How to get from JFK International airport to New York

[Brian Deakin]

We are in the process of planning our next holiday to New York


We we be travelling out from the United Kingdom the last week in March 2015 and staying at a hotel in New york for a 6 days

(hotel yet to be decided)

My question

What is the best method to travel from the airport to the hotel

When we last visited New York we shared a Mini bus The jourey time from landing to the hotel was 3 hours

Please advise

regards Brian

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

It might not be the best for a family trip, but last time I went to/left JFK, I took the train. The "Airtrain" or whatever they call it is actually pretty nice, much nicer than the j train or whatever I connected to. It was pretty straight forward for me, but I was going to Brooklyn, not Manhattan.

[Stan Calow]

Brian what's your definition of best? I would ask your hotel to arrange a car service pickup.

[Mike Henderson]

I think the cab fare is a fixed charge into Manhattan. But if I remember correctly, the subway runs to JFK - that would probably be the cheapest. You can see some options here (http://www.panynj.gov/airports/jfk-public-transportation.html).

Mike

[Brian Deakin]

My initial thoughts were to use the Airtrian







Midtown Manhattan New York Penn Station W. 34 St.
MTA NYC Transit E Subway at Jamaica Station
$7.50
50 minutes









My rational on our last visit it took 3 hours to get to the hotel The Airtrain takes 50 minutes and the cost (4 people) would be $30

I have now identified I will need to pay an additional To enter or exit AirTrain JFK at the Jamaica and Howard Beach stations there is a $5 per person fee.

SoI am I correct the total cost would be $50 for a party of 4

regards Brian

[Garth Almgren]

Taxi would be a flat rate of $52.50 plus tolls and tip (http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/passenger/taxicab_rate.shtml). AirTrain is $5 per person and $2.50 for the subway (http://www.panynj.gov/airports/jfk-cost-tickets.html), so the total cost for four would be $30. The $5 entry/exit charge is included in that $7.50 price you listed.

[Alan Caro]

Bruce Deakin,

There are a lot of options depending on your comfort expectation and wallet. There's the aforementioned $50+ taxi, and numerous shuttle buses and public transportation:

https://www.google.com/search?q=bud+JFK+to+mahattan&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb#rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&q=bus+JFK+to+manhattan&spell=1

In my 20+ visits to NYC over the years, I always took the ordinary cattle cart to the beautiful Port Authority Terminal on the West side of Manhattan- at 8th Ave and 42nd St. This inexpensive alternative offering beautiful panoramas of the burned-out cars of Van Wyck Expressway wisks you into the bowels of Hell of the Port Authority where the pickpockets, smell of urine, and luggage thieves graciously await you. Emerging from the dim, fluorescent lighting- that gives that flattering sickly green complexion so envied by high-fashion models- any of the numerous exits will introduce you to a further gauntlet of aggressive panhandlers and of course, the elegant amenities of the ladies of 42nd St. Actually, 42nd st. is fun for the whole well-armed family these days. In my opinion, there is no better way to enter New York City as the assault on the senses is so complete, everything encountered after look, sound, feel, and smell fantastic by comparison.

If you would like another extremely New Yorkish experience, I always stay at the Algonquin Hotel:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algonquin_Hotel

> I usually end up spending more time further north and to the east side- say Madison Ave.and 72nd St., so the Algonquin is bit south and to the West, but it's packed with NYC atmospherics: literary history, a famous bar, a famous cat, plus, best of all, only two blocks from the kaleidoscopic panorama that is the Port Authority Bus Terminal! It is actually very good- not elegant but old NY comfortable, and the concierge can get you a table a the Russian Tea Room. I can’t remember a thing about any Hilton I’ve ever stayed in but every visit to the Algonquin in NY, Ventana Inn, Big Sur, California, and Blakes, London is engraved.

Cheers,

Alan Caro

[Peter Kelly]

If you do decide to cab it, JFK > Anywhere in Manhattan is $52.00 + $5.33 Toll for the Mid Town Tunnel + 8.55 Tip + 1.50 Taxes & surcharges so figure $68 total. Travel times will also depend on the time of day but you can rest assured tha tthe VanWyck will pretty much always be clogged with traffic. Also depending on which terminal and time of arrival, the queue for cabs can be pretty long. I've waited an hour for at Terminal 4 on a Saturday.

I'd avoid the Russian Tea Room. Touristy and long past it's prime.

[Jim Falsetti]

Brian - train is most certain in terms of transit time. Next would be prearranged car pickup, could be arranged through hotel, or I can send a PM for the car service I have used for the last 29 years. Although the drivers do their best to dodge the traffic, sometimes it just can't be helped... Jim

[Brian Deakin]

A huge thank you for the help and advice provided

My prefferred option is the Air train and subway

Reasoning

We are only in New York for 6 days and having spent 3 hours on our last trip to get from the airport to the hotel I feel public transport may be the better option


regards

Brian

[Peter Kelly]

If you're going that route, the quickest is actually Air Train > Jamacia > LIRR (http://lirr42.mta.info/) > Penn Station. Off-peak cost is $7 per person + Air Train fare. Travel time from Jamacia to Penn Staton is just under 20 min.

[Val Kosmider]

There is also a bus which runs from JFK to Midtown....stops just south of 42nd Street at Grand Central Station, and then I think it runs over to Port Authority and then back to JFK. Cost is in the mid teens IIRC, so with a family of four, a taxi is just as economical. Buses are equally adept as Taxis when it comes to avoiding traffic, but sometimes, you are just at the mercy of the traffic gods......

The most reliable, in terms of time, is, as mentioned, to take the JFK AirTrain to Queens, and then board the subway or the LIRR. I take the subway (E train) and get off at Midtown. If you stay on the E Train it will take you across Manhattan, and then swing south eventually making its way down to the World Trade Center.