GETTING TO NYC


Links within this page: - Plane - Train - Bus - Car -

Whether you live across the Hudson or across the Atlantic, getting to NYC is easy. If you’re coming from outside the United States,
check this page for visa information.

See below for the best ways to reach the five boroughs from anywhere in the world.

By plane If you’re coming from far away, you’ll probably want to fly into one of the New York City area’s major airports. There are a number of hotels conveniently located near the City’s airports.


By Plane
Below, you'll find a list of NYC-area airports, along with the best ways to get from those airports to Manhattan. There are more than a hundred air carriers traveling to NYC from all over the country and the world, including American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue and United.

Air travelers to New York City may arrive at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) or LaGuardia Airport (LGA), both in Queens, or Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in neighboring New Jersey. LaGuardia primarily serves domestic destinations, and also offers flights to select Canadian and Caribbean destinations. Kennedy and Newark both serve domestic and international destinations. Visitors can reach Manhattan from all three airports by using taxis, buses, subways and/or commuter trains. Other metropolitan-area airports include Stewart International Airport (SWF), Westchester County Airport (HPN) and MacArthur Airport (ISP). For those interested, there are a number of hotels conveniently located near the City's airports.

John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Jamaica, Queens, NY 11430
718-244-4444

New York's largest airport serves more than 80 airlines, most of which are international. It is approximately 15 miles from Midtown Manhattan. Here's how to get to Midtown Manhattan from JFK:

• Taxi: $52.50 flat fare (non-metered), plus bridge and tunnel tolls and gratuity; 30 to 60 minutes to Midtown Manhattan, depending on traffic and road conditions. For more information, call 212-NYC-TAXI or visit the Taxi and Limousine Commission website.
AirTrain JFK: $5 (children under 5 are free); AirTrain links the airport to the subway and Long Island Rail Road. AirTrain also offers free service between points in the airport.
• Subway: one ride (in addition to AirTrain fare) from the A subway stop at the Howard Beach/JFK Airport station or the E, J or Z subway stop at the Sutphin Blvd./Archer Ave./JFK Airport station; 60 to 75 minutes to Midtown Manhattan.
Long Island Rail Road (LIRR): $7.25–$10 (children under 5 are free), depending on time of day (in addition to AirTrain fare) for the trip between LIRR's Jamaica Station and Penn Station; on Saturday and Sunday, the fare is $4.25. The trip is 20 minutes to Midtown Manhattan (not including AirTrain ride).
• City bus: For details, visit tripplanner.mta.info.
• Shuttle bus: NYC Airporter, Go Airlink NYC and SuperShuttle.
• Private car service: See this list of providers.
• Car rental: Companies at JFK include Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz and National.

LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
Jackson Heights, Queens, NY 11371
718-533-3400

This is New York's second-largest airport, with nearly 20 airlines serving mostly domestic destinations, as well as Canada and the Caribbean, from four passenger terminals. LaGuardia is on the northern shore of Queens, directly across the East River (about 8 miles from Midtown Manhattan). Here's how to get to Midtown Manhattan from LaGuardia:
• Taxi: Approximately $29–$37 metered fare, plus bridge and tunnel tolls and gratuity; 20 to 25 minutes to Midtown Manhattan. For more information, call 212-NYC-TAXI or visit the Taxi and Limousine Commission website.
• City bus: Two express buses serve LaGuardia; the M60 and Q70. The Q70 goes nonstop to Jackson Heights/Roosevelt Avenue, a major subway hub in Queens with five lines. The M60 runs to Harlem and connects to all the major subway lines in Manhattan. For details, visit tripplanner.mta.info.
• Shuttle bus: NYC Airporter, Go Airlink NYC and SuperShuttle.
• Private car service: Dial 7, Carmel and Uber.
• Car rental: Companies at LGA include Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz and National.

Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
Newark, NJ 07114
973-961-6000

Newark Airport, with more than 30 airlines (many of which are international), is across the Hudson River from New York City—16 miles from Midtown Manhattan. Here's how to get to Midtown Manhattan from Newark Liberty:
• Taxi: Traveling to Manhattan, metered fare; approximately $50 to $75, plus bridge and tunnel tolls and gratuity; 45 to 60 minutes to Midtown Manhattan. During weekday rush hours (6–9am and 4–7pm) and on weekends (Saturday–Sunday, noon–8pm), there is a $5 surcharge for travel to anywhere in New York State except Staten Island. When traveling to the airport from Midtown Manhattan, service is via New York City’s regulated yellow taxis. Metered fares range $69–$75, plus a $17.50 surcharge in addition to tolls and gratuity.
• AirTrain Newark: Costs vary by destination. AirTrain links to the airport via NJ Transit and Amtrak's Newark (or EWR) train station; 45 to 90 minutes to Midtown Manhattan, requiring a transfer from the AirTrain line to the NJ Transit line (be sure to keep your ticket after using it to exit the AirTrain station, as it is also used for the NJ Transit fare) or Amtrak. AirTrain also offers free service between points in within the airport complex, including hotels and parking. Look for signs marked “Monorail/AirTrain Link” (do not follow signs for Ground Transportation).
• Shuttle bus: NYC Airporter, Go Airlink NYC, Olympia Airport Express and SuperShuttle.
• Private car and limousine service: Dial 7, Carmel and Uber.
• Car rental: Companies at Newark include Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz and National.

Stewart International Airport (SWF)
New Windsor, NY 12553
845-838-8200

Stewart International Airport is 60 miles north of New York City. Here's how to get to Midtown Manhattan from Stewart:
• Bus/train: Leprechaun Lines runs a $1 shuttle bus on their Newburgh-Beacon-Stewart commuter line, which connects to the Beacon train station. There, use Metro-North Railroad for direct service to Grand Central Terminal ($16 off-peak, $21.25 peak); 70 to 90 minutes to Midtown Manhattan.

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By Train
New York City has two main rail stations in Midtown: Grand Central Terminal (on the east side) and Penn Station (on the west side). Each is also served by numerous bus and subway lines. Grand Central is served by Metro-North Railroad, which goes to NYC suburbs in New York and Connecticut. Penn Station is served by the following: Long Island Rail Road, a commuter railroad serving Long Island; Amtrak, the US national passenger railroad, serving many points throughout the country; and NJ Transit, a commuter line serving points in New Jersey.

  • Rail Terminals
    • Grand Central Terminal
      Park Avenue and East 42nd Street (between Lexington and Vanderbilt Avenues)
      212-532-4900
      Grand Central is the main terminal for Metro-North Railroad services. Subway lines here include the 4, 5, 6, 7 and S (shuttle between Grand Central and Times Square). For MTA bus details, visit tripplanner.mta.info.

      Aside from being a transit hub, Grand Central is also a landmark and an attraction unto itself. The Main Concourse boasts an immense 88,000 square feet of space, and on sunny days is bathed in light from its giant arching windows. Grand Central's 12-story ceiling is painted with stars and gilded zodiac constellations. Not only might Grand Central be the globe's most beautiful train station, the 49-acre terminal is also one of the world's largest. There are numerous shops of all varieties here, including an Apple Store, MAC Cosmetics and Tumi. The dining concourse on the lower level features a wide selection of eateries, and in Grand Central Market, fresh and prepared foods—ranging from baked goods to gourmet teas—are available.
    • Penn Station
      Seventh to Eighth Avenues, between West 31st and West 33rd Streets
      Penn Station is the main terminal for Long Island Rail Road, and a terminal for Amtrak and NJ Transit. Subway lines here include the 1, 2, 3, A, C and E. For MTA bus details, visit tripplanner.mta.info.

      Penn Station's main concourse features information booths, restaurants, waiting rooms and public restrooms to accommodate the thousands of passengers who pass through the terminal each day. In 2016, the new West End Concourse will open providing additional access to the station from 8th avenue. Car rental offices are nearby.
  • Rail Services
    • Amtrak
      800-872-7245, 212-630-6400
      Amtrak is the national passenger railroad of the United States. New York City's Penn Station is their busiest station in the nation, serving hundreds of thousands of passengers each year. The company offers numerous packages and deals, including special passes allowing international visitors to make multiple stops throughout the country.
    • Long Island Rail Road (LIRR)
      718-217-5477
      This commuter railroad operates out of Penn Station and serves 124 stations in Nassau County, Suffolk County, Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan, transporting some 81 million customers each year. Destinations include the Belmont Park racetrack, Citi Field, Jones Beach, the Hamptons and Montauk.
    • Metro-North Railroad
      212-532-4900, 877-690-5114
      The second-largest commuter train line in the United States, Metro-North operates out of Grand Central Terminal. The historic roots of the operation go back to 1832, when the enterprise was known as the New York & Harlem Railroad, a horsecar line in Lower Manhattan. Today, with 775 miles of track, Metro-North goes to 121 stations (in seven New York State counties—Dutchess, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Bronx and New York (Manhattan)—and Connecticut's New Haven and Fairfield counties).
    • NJ Transit
      973-275-5555, TTY 800-772-2287
      This rail system features 12 lines in three divisions (Hoboken, Newark and the Atlantic City Rail Line) with frequent service throughout New Jersey (Atlantic City and the Jersey Shore are popular stops) and New York (Rockland and Orange counties)—and, of course, into and out of New York City via Penn Station. For schedules and fares, visit the NJ Transit website.
    • PATH (Port Authority Trans Hudson)
      800-234-PATH
      The PATH provides rapid transit between several stops in New York City, along with locations in Newark, Harrison, Jersey City and Hoboken in New Jersey. Air travelers can connect to the PATH from Newark Liberty International Airport. The service operates from the Penn Station in Newark (not the same as Manhattan's Penn Station) to Lower and Midtown Manhattan. The PATH's 33rd Street station (on Sixth Avenue, in Herald Square) in Manhattan is one avenue from Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road and NJ Transit trains at Penn Station.

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By Bus
There are a number of affordable, convenient bus lines that travel to New York City from around the United States and parts of Canada. These include BoltBus, Megabus and Greyhound.

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By Car
Use Google Maps for driving directions to New York City. Also, make sure you know where to park: you may want to use an app like SpotHero to find and compare parking spots and locations.

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RSG and DREAM General Questions

Bel Hanson, Conference Manager

Tel: 1-315-767-5568


Source: NYC The Official Guide


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