Getting to and from NYC

By air | To and from the airport
By bus | By car | By train

BY AIR

Three major airports service the New York City area (there's also a smaller one in Long Island); for details, see Airports. Here are a few sources for purchasing airline tickets.

Airlines
Air Canada 800-361-5373
Air France 800-237-2747
Alitalia 800-223-5730
American Airlines 800-433-7300
British Airlines 800-247-9297
Delta Air Lines 800-221-1212
JetBlue Airlines 800-538-2583
KLM 800-374-7747
Lufthansa 800-645-3880
Swissair 877-359-7947
United Airlines 800-428-4322
US Airways 800-428-4322
Virgin Atlantic 800-862-8621

Websites
Sites to investigate for low fares:
www.airfare.com, www.cheaptickets.com, www.expedia.com, www.orbitz.com, www.priceline.com, www.travelocity.com.

Newspapers
If the travel section of your local paper is no help, get a Sunday New York Times The best place to get an idea of available fares is the travel section of your local paper. If that's no help, get a Sunday New York Times. It will have plenty of advertisements for discounted fares.

Satellite Airlines Terminal
125 Park Ave between 41st and 42nd Sts (212-986-0888). Subway: 42nd St S, 4, 5, 6, 7 to 42nd St–Grand Central. Mon–Fri 8am–7pm; Sat 9am–5pm.
This one-stop shop has ticket counters for major international airlines. You can redeem frequent-flier mileage; process passports, birth certificates and driver's licenses; and arrange for transportation and city tours. Call the information line above or individual carriers.
Other location Satellite Airlines Center, 1843 Broadway between 60th and 61st Sts.

Travel agents
Agents are specialized, so find one who suits your needs. Do you want luxury? Are you traveling around the world? Are you a student? (See Students) Find an agent through word of mouth, newspapers, the yellow pages phone directory or the Internet. Knowledgeable travel agents can help with far more than air tickets, and a good relationship with an agent can be invaluable, especially if you travel often and prefer not to deal with travel details.

TO AND FROM THE AIRPORT

For a list of transportation services between New York City and its major airports, call 800-AIR-RIDE (800-247-7433). Public transportation is the cheapest method, but it can be frustrating and time-consuming. Private bus or van services are usually the best bargains (see Bus services.) Medallion (city-licensed) yellow cabs, which can be flagged on the street or at designated locations around the airports, are more expensive but offer convenient curb-to-door service. You may also reserve a car service in advance to pick you up or drop you off (see Taxis & car services). Although it is illegal, many car-service drivers and nonlicensed "gypsy cabs" solicit riders around the baggage-claim areas. Avoid them.

Airports

John F. Kennedy International Airport
718-244-4444; www.panynj.gov.
At $2, the subway-bus link from JFK is dirt cheap, but it can take up to two hours to get to Manhattan. At the airport, look for the yellow shuttle bus to the Howard Beach station (free), then take the A train to Manhattan. In late 2003, JFK's AirTrain began offering service between all eight terminals and the A, E, J and Z subway lines as well as the Long Island Railroad for $5. Visit www.airtrainjfk.com for more information. Private bus and van services are a good compromise between value and convenience (see Bus services). A medallion yellow cab from JFK to Manhattan will charge a flat $45 fare, plus toll (varies by route, but usually $4) and tip (if service is fair, give at least $5). Although metered (not a flat fee), the fare to JFK from Manhattan will be about the same cost. Check out www.nyc.gov/taxi for the latest rates.

La Guardia Airport
718-244-4444; www.panynj.gov.
Seasoned New Yorkers take the M60 bus ($2), which runs between the airport and 106th Street at Broadway. The ride takes 40 minutes to an hour (depending on traffic) and runs from 4:30am to 1:30am. The route crosses Manhattan on 125th Street in Harlem. Get off at Lexington Avenue for the 4, 5 and 6 trains; at Malcolm X Boulevard (Lenox Avenue) for the 2 and 3; or at St. Nicholas Avenue for the A, C, B and D trains. You can also disembark on Broadway at the 116th St–Columbia Univ or 110th St–Cathedral Pkwy subway stations for the 1 train. Less time-consuming options: Private bus services cost around $14 (see Bus services); taxis and car services charge about $25 plus toll and tip.

Newark Liberty International Airport
973-961-6000; www.newarkairport.com
Although it's in next-door New Jersey, Newark has good mass-transit access to NYC. The best bet is a 40-minute $11.55 trip by the New Jersey Transit to or from Penn Station. The airport's monorail, AirTrain Newark (www.airtrainnewark.com), is now linked to the NJ Transit and Amtrak train systems. For inexpensive buses, see Bus services. A car service will run about $40 and a taxi around $45, plus toll and tip.

MacArthur Airport
631-467-3210; www.macarthurairport.com.
Some flights into this airport in Islip, Long Island, may be cheaper than flights into those above. Getting to Manhattan, of course, will take longer and be more expensive. Colonial Transportation (631-589-3500) will take up to four people to Manhattan for $143, including tolls and tip. Visit the airport's website for other alternatives.

Bus services

New York Airport Service
212-875-8200; www.nyairportservice.com. Call or visit website for schedule.
Buses operate frequently between Manhattan and both JFK (one way $15, round-trip $21), from early morning to late at night, with stops near Grand Central Terminal (Park Ave between 41st and 42nd Sts), near Penn Station (33rd St at Seventh Ave), inside the Port Authority Bus Terminal (see below) and outside a number of midtown hotels (for an extra charge). There are also buses that operate from JFK to La Guardia (one way $13).

Olympia Trails
212-964-6233, 877-894-9155; www.olympiabus.com. Call or visit website for schedule.
Olympia operates between Newark Airport and Manhattan, stopping outside Penn Station (34th St at Eighth Ave) or Grand Central (41st St between Park and Lexington Aves), and inside Port Authority (see below). The fare is $12 one-way ($19 round-trip); buses leave every 15 to 20 minutes, all day and night.

SuperShuttle
212-209-7000; www.supershuttle.com. 24hrs daily
Blue SuperShuttle vans offer door-to-door service between NYC and the three major airports. Allow extra time when catching a flight, as vans will be picking up other passengers. The fare varies from $13 to $22, depending on pickup location and destination. Always call to confirm.

TOP

BY BUS

Buses are an inexpensive means of getting to and from New York City, though the ride is longer and sometimes uncomfortable. They are particularly useful if you want to leave in a hurry; many bus companies don't require reservations. Most out-of-town buses come and go from the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

Bus stations

George Washington Bridge Bus Station
4211 Broadway between 178th and 179th Sts (800-221-9903; www.panynj.gov). Subway: A to 175th St; 1 181st St. 5am–1am daily.
A few bus lines that serve New Jersey and Rockland County, New York, use this station.

Port Authority Bus Terminal
625 Eighth Ave between 40th and 42nd Sts (212-564-8484; www.panynj.gov). Subway: A, C, E to 42nd St–Port Authority.
This is the hub for many transportation companies offering commuter and long-distance bus service to and from New York City. Call for additional information.

Long-distance lines

Greyhound Trailways
800-229-9424; www.greyhound.com. 24hrs daily AmEx, DC, Disc, MC, V.
Greyhound offers long-distance bus travel to destinations across North America.

New Jersey Transit
973-762-5100, 800-722-2222; www.njtransit.com. Call or visit website for schedules. MC, V.
NJT provides bus service to nearly everywhere in the Garden State and some destinations in New York State; most buses run around the clock.

Peter Pan
800-343-9999; www.peterpanbus.com. 24hrs daily. MC, V.
Peter Pan runs extensive service to cities across the Northeast; its tickets are also valid on Greyhound.

TOP

BY CAR

If you drive to the city, you may encounter delays at bridge and tunnel crossings (check www.nyc.gov and www.panynj.gov before driving in). Tune your car radio to WINS (1010 on the AM dial) for up-to-the-minute traffic reports. Delays can run anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours—plenty of time to get your money out for the toll ($4 is average). Note that street parking in the city is very restricted, especially in the summer, so be prepared to shell out for a space in a parking garage (see Parking).

Car rental

For those interested in heading out of town by car, rentals are much cheaper on the city's outskirts and in New Jersey and Connecticut than in Manhattan; reserve ahead for weekends. Another way to save money is to rent from an independent agency, such as Aamcar. Log on to www.carrentalexpress.com for more independent companies. New York State honors valid foreign-issued driver's licenses. All car-rental companies listed below add sales tax (8.625 percent). Companies located outside of New York State offer a "loss damage waiver" (LDW). This is expensive, but without it, you are responsible for the cost of repairing even the slightest scratch. If you rent with a credit card, the LDW may be partially covered by your credit-card company; the LDW may also be covered by a reciprocal agreement with an automotive organization such as AAA. Personal-liability insurance is optional—and recommended (but see if your travel insurance or home policy covers it). Rental companies in New York are required by law to insure their own cars, so the LDW is not available. Instead, the renter pays for the first $100 in damage to the vehicle, and the company is responsible for anything beyond that. You will need a credit card (or a large cash deposit) to rent a car, and you usually have to be at least 25 years old. If you know you want to rent a car before you travel, ask your travel agent or airline to check for special deals and discounts.

Aamcar
315 W 96th St between West End Ave and Riverside Dr; 800-722-6923, 212-222-8500; www.aamcar.com Compact rates from $49.95 per day, unlimited mileage; $39.95 with 100 free miles. Mon–Fri 7:30am–7:30pm; Sat 9am–midnight; Sun 9am–5pm. AmEx, DC, Disc, MC, V.

Avis
800-230-4898; www.avis.com. 24hrs daily most locations. Rates from $60 a day, unlimited mileage. AmEx, DC, Disc, MC, V.

Budget Rent-a-Car
800-527-0700; www.budget.com. In the city, call for hours; airport counters 5am–2am. Rates from $35 per weekday, $70 per day on weekends; unlimited mileage. AmEx, DC, Disc, MC, V.

Enterprise
800-325-8007; www.enterprise.com. Mon–Fri 7:30am–6pm; Sat 9am–noon. Rates from $30 a day outside New York City; around $50 a day in New York City; unlimited mileage restricted to New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. AmEx, DC, Disc, MC, V.
This inexpensive, reliable company has branches easily accessible from Manhattan. Try the Greenwich, Connecticut location (take Metro-North from Grand Central). Rental agents will pick you up at the station. Call or visit website for locations within the five boroughs.

Parking

If you drive to NYC, find a garage, park your car and leave it there. Parking on the street is subject to byzantine rules (for information on restrictions, call 311), ticketing is rampant (if you can't decipher the parking signs, find another spot), and car theft is common. Garages are plentiful but expensive. If you want to park for less than $15 a day, try a garage outside Manhattan and take public transportation into the city. Listed below are Manhattan's better deals. For other options—there are many—try the yellow pages. (See also Driving.)

Central Kinney System
www.centralparking.com. 24hrs daily most locations. AmEx, MC, V.
One of the city's largest parking companies, Kinney is accessible and reliable, though not the cheapest in town. Rates vary, so call for prices.

GMC Park Plaza
212-888-7400. 24hrs daily. AmEx, MC, V.
GMC has more than 70 locations in the city. At least $23 overnight, including tax, the location at 407 E 61st St between First and York Aves (212-838-4158) is the least expensive.

Icon Parking
877-727-5464; www.iconparking.com. 24hrs daily. AmEx, MC, V.
Choose from more than 160 locations via the website to guarantee a spot and price ahead of time.

Mayor Parking
Pier 40, West St at W Houston St. (800-494-7007). 24hrs daily. $16 for 12 hours. AmEx, MC, V.
Mayor Parking, another of the city's large chains, offers indoor and outdoor parking. Call for information and other locations.

TOP

BY TRAIN

Thanks to Americans' love affair with the automobile, passenger trains are not as common here as in other parts of the world; American rails are used primarily for cargo, and passenger trains from New York are used mostly by commuters. For longer hauls, call Amtrak.

Train service

Amtrak
800-USA-RAIL, 800-872-7245; www.amtrak.com.
Amtrak provides all long-distance train service in North America. Traveling by Amtrak is more comfortable than by bus, but it's also less flexible and more expensive (a sleeper will likely cost more than flying). All trains depart from Penn Station.

Long Island Rail Road
718-217-5477; www.lirr.org.
LIRR provides rail service to Long Island from Penn Station, Brooklyn and Queens.

Metro-North
212-532-4900, 800-638-7646; www.mnr.org.
Commuter trains service towns north of Manhattan and leave from Grand Central Terminal.

New Jersey Transit
973-762-5100, 800-772-2222; www.njtransit.com.
Service from Penn Station reaches most of New Jersey, some points in New York State, and Philadelphia.

PATH Trains
800-234-7284; www.pathrail.com.
PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) trains run from five stations in Manhattan to various places across the Hudson River in New Jersey, including Hoboken, Jersey City and Newark. The system is fully automated and costs $1.50 per trip. You need change or crisp bills for the ticket machines, and trains run 24 hours a day. Manhattan PATH stations are marked on the subway map.

Train stations

Grand Central Terminal
From 42nd to 44th Sts, between Vanderbilt and Lexington Aves. Subway: 42nd St S, 4, 5, 6, 7 to 42nd St–Grand Central.
Grand Central is home to Metro-North, which runs trains to more than 100 stations throughout New York State and Connecticut. Schedules are available at the terminal.

Penn Station
From 31st to 33rd Sts between Seventh and Eighth Aves. Subway: A, C, E, 1, 2, 3 to 34th St–Penn Station.
Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road and New Jersey Transit trains depart from this terminal, which has printed schedules available.

>>Resources A to Z