Do you need a car in the Hamptons?

Every public service in the Hamptons has a gap. The Jitney drops at stops, the LIRR serves eight stations, the county's Route 92 runs hourly, and SCT On-Demand covers named communities from 6 AM to 8 PM. The no-car comparison lists what each town has. This page turns that into a decision.

Without a car

• Southampton and East Hampton: train, Jitney, Route 92 and On-Demand all serve them. See Southampton and East Hampton.
• Hampton Bays, Bridgehampton, Amagansett, Sag Harbor and Montauk: three of the four layers each. Route 92 links Hampton Bays, Southampton, Bridgehampton, Sag Harbor and East Hampton; On-Demand covers Amagansett, Sag Harbor and Montauk.
• Westhampton Beach, Quogue, East Quogue: one bus line and, for Westhampton Beach, a station. No county bus or On-Demand.

Where a car earns its keep

Sagaponack has no stop or station and no named On-Demand service, Wainscott and Water Mill have a bus stop only, and Springs depends on On-Demand. Shelter Island needs a ferry, which takes a car for $16 to $18 one way. A car also helps if you arrive late: On-Demand stops at 8 PM and the last scheduled bus or train may be earlier.

A hybrid that works

One workable pattern is to take the bus or train out, use On-Demand or a pre-booked taxi for the first and last mile, and rent a car for a day for errands. That avoids Friday and Sunday road traffic and the cost of parking in the villages. Taxis and rideshare explains the options and numbers.