Travel Tips: Getting In
By Air
JFK International Airport (JFK) (PHONE: 718-244-4444, www.jfkairport.com) in the borough of Queens.
LaGuardia Airport (LGA) (PHONE: 718-533-3400, www.laguardiaairport.com) in the borough of Queens.
Newark International Airport (EWR) (PHONE: 973-961-6000 or 888-397-4636, www.newarkairport.com) in New Jersey.
Carriers
America West (PHONE: 800/235-9292, www.americawest.com).
American (PHONE: 800/433-7300, www.americanairlines.com).
Continental (PHONE: 800/525-0280, www.continental.com).
Delta (PHONE: 800/221-1212, www.delta.com).
Northwest/KLM (PHONE: 800/225-2525, www.nwa.com).
United (PHONE: 800/241-6522, www.united.com).
US Airways (PHONE: 800/428-4322, www.usairways.com).
Alitalia Airlines (PHONE: 800/223-5730, www.alitalia.com).
Austrian Airlines (PHONE: 800/843-0002, www.aua.com).
British Airways (PHONE: 800/247-9297; 0845/77-333-77 in the U.K., www.britishairways.com).
Canadian Airlines (PHONE: 888/247-2262, www.aircanada.ca).
Qantas (PHONE: 800/227-4500; 13-1313 in Australia, www.qantas.com).
Virgin Atlantic Airways (PHONE: 800/862-8621; 01293/450-150 in the U.K., www.virgin.com).
Jet Blue (PHONE: 800/538-2583, www.jetblue.com).
Midwest Express (PHONE: 800/452-2022, www.midwestexpress.com)
From Airport to the City
From All Airports
Port Authority Information Service (PHONE: 800/247-7433, www.panynj.gov/aviation.html) provides detailed, up-to-the-minute recorded information on how to reach your destination from any of New York's airports
Transportation Information Service (PHONE: 800/247-7433, www.panynj.gov/aviation.html) provides detailed, up-to-the-minute recorded information on how to reach your destination from any of New York's airports
Car Service: This is a great way to get to the city because the driver will often meet you in the concourse or baggage claim area and help you with your bags. You can call call service companies from the terminal. You can also schedule a pick up in advance. The following is a list of car service companies and their phone numbers
- Carmel Car Service (PHONE: 212/666-6666 or 800/922-7635, www.carmelcarservice.com).
- Executive Town Car & Limousines (PHONE: 516/538-8551 or 800/716-2799).
- Gotham Limousine (PHONE: 212/868-4733 or 800/993-0050).
- London Towncars (PHONE: 212/988-9700 or 800/221-4009).
- Manhattan International Limo (PHONE: 718/729-4200 or 800/221-7500).
- Mirage Limousine Service (PHONE: 212/744-9700).
- Skyline (PHONE: 212/741-3711 or 800/567-5957).
- Tel Aviv Car and Limousine Service (PHONE: 212/777-7777 or 800/222-9888).
From JFK
Taxi: By far the most convenient route into the city from JFK is a taxi, which runs a standard $45 to any Manhattan destination, not including tolls or tips. The ride takes around 40 - 50 minutes depending on traffic. Note that the arrivals terminals are filled with drivers hawking illegal livery rides at grossly inflated prices that prey on newly-arrived tourists, so beware.
Air Train: From the airport, the newly opened JFK AirTrain (www.panynj.gov/airtrain) runs to Howard Beach station to connect with the A subway and to Jamaica station to connect with the E and J/Z subways (Sutphin Blvd station), the Long Island Rail Road and buses. If you are travelling to the downtown area (the financial district), use the A train from Howard Beach. If heading to the midtown area (including the hotels/theatres in Times Square) use the E train. The JFK AirTrain costs $5; the subway costs $2.
Service cars:There are also coach services that run from JFK and La Guardia to Grand Central Station and Penn Station. As of december 2005, the cost is 15$ (27$ roundtrip).
From LGA
Taxi: from LaGuardia to Midtown will range from $20-$30. Make sure to tell the driver to take the 59th St (officially called Queensboro) Bridge to save the $4.50 toll on the other river crossing. The bridge is also more direct and usually faster coming from LGA.
Bus: the M60 bus connects with Astoria N and W trains, and crosses Manhattan using 125th St. It will connect with the Lexington (4, 5, 6), Central Park West (A, B C, D), Lenox (2, 3) and Broadway lines (1). This is a useful service if you are staying in Harlem, the Columbia University area or Hostelling International New York, as it goes south on Broadway (west side) to 106th St. This is a $2 service. The bus does not accept dollar bills. You will need to use coins if you do not already have a MetroCard. There is a change machine in the airport terminal. The M60 stops in front of all the terminals
From EWR
Taxi: Trip to Manhattan cost $35-$55 plus tolls ($8) and take 20 to 45 minutes. Group rates are available for up to four passengers between 8 AM and midnight (make arrangements with the airport's taxi dispatcher). From Manhattan, there's an extra $10 surcharge.
Train: You can take the AirTrain to the Newark Airport Train Station to connect to a NJ Transit or Amtrak train running along the Northeast Corridor line to Penn Station. One-way fares to Penn Station are $11.55 if you take a NJ Transit train, and between $20 and $30 on Amtrak
Bus: For the most direct route, Olympia Trails (www.coachusa.com/olympia) ($13 one way, $22 round trip) runs buses every 20-30 minutes to New York Penn Station (with a final stop at Grand Central), or the Port Authority Bus Terminal at 42nd and Eighth Avenue. One-way trip time is about 40 minutes depending on traffic. For the most inexpensive option possible, take NJTransit bus #62 to Newark Penn Station (one-way fare $1.10; be careful not to take bus #37 which also stops at EWR but not Penn Station). From there, you may take a PATH subway train either to World Trade Center station in lower Manhattan, or, by transferring at the Journal Square station to the 33rd St. train (across the platform), to one of several stops along Sixth Avenue (last stop 33rd Street / 6th Avenue). The combined fare for the bus/PATH option ($2.60) is significantly lower than the EWR AirTrain with NJTransit, but will take longer (plan on 1.5 - 2 hours), and of course, involve the transfer. As a word of caution, this is not a well-publicized option; note that you may well find yourself to be the only tourist on the bus. Don't expect much help or companionship in finding your way
By Train
New York has two major rail terminals, Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal, served by four primary passenger services: Amtrak, Metro North Commuter Railroad, Long Island Railroad, and New Jersey Transit. Amtrak, Long Island Railroad, and New Jersey Transit operate from Penn Station and Metro North Commuter Railroad operates from Grand Central. New Jersey Transit is a service of the State of New Jersey. Long Island Railroad and Metro North are both parts of the Metropolitan Transit Authority which also operates city subways and busses. Penn station is located at 32nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues; Grand Central at 42nd and Park Avenue. There are several smaller stations in all other boroughs except Staten Island and additional terminals on the Long Island Railroad in Brooklyn and Queens.
Metro-North Commuter Railroad (PHONE: 212/532-4900, www.mta.nyc.ny.us/mnr) trains take passengers from Grand Central Terminal to points north of New York City, both in New York State and Connecticut.
Amtrak (PHONE: 800/872-7245, www.amtrak.com) trains from across the United States arrive at Penn Station.
Long Island Railroad (PHONE: 718/217-5477, www.mta.nyc.ny.us/lirr) from Penn Station.
New Jersey Transit (PHONE: 973/762-5100, www.njtransit.com) from Penn Station.
PATH (PHONE: 800/234-7284, www.panynj.gov).
By Bus
Greyhound (http://www.greyhound.com) is the largest and oldest private bus company in the US, and operates its east-coast hub out of Manhattan's Port Authority Bus Terminal. (http://www.panynj.gov/tbt/pabframe.HTM) Recently Peter Pan (http://www.peterpanbus.com) Bus Company has come to dominate bus travel from New York to Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, coordinating some schedules with Greyhound, while competing vigorously against Greyhound on many routes. The terminal operates on a 24-hour schedule, with regular departures to practically every city in the country. Big cities like Boston, DC, Chicago and LA will have multiple departures daily -- smaller cities may only have one or two, so be sure to check the schedules in advance! Remember that distances in the USA are large and you could be on the bus a long time - a very long time.
The Port Authority Bus Terminal also hosts a dozen or so smaller bus companies, which generally offer service along the Boston-to-DC regional axis. A full list of carriers is available at http://www.panynj.gov/tbt/busline.HTM
Super cheap buses
A cheaper group of bus companies known as the "Chinatown Bus" go to Boston, Washington, Philadelphia and a few other destinations, usually picking up and dropping off passengers in ethnic Chinese neighborhoods. If you are going to Boston, the buses no longer drop you off on the street, but at the Boston South Station bus terminal, which is pretty close to Chinatown anyway, however it is sheltered. Prices have increased and are no longer $10. Some of these bus companies are:
The Fung Wah Bus (http://www.fungwahbus.com/), granddaddy of all Chinatown buses, which arrives every hour until 10:00pm from Boston at the corner of Canal and Bowery streets.
The Vamoose Bus (http://www.vamoosebus.com/) from Washington DC.
The Today's Bus (http://www.todaysbus.com/) from Washington DC, Philadelphia, Richmond and Atlanta.
The Apex Bus (http://www.apexbus.com/) from Washington DC, Philadelphia, Richmond and Atlanta.
The Boston Deluxe (http://www.bostondeluxe.com/), connecting New York with Boston, Philadelphia and Hartford.
The Washington Deluxe (http://www.washingtondeluxe.com/) from Washington DC.
By Car
If you are thinking of coming to New York by car, you may want to consider that traffic in Manhattan is very bad, and parking is quite expensive (up to $40 per day) and extremely difficult to come by. When entering New York from New Jersey , as well as with many bridges and tunnels within New York City, you will incur tolls (up to $6) (http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/bandt/html/btmap.htm) and associated traffic delays. Most New Yorkers don't even own cars, and driving from one attraction to another in Manhattan is all but unheard of. Driving to one of the stations served by the Metro North railroad, New Jersey Transit, or Long Island Railroad (see above) and taking the train in is a better option. There are often secure parking areas in some of these stations.
As a general rule, hotels in New York do not supply parking. The few that do will charge you handsomely for the privilege. It is suggested that you look at the following two websites:
- http://www.iconparking.com you can book your parking time (if you know it) by the block, date, time, and even choose which garage within the iconparking system has space and they MUST honor it.
- http://www.parkfast.com This site is for Edison Parkfast. The site isn't as feature rich and you can't pick your hours or dates, but at least they have rates and locations.
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