NYC Area Airports and Ground Transportation Options

New York Area Airports

New York City is served by three major airports: Kennedy (JFK), LaGuardia
(LGA) and Newark (EWR). We do not recommend MacArthur Airport in
Islip, Long Island (ISP) due to it's distance from the city. The
reality is that any of the airports can services your needs and, each
has their drawbacks. The biggest problem is always traffic,
even though all three area airports are 20 miles or less from
Manhattan, it can often take an hour or more to reach Manhattan, and,
New York/New Jersey traffic is unpredictable and has no rhyme or reason.

Getting To Manhattan from the Airports

While this is your expense, it is recommended you either take a taxi or hire
a car service or shuttle service to transport you from the airport to
Manhattan. Public transportation is available but, it is not recommended since you will have luggage in tow.


From JFK (Kennedy)

• Taxis:
  $45 flat fare (plus tolls) to any Manhattan location. Taxis are
  available outside of every terminal and there is typically a taxi stand
  where you will be directed to a taxi. For destinations outside of
  Manhattan, consult the TLC Fare Guide. You may also want to familiarize yourself with the Taxi Rider's Bill of Rights.
  There is no additional charge for luggage and rates are based per car,
  not per passenger (up to four passengers). To return to JFK from Brooklyn or Manhattan, taxis will charge you the metered rate, plus any applicable tolls.
  
• Car Services:
  Pre-arrange for a car service to meet you at the airport, or call one
  when your flight touches down. This is a great option if you want to
  avoid waiting in line for a taxi or if you have a group larger than
  four people and want to arrange for a van or limousine. Try Limos.com at http://www.limos.com for free price quotes
  
• Private Shuttles: Several companies offer shuttles to Manhattan, including:
  
  
  
  • New York Airport Service Express Bus:
    Available from 6:30 a.m. - 11:10 p.m., these shuttles leave every 15-30
    minutes. Fare is $13 ($15 if you want to be dropped off at your midtown
    hotel), but you can save by buying roundtrip tickets online, as they
    are $22 (you can also buy discounted one way tickets online). One free
    child under 12 is included in the fare. You can choose to disembark at
    Grand Central, Port Authority or Penn Station, in addition to hotels
    between 31st Street and 60th Street. The ride takes about an hour.
    Return schedules and more information are available on their website.
    
  • Super Shuttle:
    Available 24 hours a day, this shuttle provides door to door service
    for your party. Fares are $15 - $19, depending on destination. No
    reservations are required to get from the airport to your destination,
    but they are required for your return trip to the airport. Consult
    their website or call 1-800-258-3826 for more information.
    
  
  

From LaGuardia (LGA)

• Taxis:
  Metered fare (plus tolls) to any Manhattan location. Taxis are
  available outside of every terminal and there is typically a taxi stand
  where you will be directed to a taxi. For destinations outside of
  Manhattan, consult the TLC Fare Guide. You may also want to familiarize yourself with the Taxi Rider's Bill of Rights. There is no additional charge for luggage and rates are based per car, not per passenger (up to four passengers).
  
• Car Services:
  Pre-arrange for a car service to meet you at the airport, or call one
  when your flight touches down. This is a great option if you want to
  avoid waiting in line for a taxi or if you have a group larger than
  four people and want to arrange for a van or limousine. Try Limos.com at http://www.limos.com for free price quotes
  
• Private Shuttles: Several companies offer shuttles to Manhattan, including:
  
  
  
  • New York Airport Service Express Bus:
    Available from 6:30 a.m. - 11:10 p.m., these shuttles leave every 15-30
    minutes. One-way fare is $10 ($12 if you want to be dropped off at your
    midtown hotel), but you can save by buying roundtrip tickets online, as
    they are $16 (you can also buy discounted one way tickets online). One
    free child under 12 is included in the fare. You can choose to
    disembark at Grand Central, Port Authority or Penn Station, in addition
    to hotels between 31st Street and 60th Street. The ride takes about 45
    minutes. Return schedules and more information are available on their website.
    
  • Super Shuttle:
    Available 24 hours a day, this shuttle provides door to door service
    for your party. Fares are $15 - $19, depending on destination. No
    reservations are required to get from the airport to your destination,
    but they are required for your return trip to the airport. Consult
    their website or call 1-800-258-3826 for more information.
    
  
  

From Newark, NJ (EWR)

• Taxis from Newark Airport:
  Metered fare (plus tolls) to any Manhattan location, approximately
  $50-75. Taxis are available outside of every terminal and there is
  typically a taxi stand where you will be directed to a taxi. There is
  an additional charge for luggage over 24 inches if the driver handles
  the bags, and rates are based per car, not per passenger (up to four
  passengers).
  
• Taxis to Newark Airport: Metered fare (approximately $69-75) plus return tolls and a $15 surcharge for a NYC Taxi to Newark Airport.
  
• Car Services:
  Pre-arrange for a car service to meet you at the airport, or call one
  when your flight touches down. This is a great option if you want to
  avoid waiting in line for a taxi or if you have a group larger than
  four people and want to arrange for a van or limousine. Try Limos.com at http://www.limos.com for free price quotes
  
• Private Shuttles: Several companies offer shuttles to Manhattan, including:
  
  
  
  • Newark Liberty Airport Express:
    Available from 4:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m., these shuttles leave every 15-30
    minutes for midtown Manhattan and every 2 hours to downtown Manhattan
    (from 11:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.). One-way fare is $13, but you can save by
    buying round-trip tickets, as they are $22. One free child under 16 is
    included in the fare. You can choose to disembark at Grand Central,
    Port Authority or Penn Station, in addition to midtown hotels. The ride
    takes about ah hour. Return schedules and more information are
    available on their website.
    
  • Super Shuttle:
    Available 24 hours a day, this shuttle provides door to door service
    for your party. Fares are $15 - $19, depending on destination. No
    reservations are required to get from the airport to your destination,
    but they are required for your return trip to the airport. Consult
    their website or call 1-800-258-3826 for more information.
    

Newark will be your best choice for both arrival and departures. It's more of a hassle getting into mid-town from NJ but, it will be a thousand times easier when you are ready for your flight home after the cruise. You don't want to be sweating it out whether or not you're going to make it to the airport on time if you select JFK or LaGuardia

I am thinking about avoiding the plane on both of these cruises and just do Amtrak to Penn Station.

We will arrive a little later than I would like...but at least we can just leave our cars here.

crusinmama06 wrote:

I am thinking about avoiding the plane on both of these cruises and just do Amtrak to Penn Station.

We will arrive a little later than I would like...but at least we can just leave our cars here.

Michele just remember 2010 is from Bayonne so that means you'll have to get a car service or taxi service back to Manhattan if you use AMTRAK but, overall it isn't a bad choice.

Nick Needs To Know wrote:

Michele just remember 2010 is from Bayonne so that means you'll have to get a car service or taxi service back to Manhattan if you use AMTRAK but, overall it isn't a bad choice.

Yep, that will work for us. I can get a couple of cars to take us back.

Thanks!

crusinmama06 wrote:

I am thinking about avoiding the plane on both of these cruises and just do Amtrak to Penn Station.

We will arrive a little later than I would like...but at least we can just leave our cars here.

I think you should just put all the luggage on your back and walk it. Just think of it as a really long shore excursion.

Wish I could Amtrak it to NYC, I love taking trains. But the only Amtrak stations in Nashville are 3+ hours from here (west).

I wish I could take a train from SC. I hate flying. I've never flown with the girls before so maybe they will let me hold thier hands.

Ivanova wrote:

Wish I could Amtrak it to NYC, I love taking trains. But the only Amtrak stations in Nashville are 3+ hours from here (west).

Yes it will be nice to take a train, literally from my home town. I don't have to worry about parking it for the 2 weeks because someone in my family can move my car after we leave.

The one part that is not so great is the schedule. It leaves here at 10am and doesn't arrive in NYC until 4:45pm. So we will miss a whole day. But it's better than driving to an airport that is 3 hours away. Having to be checked in for 2 hours prior to boarding. And then doing the same thing on the return flight. Driving 3 hours after we get off the plane. That's just so tiring.