New York City is served by three airports – John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark International Airport. Whichever airport you fly into, here are Cheapflights’ tips for getting downtown quickly and easily.
John F. Kennedy International Airport (www.panynj.gov)
JFK is in Queens, 15 miles by highway from midtown Manhattan, the stop for several leading airlines including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Lufthansa and Air France. If you’ve only got a couple of days in New York, you won’t want to tangle too much with the public transport system, not after a flight anyway. The fastest and least-stressful way of getting to your hotel (we’re guessing, in Manhattan) will be by cab. Taxi fares are regulated, capped at $45. Budget $5 or so for the tolls and don’t forget to tip – between 15 and 20 per cent. As many as four passengers can travel in one cab.
LaGuardia Airport (www.panynj.gov)
LaGuardia is also in Queens and is the smallest of the NYC-area airports. Most flights landing at LaGuardia are coming from other parts of the United States and Canada. It’s just four miles from Manhattan and a taxi to mid-Manhattan costs between $20 and $30 plus any tolls, tips and peak-time surcharges. There’s no rail option here, just buses, taxis and, to truly arrive in style, limousine. You can nab special rates online by visiting the Ground Transportation page on the LaGuardia website – Manhattan from $29.
Newark International Airport (www.panynj.gov)
Newark is in New Jersey so getting into Manhattan is more of a trek. Expect to pay between $50 and $70 plus tolls and tips. To save money, you could take the AirTrain to the Newark Airport Train Station and connect to a NJ Transit or Amtrak train to New York Penn Station (it’s at 34th St and 8th Avenue in Manhattan).
Airport Shuttles cost between $12 and $15 per person to, say, Midtown Hotels.
