Arriving & Departing
New York City is easily reached by a variety of reliable means of transportation. While its highways experience daily heavy traffic endemic to any major metropolitan area, they do allow relatively easy access to the heart Manhattan. Driving in the city proper can be intimidating, but finding most addresses is thankfully quite easy due to the city’s numerical street grid system.
See this Insider page to learn about taking taxis from the airports:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g60...
Airports
There are three major airports in the NYC area: La Guardia (airport code "LGA"), Kennedy ("JFK"), both in NYC,, and Newark ("EWR"), in NJ. There are also three smaller suburban airports: Macarthur Airport ("ISP") in Islip, Long Island, Westchester County Airport ("HPN") in White Plains (north of NYC) and Stewart Airport ("SWF") in Newburgh. Some visitors have found such low airfares to fly into Islip that it is worth the hour-long ride in a taxi or via the Long Island Railroad to get into Manhattan, but this is not the typical experience.
You can use mass transit to get from LGA, JFK and EWR to Manhattan. See this MTA webpage for bus and subway details for JFK and LGA. Shuttle services from La Guardia, JFK and Newark Liberty International Airports include Olympia, New York Airport Service Expressand Supershuttle. (Be warned, SuperShuttle gets terrible reviews.) Cab sharing to or from any of the airports can be arranged through www.hitchsters.com.
Newark can be accessed by bus from the Port Authority at 42nd & 8th Avenue, or by NJ Transit trains (leaving/arriving Manhattan at Penn Station, 33rd St. & 8th Ave.) and then the Airtrain at the airport. All three airports are managed by the Port Authority of NY & NJ. More information is on their website: www.panynj.gov
La Guardia ("LGA") is the closest to Midtown and Upper Manhattan and thus preferred by some. It has the least convenient mass transit connections but taxis are readily available and relatively cheap. The taxi fare will be on the meter (plus tips and tolls) so will be affected by the amount of traffic. Some sample fare estimates from LGA are:
Upper Manhattan $21-25 Mid Manhattan $20-24 Lower Manhattan $26-30 JFK $25-29 Newark airport $78-82Official taxi lines/queues/ranks are outside each of the terminals. Make sure NOT to accept a ride from anyone who approaches you.
Some people prefer using a car service with a flat fare (especially if traveling in rush hour). The 2 most popular companies are carmellimo.com and dial7.com Both of these companies are typically booked in advance with a credit card and require leaving information about the time of arrival, gate at which the plane lands, and airline in order to be there in time to wait for and pick you or your party up in a black or silver Cadillac. (In some busier cases it beats waiting for a taxi.) If you select these companies keep a cell phone on you or at least the your confirmation number/ phone number of the dispatcher on you and head to a pay phone: it helps if they know of delays.
For those traveling alone, there is the Airport Express bus service that goes to several locations in Manhattan for $12/person each way. But this is not economical if you're 2 or more since a taxi will be about the same price and more convenient.
The least expensive way is the M60 bus, or the Q33 or Q48 buses. The basic fare is $2.00 per person. You will need to use coins or buy a MetroCard, because city buses do not accept bills/paper money. You can read about senior discount fares or frequent use cards on the MetroCard webpage.
The M60 goes into Upper Manhattan intersecting almost all subway lines. It makes sense when traffic is light but is very slow when rush hour traffic over the bridges to Manhattan is heavy. For those times, or when you don't want to go into Manhattan anyway, take the Q33 to the last stop and follow the crowd into the subway station there. You can pick up either the #7 train or the E, F or R. The Q48 is an alternative bus if you want the number #7 train, but takes you further out on that line. But a local bus is slower and crowded - not a good idea with significant luggage.
John F Kennedy ("JFK") has become much more accessible due to the opening of the Airtrain a few years ago. This connects the terminals to subways and the Long Island Railroad ("LIRR").
There are two AirTrain branches: Howard Beach and Jamaica. (The destinations are displayed above the doors in the stations - pay attention since the audio announcements don’t always work!) The Howard Beach branch is a good line to use if your destination is in Brooklyn or Lower Manhattan. The Jamaica branch is good if you're headed to Queens, Midtown or Upper Manhattan.
AirTrain costs $7.00 per person if you connect to the subway: $5.00 for the AirTrain itself and $2.00 for the subway fare. You pay on the way out of the AirTrain station. Purchase a MetroCard with $7.00 on it, and slide it through the reader to exit. You can buy one MetroCard with multiples of $7.00 on it to use for your whole party, or each person can buy their own MetroCard. MetroCard machines accept cash, credit or debit cards.
The Howard Beach connects to the A train, which runs through Queens and Brooklyn before entering lower Manhattan. The A is usually an express and will skip some stations. At night, the A is local and stops at every station. From Manhattan, be sure to take the A train to Rockaways - JFK.
The Jamaica branch goes to Jamaica station, Queens, where you can connect to either the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) or the E or J/Z subway lines into Manhattan.
AirTrain costs a little more if you use the Long Island Railroad: You can take the LIRR from Jamaica to Penn Station, Manhattan for $7.00 during peak times or $3.00 on the weekends., bringing your total to either $12.00 or $8.00. This is faster and more comfortable than the subway and takes you directly to 34th Street.
The absolute cheapest and possibly slowest and most complicated way to travel to or from JFK is the Q10 bus to the A train. This costs $2.00 (by Metrocard). From Manhattan, be sure to take the Lefferts Boulevard-Ozone Park A train, as the trains to the Rockaways or to the Airtrain station will not get you to the Q10. In September 2006 the MTA introduced Q10 Limited service, which means fewer local stops on the way to the airport. On the other hand, at the same time the MTA eliminated all Q10 stops at the airport except the one outside Terminal 4. This information is not clearly posted anywhere at the airport. The Airtrain is free within the airport, though, so you can easily get to Terminal 4 from any other terminal. Another important tip is that you need to use either exact change ($2.00 in coins only) or a Metrocard to board the Q10 at the airport.
Taxis: If you have had a long flight, and you probably did if you are arriving at JFK, it is probably best to take a taxi instead of dragging your luggage around on public transportation. A taxi between JFK and anywhere in Manhattan - in either direction - is a fixed $45 plus $4.50 tolls and tip. It's worth it! Follow the signs to the taxi queue. Wait in line and the dispatcher will get you a car. Please take only official, yellow NYC Taxis. Never accept a ride from anyone who approaches you at the luggage carousels or outside the terminal. This is illegal. They are unauthorized and most likely scams.
Helicopter: If a fast (and scenic) transfer is needed and money is no object; U.S. Helicopter operates 8 minute scheduled flights to Manhattan. The cost starts at $159, per person, one way. Flights operate from Terminal 3 (Delta) at JFK to two heliports in Manhattan - East 34th Street (Midtown) and Downtown Manhattan at Wall Street. They do not operate on weekends or holidays and are only available from 7am to 7pm.
Unless one’s flights are with Delta (JFK), convenience may be compromised by the need to take the Airtrain or public transport to the correct terminal as well as a taxi from the chosen heliport to one’s hotel.
Newark ("EWR") (aka Newark-Liberty International) is the closest airport to lower Manhattan. Especially if you are an international traveler, you may be able to save money by flying into Newark instead of JFK. There are express buses to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan (8th Avenue and 42nd Street), Penn Station, Grand Central Terminal, and downtown for $14.
Taxis to New York work on a fixed fare (plus toll & tip) starting at $40, depending on the destination.
Airtrain connects all of the airport terminals to the NJ Transit Northeast Corridor railroad line, which stops at "Newark Airport" (not to be confused with just "Newark") and Penn Station, NY. (Confusingly, the Newark city stop is also called "Penn Station." Be sure to take the train to "Newark Airport" and arrive in New YorkPenn Station.) Fare on the train is about 14.00, including Airtrain. Buy the ticket before getting on the train - there is a hefty surcharge to buy on board (currently $5 per person). And when departing the airport, save your ticket for the conductor on the train to New York. NJ Transit’s website is www.NJTransit.com .
For those on a tight budget (and not in a rush), the way to/from Newark involves taking the subway and the PATH, aka the Hudson Tubes, formally known as the Port Authority Trans Hudson Lines (PATH). There is one PATH station downtown at the site of the World Trade Center, one in Greenwich Village at Christopher Street, and four along 6th Avenue (9th, 14th, 23rd & 33rd Streets). The WTC station is on a direct route to Newark Penn Station; for the other Manhattan stations you must connect at Journal Square Station in Jersey City. For $1.50 the PATH takes you to/from Newark Penn Station, where you can pick up the NJ Transit Bus #62 (www.NJTransit.com) to the Airport at Terminal A. The fare on the Newark bus is $1.25. So your total cost to the airport, including subway fare, is $4.75, but may takes a lot of time (up to 2 hours), so plan your trip to not miss your flight.
If a fast (and scenic) transfer is needed and money is no object; US Helicopter operates 8 minute scheduled flights to Manhattan. The cost starts at $159 per person one way. Flights operate from Terminal C, Gate 71 at Newark to two heliports in Manhattan - East 34th Street (Midtown) and Downtown Manhattan at Wall Street. They do not operate on weekends or holidays and are only available from 7am to 7pm.
Unless one’s flights are with Continental (Newark), convenience may be compromised by the need to get to the Terminal C as well as a taxi from the chosen heliport to one’s hotel.
Trains and Buses
New York is in great part a city of commuters. The rail and bus systems cater daily to a vast number of non-resident workers, and the visitor can also take advantage of this transportation. If you enter the city using Amtrak, Long Island Railroad or New Jersey Transit trains, you will invariably arrive at Penn Station (7th or 8th Avenue between West 32nd and 33rd Streets). Connections are available in the station to subways (also called "trains" by New Yorkers) -- 7th Ave red lines (1,2,3) and 8th Avenue blue lines (A,C,E). Two blocks away at Herald Square - 6th Avenue/Broadway and 34th Street you can find the 6th Avenue orange subways (B, D, F, V) and Broadway yellow lines (N,Q,R,W).
Visitors from Westchester and Connecticut using Metro North rail lines will experience the beautifully restored Grand Central Terminal, a true architectural treasure now home to a variety of upscale eateries and shops. Connections to the green Lexington Avenue Subway lines (4,5,6) and the grey subway shuttle line (S) to Times Square (the hub of most subway lines) are within the terminal.
Many bus services utilize the Port Authority Bus Terminal located on 8th Avenue and West 41st and 42nd Streets. In the new and improved NYC, the Port Authority is not the dingy, seedy place some might have heard about prior to the mid-1990's. Some riders seeking great value might compromise a bit of comfort and consider what are locally referred to as the "Chinese Buses." Fung Wah, runs motor coaches between New York and Boston, arriving downtown at Canal Street in Chinatown. As a company they are growing, now serving Washington, DC and other major cities. Visitors coming in from Long Island may opt to use the Hampton Jitney. This is a comfortable way to travel and the one bus company that many locals take frequently. The Hampton Luxury Liner also serves the Hamptons and this writer has only utilized their service once, but it was the most pleasant form of transport from Manhattan to Southampton. Lastly, speaking of luxury bus service, if you are travelling from NYC to Boston, consider the LimoLiner.com. Very comfortable, great service and cheaper than flying, with no lines, no hassles.
For out-of-towners, there are definitely options beyond the national names you might be more familiar with. Check them out and you'll feel like a local in no time!
