Fairfield and LIU Post both want a visitor pass, Marist sends Admissions visitors to the Midrise Lot and NJIT emails parking instructions after you register.
  • Day 2 is the longest: about 53 minutes to Fairfield, 1 hr 30 min to LIU Post and an hour back, before traffic.

Flying in and out

  • LaGuardia (LGA) is about 43 minutes from the Westchester Marriott, and Newark Liberty (EWR) is about 12 minutes from NJIT, with no traffic.
  • Flying into one airport and out of another usually means a one-way car rental, so check the drop-off rules before you book.
  • Fairfield says Westchester County Airport (HPN) is 37 miles from its campus, if that suits your flights better.

Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: Westchester County Airport)

  • Spring: April averages about 59°F highs and 40°F lows, with about 4.2 inches of rain.
  • Summer: July averages about 83°F highs and 65°F lows, with about 4.1 inches of rain.
  • Fall: October averages about 63°F highs and 46°F lows, with about 4.3 inches of rain.
  • Winter: January averages about 37°F highs and 22°F lows, with about 3.2 inches of precipitation, so pack layers for outdoor tours.

Parent checklist

  • Register for all four visits online: Marist on day 1, Fairfield and LIU Post on day 2 and NJIT on day 3. LIU's deadline is 5 p.m. the day before.
  • Book three nights in Westchester, a rental car at LGA and a flight home from EWR.
  • Pick up visitor parking passes at Fairfield's Parking Office and LIU Post's Public Safety, and watch for NJIT's confirmation email with parking instructions.
  • Seniors: a Marist visit with Admissions by Dec. 1 qualifies for its $2,000 Visit Grant.
  • After each visit, take five minutes to jot down what stood out to your student.

8. Student-athlete recruiting visits

For families whose student hopes to play a college sport. Rules below are the NCAA's; each school's links were checked Oct 26, 2026.

Coaches arrange the recruiting part of a visit, not the admissions office. The tour sign-ups in this guide are for the regular family visit. An official (school-paid) visit is offered by the school, and contact with coaches follows NCAA rules that vary by division, sport and grade level.

Start with your sport's questionnaire, then email the coaches. The NCAA suggests emailing coaches with your achievements, highlight videos and interest in their program, including your name, position, NCAA ID and graduation year.

4 Division I

NCAA basics for parents

  • Unofficial visit: any campus visit you or your family pay for. You can take as many as you like; in Divisions I and II each one has to come after the first permissible date for your sport.
  • Official visit: a visit paid for by the school. Each school can offer your student only one. Before a Division I official visit, your student must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, be on the school's institutional request list, and the school must have their high school transcripts.
  • Division I (Marist University, Fairfield University, Long Island University, Post campus and New Jersey Institute of Technology): on an official visit the school can pay for travel for the student and up to two family members, lodging, up to three meals a day for the student and up to four family members, and up to $60 a person in entertainment, including five home-game tickets. On an unofficial visit there are no free meals, but the school can give up to three home-game tickets. Division I uses recruiting calendars with contact, evaluation, quiet and dead periods; in a dead period, no in-person contact and no visits.
  • Rules change. Confirm with the coach, or check the NCAA's recruiting page and recruiting calendars, before you plan dates.

Planning around the season

  • Check each school's athletics schedule (linked above) before you pick dates, so a coach meeting doesn't land on a road trip or game day for your sport.
  • Our recommendation, not a school rule: ask the coach whether they can line up an admissions session or tour around your meeting. If not, book the regular family tour yourself through the official sign-up links in this guide, and leave time between the two.

Trip planner

Plan this trip

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Sources

All checked Oct 29, 2026. Tour schedules change constantly, so always confirm on each school's official sign-up page. Photo credits are under each photo and on our About page.

  1. Marist University: In-person visit options
  2. Marist University: Campus visit calendar and sign-up
  3. Marist University: Visiting Marist
  4. Marist University Campus Safety: Vehicle registration and visitor parking
  5. Marist University: Student dining
  6. NJIT: Explore our campus
  7. NJIT: Campus tours sign-up
  8. NJIT: Local accommodations
  9. NJIT: Public transportation to campus
  10. LIU Post: Campus tours
  11. LIU Post: Location and directions
  12. LIU Post Public Safety: Vehicle rules and regulations
  13. Fairfield University: Campus visits and tours
  14. Fairfield University: Campus visit sign-up
  15. Fairfield University: Visit
  16. Fairfield University: Transportation and parking
  17. Fairfield University: Area hotels and restaurants
  18. Walkway Over the Hudson: Visit
  19. The Newark Museum of Art: Plan your visit
  20. Expedia listing: Westchester Marriott (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Tarrytown-Hotels-Westchester-Marriott.h10829.Hotel-Information)
  21. Expedia listing: Residence Inn by Marriott White Plains Westchester County (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/White-Plains-Hotels-Residence-Inn-By-Marriott-White-Plains-Westchester-County.h40811.Hotel-Information)
  22. Expedia listing: Days Inn by Wyndham Elmsford / White Plains (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/White-Plains-Hotels-Days-Inn-By-Wyndham-Elmsford-White-Plains.h1451596.Hotel-Information)
  23. OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap), driving profile
  24. OpenStreetMap Nominatim geocoder
  25. NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 Monthly Normals, Westchester County Airport, NY (USW00094745)
  26. Marist Red Foxes Athletics: Calendar
  27. Fairfield Stags Athletics: Calendar
  28. LIU Sharks Athletics: Calendar
  29. NJIT Highlanders Athletics: Calendar