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International and National Transportation to and from NYC

Inner-city Transportation | International Transportation

NYC Airports

There are three major airports convenient to downtown New York City. John F Kennedy Airport (JFK), 15 miles (24km) from Midtown Manhattan in southeastern Queens, is where most international flights land. Recently voted the third-worst airport facility in the world by business travelers, JFK is best avoided. La Guardia Airport in northern Queens is 8 miles (13km) from Manhattan and services mostly domestic flights. If you're arriving or departing in the middle of the day, La Guardia is a more convenient choice than JFK. Newark Airport is in New Jersey, directly 10 miles (16km) west of Manhattan. Flights to and from Newark airport are sometimes a bit cheaper because of the erroneous perception that the airport is less accessible than JFK or La Guardia. In fact, Newark has a large and spanking-new international arrivals terminal, and its four terminals are linked by a monorail system.

When traffic is light, it takes about 40 minutes to commute into Manhattan from John F. Kennedy International (JFK) or Newark Airport and only 30 minutes from LaGuardia Airport. Unfortunately, when traffic is heavy, the trip into town from any of these airports may take well over one hour.

Taxi fares between Manhattan and La Guardia airport cost about $25. Taxi fares to JFK or Newark are about $35. This is the most expensive option when traveling alone; but is one of the least expensive when sharing a ride with two or three companions. Limousines cost little more than a taxi and can also be quite economical when traveling with several companions. Airport buses costs $10 - $15 from any of the airports to Manhattan. They departs about every 30 minutes during the daytime and arrive at the Port Authority terminal or Grand Central Station in Midtown Manhattan. Inquire at the ground transportation desk in the airport terminals!

The New York subway system stops at Howard Beach a few miles from JFK. It is accessible via free shuttle bus from the terminal and costs only $1.50 to anywhere in Manhattan. From LaGuardia, you can take a bus ($1.50 fare) to the subway which takes you anywhere in Manhattan for another $1.50. From Newark Airport, the Airtrain Monorail stops at the Newark International Airport Station where you can transfer to a train into Manhattan. The ride into Midtown Manhattan costs about $10.

NYC Long-haul Buses

All suburban and long-haul buses leave and depart from the Port Authority Bus Terminal at 41st St and Eighth Ave in midtown Manhattan. Bus lines available there include Greyhound, which links New York with major cities across the country; Peter Pan Trailways, which runs buses to the nearest major cities; Short Line, offering numerous departures to towns in northern New Jersey and upstate New York; and New Jersey Transit buses, with direct service to Atlantic City and the entire Garden State.

NYC Trains

Pennsylvania Station, on 33rd St between Seventh and Eighth Aves, is the departure point for all Amtrak trains, including the daily Metroliner service to Princeton, NJ, Philadelphia, PA, and Washington, DC. The Long Island Rail Road serves several hundred thousand commuters each day from a newly renovated platform area to points in Brooklyn, Queens and the suburbs of Long Island, including the resort areas. New Jersey Transit operates trains from Penn Station to the suburbs and the Jersey Shore. One commuter company departs from Grand Central Station, at Park Ave and 42nd St: the Metro North Railroad, which serves the northern suburbs and Connecticut.

NYC by Car

It's a nightmare to have a car in Manhattan, but getting there is easy. Approaches from the east include the Connecticut Turnpike (I-95); the Long Island Expressway, which enters Manhattan through the Queens Midtown Tunnel (often choked by traffic); and the Grand Central Parkway (right off the Triborough Bridge), which cuts through Queens on its way from Long Island. From New Jersey, I-95 crosses the George Washington Bridge; I-95 also continues south as the New Jersey Turnpike, entering Manhattan via the Lincoln Tunnel (at midtown) and the Holland Tunnel (near Soho). Via I-95, it's 195 miles (315km) south from Boston, 105 miles (170km) north from Philadelphia, and 235 miles (380km) north from Washington, DC.