Getting to NYC
Plan your trip to New York City by airplane, train, bus or car.
By Plane
Below, you’ll find a list of nearby airports, along with the best ways to get from those airports to Manhattan. There are more than 90 air carriers traveling to the New York City area from all over the country and the world.
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 destinations. Kennedy and Newark both serve domestic and international destinations. Visitors can reach Manhattan from all three airports by using taxis, buses and subways and/or commuter trains. Other metropolitan-area airports include
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: $74 flat fare (nonmetered, includes a 50-cent MTA state surcharge, a $1 improvement surcharge and a New York State Congestion Surcharge of $2.50), plus a $5 rush-hour surcharge (4 to 8pm weekdays except legal holidays), bridge and tunnel tolls if any, and gratuity. It’s 30 to 60 minutes to Midtown Manhattan, depending on traffic and road conditions; destinations other than Manhattan are metered. For more information, dial 311 in NYC or visit the
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• Subway:
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• City bus: For details, visit
• Shuttle bus:
• Private car service: Carmel is one of many in the City.
• Car rental: Companies at JFK include
East Elmhurst, Queens, NY 11371
718-533-3400,
This is New York’s second-largest airport, with 13 airlines serving mostly domestic destinations, as well as Canada and Aruba, from three passenger terminals. LaGuardia is on the northern shore of Queens, across the East River (about 8 miles from Midtown Manhattan). Here’s how to get to Midtown Manhattan from LaGuardia:
• Taxi: Approximately $30–$38 metered fare, plus a 50-cent MTA state surcharge, plus a 30-cent improvement surcharge, plus a $1 surcharge (4 to 8pm weekdays except legal holidays) or a daily 50-cent surcharge (8pm to 6am), plus 50-cent NY State tax, $1.25 Airport Access Fee (for pick-ups only), plus Queens Midtown Tunnel toll (if taken; most bridges across the East River are free) and gratuity; 20 to 40 minutes to Midtown Manhattan. For more information, dial 311 in NYC or visit the
• City bus: Two express buses serve LaGuardia: the M60 and Q70 (which is free). The
• Shuttle bus:
• Private car service: Find a handful on this
• Car rental: Companies at LGA include
3 Brewster Rd.
Newark, NJ 07114
973-961-6000,
Newark Airport, with more than 30 airlines (many of which are international), is across the Hudson River (and then some) from New York City—about 16 miles from Midtown Manhattan. Here’s how to get to Midtown Manhattan from Newark Liberty:
• Taxi: Approximately $55 to $75 metered fare, plus $1.25 Airport Access Fee (pick-ups only), round-trip bridge and tunnel tolls and gratuity (group ride rates, depending on number of passengers and drop-off location in Manhattan, are approximately $18–$31 per person); 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. There’s a $5.95 surcharge for all credit card transactions as well as a charge for each piece of luggage that’s more than 24 inches, but there’s a 10 percent senior citizen discount (for those 62 and older). When traveling to the airport from Midtown Manhattan, service is via New York City’s regulated yellow taxis. Approximately $69 to $75 metered fare, plus a $20 Newark surcharge, plus round-trip bridge and tunnel tolls and gratuity.
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Costs vary by destination, but it’s $15.75 for NJ Transit trains to or from Penn Station in Manhattan (this includes $8.25 for the AirTrain); the fare for military, senior citizens, disabled passengers and children ages 5–11 is $11.50 (all other travel via NJ Transit is otherwise half off the regular fare); up to three children 4 and younger ride NJ Transit for free with a fare-paying passenger. On weekends (beginning at 7pm on Friday and ending at 6am on Monday) and holidays (typically beginning at 7pm the day before a holiday and ending at 6am the day after), up to two children ages 5–11 ride NJ Transit for free with a fare-paying passenger.
• Shuttle bus:
• Private car and limousine service: Find a handful on this
• Car rental: Companies at Newark include
1180 1st St.
New Windsor, NY 12553
845-838-8200
Stewart International Airport is about 60 miles north of New York City. Here’s how to get to Midtown Manhattan from Stewart:
• Bus: $22 on the Mega Bus (Coach USA)
• Bus/train:
By Train
New York City has two main rail stations in Midtown Manhattan:
Rail Terminals
89 E. 42nd St. (between Vanderbilt and Park Aves.)
212-340-2583
Grand Central is the main terminal for Metro-North Railroad service. In early 2023, the Long Island Rail Road began service to and from
Aside from being a transit hub, Grand Central is also a landmark and an
Seventh to Eighth Avenues (bet. W. 31st and W. 33rd Sts.)
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
Penn Station features information booths, restaurants, waiting rooms and public restrooms to accommodate the more than 600,000 passengers who pass through the terminal each day. In 2021, the
Rail Services
800-872-7245, 215-856-7924
Amtrak is the national passenger railroad of the United States. New York City’s Penn Station is its busiest station in the nation. The company offers numerous packages and deals, including sightseeing opportunities for both US residents and international visitors to make multiple stops throughout the country.
718-217-5477, 511
This commuter railroad, the busiest in the United States, operates out of Penn Station and serves 126 stations on 11 branches over nearly 700 miles of track in Nassau County, Suffolk County, Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan, transporting more than 50 million passengers a year. Destinations include Citi Field (via the Mets–Willets Point station), Belmont Park racetrack and popular Long Island destinations like the Hamptons and Montauk.
212-532-4900, 877-690-5114, 511
Metro-North operates out of Grand Central Terminal. Part of its roots date back to 1832, with a horsecar line in Lower Manhattan that operated under the name New York and Harlem Railroad. Today, with 787 miles of track, Metro-North goes to 124 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] and is still working back toward pre-pandemic figures, having served more than 40 million customers in 2022.
973-275-5555, TTY 800-772-2287
This commuter railroad features 12 lines with service throughout much of New Jersey (Atlantic City and the Jersey Shore are popular destinations) and even in New York (Rockland and Orange counties) in partnership with Metro-North Railroad—and, of course, into and out of New York City via Penn Station and serves more than 100 million customers each year.
800-234-7284
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 from Newark Liberty International Airport can connect to the PATH via AirTrain Newark to Newark Liberty International Airport Station and by taking an NJ Transit or Amtrak train from there to Newark Penn Station (not the same as Manhattan’s Penn Station). At Newark Penn Station, they can catch a PATH train that goes directly to Lower Manhattan. For service to Midtown Manhattan, they must transfer to the 33rd St service at Journal Square. 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.
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
By Car
Use