Southampton Car Service

There are two main ways east. The Long Island Expressway runs straight out to exit 70, where County Road 111 drops you onto Sunrise Highway. The Southern State Parkway connects to Sunrise Highway on the South Shore and is often the calmer option when the LIE is backed up. Either way, the last stretch into Southampton is the same: Sunrise Highway narrows past the Shinnecock Canal and traffic funnels onto County Road 39, which carries almost everything headed to Southampton, Water Mill, Bridgehampton and points east.

County Road 39 is where summer schedules are made or lost. On a July Friday, a car can move well from Manhattan to Hampton Bays and then lose a large share of the trip in the last few miles into the village. Our chauffeurs watch live traffic before and during the trip, choose between the LIE and the Southern State accordingly, and will tell you honestly when a 3 PM departure will turn into a 3-hour ride. The price does not change with the traffic, so the only question is time.

A few timing rules help. Leaving Manhattan before 1 PM on a Friday, or after 8 PM, usually saves an hour against the late-afternoon rush. Sunday returns are usually smoothest early in the morning or after 7 PM. Holiday weekends — July 4th, and Labor Day with the Hampton Classic running into it — shift the peaks earlier and make them longer. When you book, tell dispatch when you need to arrive and we will suggest a pickup time.

If you are coming from Brooklyn, Westchester or Connecticut, the route changes at the western end but merges onto the same corridor. Pickups anywhere in the five boroughs, Long Island, Westchester and Fairfield County run on the same all-in pricing, calculated for the actual distance.

The village is compact, but summer makes short trips harder than they look. Main Street and Jobs Lane fill up by late morning, parking is tight through July and August, and many of the houses south of Montauk Highway sit on lanes where a guest car has nowhere to wait. A chauffeur solves that by dropping you at the door of a shop, a restaurant or the Southampton Arts Center and staying nearby until you are ready.

Coopers Beach on Meadow Lane is the village's main ocean beach, and being dropped at the pavilion saves the search for a space on a hot Saturday. Further west, the bay side of Shinnecock Hills holds three of the best-known golf courses in the country — Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, National Golf Links of America and Sebonack — and a car with room for clubs is the simplest way to get a foursome there and back. East of the village, the Parrish Art Museum sits on Montauk Highway in Water Mill, a few minutes' drive.

Southampton's LIRR station and the Hampton Jitney stops are two of the most common short pickups we run. If you are arriving by train or coach with more than you can carry, book a Business Sedan or First Class SUV to meet you at the station or stop and take you the last mile to the house. Visits to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital are another frequent short trip, handled like any other point-to-point ride.

Detailed Drivers is a reserved service. Every booking has a confirmed vehicle and chauffeur before the day, which matters most on the weekends when app-based cars are scarcest on the East End. Book summer Friday and Sunday trips 48 to 72 hours ahead, and one to two weeks ahead for July 4th, Labor Day and Hampton Classic week. Off-season, a day's notice is usually enough.

When you book, include the exact house address rather than just "Southampton" — the town stretches from the Shinnecock Canal to Sagaponack and past, and some estate lanes have gates or private drives the chauffeur should know about. Add the number of passengers, the number of bags and any golf bags or strollers so we assign the right vehicle. If you need child seats, tell dispatch when you book so we can confirm what is available.

Many clients book the round trip at once: out on Friday, back on Sunday, with the same all-in pricing on both legs. Seasonal households and companies with summer offices can set up an account with one monthly invoice; the Hamptons corporate car service page explains how those accounts run. For a broader look at getting to and around the East End in summer, read our Hamptons summer transportation guide.

You can compare every vehicle, with photos and capacities, on the Detailed Drivers fleet page, or call (888) 420-0177 any time of day to talk to dispatch directly.