Pull up a map of UBS Arena and you'll notice the obvious approach: the Cross Island Parkway wraps right around the campus at Belmont Park, with three dedicated exits — 26A, 26B, and 26D — feeding directly into the five parking lots. It looks like the straightforward drive. Here's what the map won't tell you: commercial buses and charter vehicles are prohibited on the Cross Island Parkway.
The parkway that serves every single UBS Arena parking lot is off-limits to your coach. Every rideshare heading to the arena's north-side drop zone and every car heading to Emerald parking uses Exit 26D. Cars heading to Silver, Diamond, or Ruby parking use Exit 26B, and Belmont Park Garage sits off Exit 26A.
Charter buses can't take any of it.
The actual commercial vehicle entrance is Gate 5 Road off Hempstead Turnpike — a completely different approach from the west, not from the parkway at all. That single operational fact changes how a Yonkers group plans an entire trip to UBS Arena (2400 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont, NY 11003). A charter bus from Yonkers threads through the Bronx and Queens via expressways only — I-87, the Cross Bronx, and the Whitestone Expressway are all fair game for commercial vehicles — then comes in on Hempstead Turnpike from the west.
Groups that book knowing this arrive cleanly; groups that don't book figuring they'll sort it out on arrival run into problems. Below is everything a group coming from Yonkers needs to know: the exact drop-off procedure, what the approach actually looks like, what parking costs if anyone in your group drives separately, and which vehicle fits your headcount for the event you're planning.
Why Renting a Party Bus or Charter Bus to UBS Arena Makes Sense for Yonkers Groups
From Yonkers, UBS Arena is roughly 22 to 25 miles — a 35- to 50-minute drive on a normal day. On a sold-out Islanders game night or a major concert, that math stops working. The Cross Island Parkway backs up hard on event nights, and the Hempstead Turnpike corridor approaching from the west moves at a crawl.
Groups that drove separately report sitting on the Whitestone Expressway on-ramp before they've even crossed into Queens. And when you arrive, parking runs $20 to $60 or more per car depending on the lot and how far in advance you bought the pass — and if anyone wanders into the Belmont Park Garage without a valid prepaid pass, the charge upon exit is $125. That's not a typo, and there's no negotiating it at the gate.
One bus from Yonkers consolidates that whole mess. Your group leaves together, the approach routing and Hempstead Turnpike entry are handled, and you walk off at Silver C lot steps from the arena entrance — while the rest of the crowd is filtering through the parking lot toll arms. On the way home, post-event Cross Island Parkway traffic clears in waves; a private bus stages and picks your group up once the exit crush has thinned, instead of leaving everyone to hunt for a rideshare in the 19,000-person surge.
For Islanders fan groups, concert parties, and corporate outings coming out of Yonkers and Westchester, a Yonkers sporting event charter bus or party bus covers the full round trip for one flat rate — no parking arithmetic, no designated driver conversation.
Charter Bus and Party Bus Drop-Off at UBS Arena
The arena's own published guidance says it plainly: oversized vehicles — charter buses, minibuses, limousines — enter via Gate 5 Road off Hempstead Turnpike, drop off guests in the Silver C lot, and then proceed to the designated oversized vehicle staging area. That's the complete commercial vehicle procedure at UBS Arena, and it's meaningfully different from how every other parking option at the arena works.
The other key requirement: email parking@ubsarena.com no fewer than 72 hours before the event to coordinate your bus's arrival. Per the official UBS Arena parking page, that advance coordination is required for any oversized vehicle — it's not optional, and waiting until the day of the event to figure out where your bus goes is not how this venue works. When you arrange a Yonkers charter bus rental through Partybusyonkers.com, mention that coordination step so it's confirmed well before your event date.
Charter bus and party bus drop-off at UBS Arena: Gate 5 Road off Hempstead Turnpike, Silver C lot. All standard parking is via Cross Island Parkway exits — commercial buses cannot use those exits. Email parking@ubsarena.com at least 72 hours before your event to coordinate your bus's arrival.
This step is required, not optional.
What does Silver C lot mean for your group practically? It puts guests closer to the arena than the Emerald lot (the general-admission lot farthest from the building), and the drop-off is on the arena side of the property rather than on the parkway side where rideshare pickups stage. The Silver lot cluster sits roughly 0.29 miles from the arena entrance — short enough that the walk is reasonable even in November or February Islanders weather, and the bus stages in the designated area until your group is ready to head back.
Rideshare pickup for everyone else is on the north side via Exit 26D, which means your bus and your group are working off a completely separate part of the property — no conflicting traffic flows at exit time.
The Route from Yonkers to UBS Arena: How a Charter Bus Actually Gets There
This is the part of the trip most first-timer groups don't fully think through. UBS Arena looks like it's surrounded by parkways on a map, and it is — but New York State parkways are off-limits to commercial vehicles, including charter buses and party buses. The Cross Island Parkway, the Southern State Parkway, and the Belt Parkway all carry the same prohibition: New York State DOT's own guidance explicitly lists buses among the vehicles banned from downstate parkways, with enforcement consequences that the state's own guidance lists as towing fees in excess of $10,000 for commercial vehicles towed off these routes.
A charter bus that takes Cross Island Parkway is also a bus that physically can't fit under many of the historic stone bridges on the system — the posted vertical clearance on some structures runs as low as 6' 11".
From Yonkers, a commercial bus runs on expressways the whole way. The practical routing: south on I-87 (Major Deegan Expressway) into the Bronx, then east on I-95 (Cross Bronx Expressway), then south through Queens via the Whitestone Expressway (I-678) — all expressways, all legal for commercial vehicles. From Queens, the bus navigates local surface roads and approaches on Hempstead Turnpike (NY-24) heading east, entering the arena campus via Gate 5 Road as described.
The Throgs Neck Bridge and Long Island Expressway (I-495) offer an alternative eastward path for some event-day routing conditions.
Off-peak, the run from Yonkers to Elmont takes 35 to 50 minutes. On a Friday night Islanders game or a sold-out arena concert, add at minimum 20 to 30 minutes — and on peak dates like an Islanders playoff game or a stadium-scale show, the Cross Bronx and Whitestone corridor can stack up significantly. The smart move for any big UBS Arena date is to build in buffer time rather than cut it close, since the approach on Hempstead Turnpike itself can slow near the arena campus when 19,000 people and their cars are all arriving in the same 90-minute window.
UBS Arena Parking Costs: What Your Group Should Know
If anyone in your group is driving separately, the parking reality at UBS Arena is worth spelling out clearly. All five lots — Emerald, Silver, Diamond, Ruby, and the Belmont Park Garage — require prepaid passes, and the pricing system has a few traps for unprepared visitors.
The Belmont Park Garage is the closest lot to the arena entrance, which makes it look like the obvious choice. The problem: if you park in the Belmont Park Garage without a valid prepaid pass, the charge upon exit is $125. Per the official Islanders parking page, that $125 penalty is explicitly published — not a hidden fine, just an extremely expensive lesson in not buying your pass in advance.
General-admission car parking in Emerald Parking (the most accessible lot for walk-up purchases) runs roughly $20 to $40 for Islanders games and $39 to $59 or more for concerts, with prices increasing $5 to $10 when bought at the gate on event day rather than in advance through Ticketmaster. The Silver, Diamond, and Ruby lots require prepaid passes to access at all — you cannot enter those lots without one.
One more thing: no tailgating is permitted in any UBS Arena parking lot. The arena operates on land leased from Empire State Development, and the lease prohibits tailgating outright. No grilling, no parking lot gatherings, no outdoor setups before the event.
That rule catches groups coming from a Hard Rock Stadium or MetLife Stadium tailgate culture completely off guard. It also changes the calculus for fan groups: the rolling pregame that would normally happen in the lot simply doesn't happen here. A party bus from Yonkers solves that problem neatly — the pregame happens on the bus, not in a parking lot, and there's no conflict with venue policy.
What Size Bus Does Your Yonkers Group Need for UBS Arena?
UBS Arena seats 17,255 for Islanders games and up to 19,000 for concerts — so event crowds range from large to very large, and the road home after a sellout show is always a scene. Getting the right vehicle size locked in before the event is the difference between a smooth trip and standing in a rideshare queue for 45 minutes. Here's how the available vehicle lineup fits the most common UBS Arena group configurations from Yonkers:
| Vehicle | Typical seats | Best for | Key amenities |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15–35 passenger minibus | 15–35 | Office groups, school outings, family parties | Powerful A/C, plush reclining seats, overhead storage |
| 25-passenger party bus | Up to 25 | Islanders fan groups, birthday outings, concert groups | Built-in bar area, LED lighting, premium sound, flat-panel TVs |
| 40-passenger party bus | Up to 40 | Larger fan groups, corporate outings, big celebrations | Full-length bar, LED lighting, Bluetooth sound, wraparound seating |
| 40–56 passenger charter bus | Up to 56 | Large corporate groups, suite-level outings, coordinated fan travel | Reclining seats, climate control, overhead bins, WiFi, power outlets, onboard restrooms, undercarriage bays |
For most Islanders game groups out of Yonkers, a 25- to 40-passenger party bus is the natural fit — the built-in sound system and LED lighting keep the pregame energy up on the 40-minute ride out, and the bar area replaces the tailgating that UBS Arena doesn't permit in the lots. For corporate suite groups or large workplace outings where keeping everyone comfortable and together is the priority over the party atmosphere, a 56-passenger charter bus gives the whole group reclining seats, WiFi, and an onboard restroom for the ride — particularly useful for events that run late or for groups with a broader age range. ADA-accessible vehicles are available; note that request when you're getting your quote so the right vehicle is confirmed for your date.
UBS Arena Charter Bus and Party Bus Rental Prices from Yonkers
Pricing for a Yonkers charter bus or party bus rental to UBS Arena depends on the vehicle size, the total hours your group needs the bus — including the ride out, any waiting time, and the ride back — and the date. Peak Islanders playoff games, the 2027 NHL All-Star Weekend, and stadium-scale concert nights command higher demand and book faster than a regular-season midweek game. The ranges below are planning figures to give you a sense of the cost structure, not guaranteed quotes — the actual rate for your specific date and itinerary comes from the Yonkers party bus prices page or a quick call to 914-638-2880.
To give you a general idea: a 15–35 passenger minibus runs approximately $200–$275 per hour on weekdays or $200–$275 per hour on weekends. A 25-passenger party bus runs roughly $250–$350 per hour on weekdays and $275–$375 on weekends. A 40-passenger party bus comes in at $300–$350 per hour weekday or $325–$500 weekends.
A full 40–56 passenger charter bus runs $200–$350 per hour regardless of day. A Yonkers-to-UBS Arena round trip for an Islanders game typically spans 4 to 6 hours from pickup to final drop-off — factor in the drive out, a pregame window, the game itself, and the return after the post-game exit traffic eases. Split across 40 or 50 people, that hourly rate per head is often comparable to — or better than — the sum of separate parking passes, surge rideshare fares, and gas for a caravan of cars.
One timing factor that changes the quote significantly: the 2027 NHL All-Star Weekend (February 5–7, 2027) is one of the largest events in UBS Arena's short history. Vehicle availability for that weekend will go fast. Call 914-638-2880 or use the online quote form as soon as your tickets are confirmed.
When to Book: The UBS Arena Calendar for Yonkers Groups
UBS Arena runs a packed calendar that creates real booking pressure on specific dates. Here's what the schedule actually looks like for groups planning ahead:
New York Islanders regular season runs from October through April, with home games at UBS Arena throughout the NHL season. Playoff runs extend the demand window into May and June — those games sell out quickly and so does transportation. The Islanders have been one of the most consistently attended NHL teams since moving into UBS Arena in November 2021, and playoff game nights bring significantly increased pressure on parking and rideshares alike.
2027 NHL All-Star Weekend — February 5–7, 2027 — is the largest event the arena has hosted since opening. Per the official NHL announcement, the Islanders will host All-Star Weekend at UBS Arena for the first time since 1983, when the franchise last hosted the event at the old Nassau Coliseum, with the weekend's festivities broadcast on ESPN and ABC. That weekend draws hockey fans from across the country.
Vehicle availability for All-Star Weekend will be limited months in advance — this is a book-immediately situation the moment your tickets are secured.
MTV Video Music Awards — UBS Arena hosted back-to-back VMAs in 2024 and 2025, drawing national attention and massive crowds to the Elmont campus. If the VMAs return to UBS Arena for a third consecutive year, that event date will compress vehicle availability across all of Westchester and the New York metro in a very short window.
Summer and fall concerts are a year-round reality at UBS Arena. The arena's upcoming slate includes MAMAMOO (August 12, 2026), Bryson Tiller (September 12, 2026), and Chayanne (September 13, 2026), among many others. Stadium-scale concert nights with 19,000 attendees create the same post-show rideshare and parking surge that makes a bus the cleanest exit strategy from the Long Island campus.
For concert bus rentals from Yonkers, booking 4 to 8 weeks ahead for major shows gives you the best vehicle selection.
Transportation Options Compared: Yonkers to UBS Arena
A private bus isn't the right call for every group — here's an honest comparison of the realistic options a Yonkers group has for getting to UBS Arena.
| Option | Cost shape | Arrive together? | Door-to-door? | Post-event exit | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charter bus or party bus (from Yonkers) | One flat rate split by the group | Yes — one pickup, one drop-off | Best — Gate 5 Road/Silver C lot, then staged pickup | Bus stages on site; exit after post-event traffic eases | Groups of 15–56 |
| Drive and park | $20–$60+ per car (prepaid required); $125 if Belmont Garage without pass | No — caravans split at tollways and exits | Depends on which lot and how far you walk | Each car navigates its own exit through congested lots | 1–2 cars max |
| Rideshare (Uber/Lyft) | Per car each way + post-event surge | No — multiple cars, multiple ETAs | North-side drop via Exit 26D; surge pricing common post-event | Indoor waiting area by section 118; expect surge | 1–4 people |
| LIRR from White Plains or NYC | Per person each way (Zone 4) | Only if the whole group boards the same train | 10–15 min walk from station or free shuttle to arena | Fixed train schedule; no surge but last train time matters | Individuals or small groups from Manhattan/Queens |
For solo attendees or very small groups of 2 to 4 coming from Yonkers, the LIRR is genuinely competitive — you'd take Metro-North or drive to a station, transfer to LIRR at Grand Central Madison or Penn Station, and ride about 30 minutes to the Elmont–UBS Arena Station with a free shuttle to the arena entrance. The train runs on a fixed schedule and carries no surge pricing. But the moment your group outgrows two cars' worth of people, the coordination cost of splitting up across rideshares — different arrival times, different pickup ETAs, multiple fares each way — tips decisively toward one vehicle.
The bus solves all of it in a single booking.
UBS Arena Bag Policy: What Your Group Can Bring
UBS Arena enforces a strict bag size policy, and it applies to every event. Per the official bag policy page: bags must measure no larger than 12″ × 12″ × 6″ and will be subject to x-ray or visual screening at entry. All backpacks are prohibited regardless of size — no exceptions for small or minimalist backpacks.
Medical bags and infant carriers are permitted but must go through screening. There is no on-site bag check at the arena, so groups need to plan ahead on what they're carrying in.
The Great Hall inside the arena does offer bag storage for oversized items, which is worth knowing if anyone in your group arrives with something that doesn't meet the size rule. One sealed bottle policy and a prohibition on outside food and beverages (medical exceptions aside) round out the key entry restrictions. Having the bag policy sorted before your group lines up at the gate saves a lot of friction — particularly for larger Yonkers groups where one delayed person at security holds everyone else up.
The arena's accessibility hotline at 516-460-8598 handles questions about medical accommodations on event days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where exactly does a charter bus or party bus drop off at UBS Arena?
Per the official UBS Arena parking page, oversized vehicles including charter buses and limousines enter via Gate 5 Road off Hempstead Turnpike, drop off guests in the Silver C lot, and then proceed to the designated oversized vehicle staging area. This is a completely separate access point from the Cross Island Parkway exits that serve all standard car parking. Bus groups must email parking@ubsarena.com at least 72 hours before the event to coordinate arrival — that advance contact is required by the venue.
Why can't a charter bus take the Cross Island Parkway to UBS Arena?
New York State parkways — including the Cross Island Parkway, the Southern State Parkway, and the Belt Parkway — prohibit commercial vehicles and buses. The restriction applies to charter buses and party buses regardless of their height or length. The historic stone bridges on the parkway system have posted vertical clearances as low as 6' 11", and the state bans commercial vehicles from the system entirely.
A charter bus coming from Yonkers legally routes via I-87 (Major Deegan), the Cross Bronx Expressway (I-95), the Whitestone Expressway (I-678), and then approaches via Hempstead Turnpike — all expressways that permit commercial vehicles. The entry at Gate 5 Road is where a bus re-joins the arena campus from that approach.
How much does parking cost at UBS Arena?
Parking ranges from roughly $20 to $60+ depending on the lot and the event, and all lots require a prepaid pass purchased through Ticketmaster. The Belmont Park Garage — the closest lot to the entrance — charges $125 upon exit if you park there without a valid prepaid pass. That $125 penalty is published plainly on the official parking pages for both the arena and the Islanders.
Emerald Parking is the only lot that allows general walk-up purchase on event day, and concert prices there typically run $5 to $10 more at the gate than if bought in advance. Diamond, Ruby, and Silver lots require prepaid passes to enter at all.
Is tailgating allowed at UBS Arena?
No. Tailgating is not permitted in any UBS Arena parking lot, per the arena's lease agreement with Empire State Development. No grilling, no outdoor gatherings, no parking lot setups. This is a hard rule that applies to every event at the venue.
Groups that want a pregame gathering will need to plan it elsewhere — or on the bus itself before arrival.
How far is UBS Arena from Yonkers, and how long does it take to get there?
UBS Arena at 2400 Hempstead Turnpike in Elmont is roughly 22 to 25 miles from Yonkers. Off-peak, the drive via expressways (I-87 south, Cross Bronx, Whitestone Expressway, then Hempstead Turnpike) takes 35 to 50 minutes. On Islanders game nights or major concert evenings, add at least 20 to 30 minutes for the approach, and more on sold-out event nights when Hempstead Turnpike itself backs up near the campus.
Building buffer into the departure time — leaving Yonkers 90 minutes before gates open rather than 60 — is consistently the right call.
What's the bag limit at UBS Arena?
Bags must be no larger than 12″ × 12″ × 6″ and are subject to x-ray or visual screening. All backpacks are prohibited regardless of size. Medical bags and infant carriers are allowed with screening.
No on-site bag check is available, though the Great Hall offers storage for oversized bags. Full details are on the official UBS Arena bag policy page.
Will the bus wait for us during the game or concert?
Yes — your bus is booked as a block of hours, so it stages in the designated oversized vehicle area after dropping your group at Silver C lot and is available when you're ready to head back. Setting a clear post-event pickup time before your group splits up is always the smart move, especially for events where the post-show exit moves slowly. A 30- to 45-minute buffer after the final horn or curtain — while the worst of the 19,000-person exit wave clears — often means a much smoother drive back to Yonkers than leaving immediately after the event ends.
Does a charter bus need advance coordination at UBS Arena?
Yes. The arena requires oversized vehicles to email parking@ubsarena.com no fewer than 72 hours before the event to coordinate arrival. This is a published requirement, not a courtesy — skip it and the bus group may not have confirmed staging arrangements on arrival.
Mentioning that coordination step when you request your quote through Partybusyonkers.com gives the transportation provider a chance to confirm it so nothing falls through the cracks.
How do I get a quote for a Yonkers bus to UBS Arena?
Use the online quote tool on this page for instant vehicle options and pricing — no account required, results in under 30 seconds. Or call 914-638-2880 any time to walk through your headcount, date, pickup location, and whether you need round-trip staging or a one-way. Either way, you're comparing options from a large network of bus companies serving Yonkers and the metro area, not locked into one fleet.
Book Your UBS Arena Bus from Yonkers
Whether it's an Islanders game night, a summer concert at a sold-out arena, or the 2027 NHL All-Star Weekend, the logistics of getting a Yonkers group to UBS Arena are genuinely more involved than they look on a map. Gate 5 Road off Hempstead Turnpike, the 72-hour advance parking coordination, the parkway restrictions that shape the entire approach — a charter bus or party bus handles all of that for your group, and you walk off in Silver C lot while the Cross Island Parkway crowd is still feeding through the toll arms. Partybusyonkers.com makes it fast to compare vehicles and rates from a large network of bus companies serving Yonkers — call 914-638-2880 any time or use the online quote form to see options in under 30 seconds. Lock in your date as soon as your tickets are confirmed.
For peak Islanders nights and big concert dates, the right bus goes quickly.
Also planning a trip to another New York metro arena? The Madison Square Garden group transportation guide and the MetLife Stadium bus guide cover their own drop-off procedures — both are popular Yonkers group destinations on the same calendar.
