 Getting to and from
New York City Airports
Getting to and from the airport affordably can be a real hassle in New York City. Fortunately, there are many airport transportation alternatives to an expensive taxi ride or begging a ride from the one friend you know in the city with a car.
Share a Cab
Speaking of begging, have you heard about Hitchsters.com? It's a site to find other people to share a taxicab ride to and from the airport. Give it a try! The more of us sign up, the more chance we have of finding someone to split the bill!
Public Transportation—
the $2.00 ride
The M60 bus goes to LaGuardia Airport. From uptown Manhattan, the M60 will take around an hour or more to get you to your terminal. Get a NYC bus map here.
The A train goes to JFK Airport. The A train can take as much as 2 hours from uptown Manhattan to JFK. Once you get off the A train, you must catch a shuttle bus to get you the rest of the way. If you must travel with a lot of luggage, you may want to opt for another method to get to/from the airport.
For up-to-date information on how to get around on New York's public transportation, visit the Metropolitan Transit Authority's web site at:
http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/
AirTrain
Check out the new AirTrain, a great new way to get to JFK airport or Newark Airport. It's faster than the A train and will cost about $10-15 each way.
For JFK (Kennedy) Airport You have to take the Long Island Rail Road from Penn Station to Jamaica, where you can easily transfer to the Air Train. The LIRR trip will cost $5-8 (depending on whether you go at peak or off-peak times) and the AirTrain is $5. Full info can be found at the AirTrain Web site.
TIP: When transferring to/from the AirTrain, be sure to watch the signs above each track. If you're confused about which train will take you where, ask someone. It is very easy to get on the wrong train as both stop at the same place. Once you've done it a couple of times, it's a cinch. Save yourself some time & frustration the first time and ASK.
There's also "AirTrain" service between Newark Liberty Airport and New York Penn Station. At Penn Station, go to NJ Transit and buy a ticket to the airport ($14). It'll generally be the third stop. When you get off, you have to then transfer to a little shuttle train (like a monorail) that takes you to the various terminals and parking areas.
Leaving Newark Airport, it can be tricky to find the AirTrain to return. There are signs, but they seem to be well hidden. Ask around, keep your eyes peeled. It's not a difficult journey, but it can seem tedious. Still, it's more reliable than taking the bus (see below) through traffic.
Olympic Trails Bus
Take a subway or bus to Port Authority or Grand Central and catch the Olympic Trails shuttle bus. The ride is around $13 each way to Newark Liberty Airport, and is possibly the cheapest ride to this popular airport. For more information, at Port Authority, go to the Airport Transportation booth. Near Grand Central, on Park Avenue between 42nd & 41st, there is an Airport Transportation office.
SuperShuttle
From your home, office or hotel, Super Shuttle will take you door-to-door. The Blue Van will be picking up other passengers at other locations too, so if you're in a big hurry, this is not your best option.
Rates range from $13-$17 FROM the airports and $15-19 TO the airport. Visit www.supershuttle.com for more information.
National Mountain Line
Similar to SuperShuttle, National Mountain line is a bit cheaper and offers shared-ride, door-to-door van transportation. Call (718) 884-9400 for more information. |
