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Newark Airport to Manhattan: every way in

Newark is in New Jersey, but for our downtown hotels it is closer by road than JFK. The train is the clever way in: one NJ Transit ticket covers the AirTrain and the ride to New York Penn Station. Taxis charge set fares by Manhattan zone rather than a meter. Below is each way in, where it leaves from at Newark, and the way we would reach each of our ten hotels.

The short answer

With light bags, take the AirTrain to the airport railway station and NJ Transit to New York Penn Station: about 30 minutes and $17.25, AirTrain included. With luggage, take a taxi from the dispatcher: $60 to downtown, $65 to West 14th–50th Street and $70 to West 51st–96th, plus tolls, fees and tip; our Manhattan hotels are typically 38–54 minutes away. For Brooklyn, book a driver: the published zones cover Manhattan only.

  • EWRNewark Liberty (EWR). In New Jersey, United's hub and home to British Airways, Lufthansa and many European airlines; the closest airport by road to our downtown hotels.
Newark Liberty International Airport station, where the AirTrain meets NJ Transit and Amtrak
Newark Liberty International Airport station, where the AirTrain meets NJ Transit and Amtrak

Every way in, timed and priced

AirTrain and NJ Transit to Penn Station

EWR
Time
About 30 minutes to New York Penn Station, plus the AirTrain from your terminal
Price
$17.25 per adult, AirTrain included; children 5–11 half price; $5 more if bought on board

AirTrain from Terminal B or C (7–11 minutes) to the Newark Liberty International Airport station, then the Northeast Corridor or North Jersey Coast Line. Buy the ticket in the NJ Transit app or at the machines before boarding. Best for one or two people with manageable bags.

AirTrain, NJ Transit and PATH

EWR
Time
About 45 minutes to the World Trade Center; about 40 to 33rd Street
Price
$11.75, as the airport states it, plus the $8.75 AirTrain fee

NJ Transit from the airport station to Newark Penn Station, then the PATH under the Hudson. Two changes, so only with light bags, but it lands you downtown.

Newark taxi, zone fares

EWR
Time
Typically 38–54 minutes to our Manhattan hotels
Price
$60 to downtown below West 13th Street, $65 to West 14th–50th, $70 to West 51st–96th, $5 more for the East Side; tolls and fees $6.75–15.75, tip extra; $10 rush-hour surcharge

From the dispatcher's rank: Terminal A Level 1 by Door 5, Terminal B Level 2 by Door 8 or Level 1 by Door 2, Terminal C Level 1 by Door 6. Door to door with luggage; keep the receipt.

Newark Airport Express coach

EWR
Time
About 50 minutes to Midtown
Price
$23.50 one way, $39.50 return

Leaves from Zone 16 at Terminal A and the coach stops on the baggage claim level at B and C, for Grand Central, Bryant Park and the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Handy for The Plaza if you would rather not change trains.

Pre-booked private transfer

EWR
Time
The same drive as the taxi, with the driver waiting for you
Price
Fixed when you book

The driver meets you at the ground transportation area. The right call for our Brooklyn hotels, which the taxi zones do not cover, for late or delayed flights and for child seats.

From the airport to our ten hotels

Newark Airport to Penn Station by train, step by step

Yes, for most people with one case each. Buy an NJ Transit ticket to New York Penn Station in the app or at the station machines: $17.25 covers the AirTrain too, and buying on board costs $5 more. Ride the AirTrain, free within the airport, to the Newark Liberty International Airport station, 7 minutes from Terminal C and 11 from Terminal B, and take any Northeast Corridor or North Jersey Coast Line train to New York. Up to three children under 5 travel free with each paying adult, and children 5–11 pay half. Amtrak serves the same station, and an Amtrak ticket includes the AirTrain.

From Terminal A

Terminal A, the new one, has no AirTrain stop of its own: it is about a 15-minute covered walk or a 5-minute shuttle to the AirTrain, so allow about 20 minutes to the railway station. That tips the balance towards the taxi from Terminal A, whose rank is on Level 1 by Door 5, or the Express coach from Zone 16.

Newark taxi fares, in detail

Newark cabs charge set fares by Manhattan zone, before tolls, fees and tip, and it is illegal to charge more. Tolls, congestion pricing and fees add $6.75–15.75, with a $2 airport access fee and a $10 surcharge for New York trips at rush hour: weekdays 6–10am and 3–8pm, weekends noon to 9pm. Seniors get 10% off. Cars take four, minivans five.

Battery to W 13th St
$60
W 14th to W 50th St
$65
W 51st to W 96th St
$70
W 97th to W 185th St
$75
East Side supplement
$5

Newark Airport to Manhattan at night

After a late landing, take a taxi from the dispatcher, or have a driver waiting. If you take the train, the AirTrain runs every 15 minutes from 11pm to 5am, with a shuttle bus for Terminal A. The airport is modernising the AirTrain and sometimes runs replacement buses, so check its AirTrain page before relying on a tight late connection.

Going back to Newark

A yellow cab from Manhattan runs on the meter, plus a $20 Newark surcharge and tolls; the meter should read Rate #3, Newark Airport. NJ Transit from New York Penn Station reaches the airport station in about 30 minutes, then the AirTrain to your terminal. Most airlines close check-in 45–60 minutes before departure.

Questions people ask

Good questions about New York

What is the best way from Newark Airport to Manhattan?

With light bags, NJ Transit to New York Penn Station: about 30 minutes and $17.25, AirTrain included. With luggage, a taxi from the dispatcher, $60–70 to most of Manhattan plus tolls, fees and tip.

How much is the train from Newark Airport to New York?

$17.25 for an adult to New York Penn Station, including the AirTrain. Children 5–11 pay half; buying on board adds $5.

Is there a bus from Newark Airport to Manhattan?

Yes: the Newark Airport Express to Grand Central, Bryant Park and the Port Authority Bus Terminal, about 50 minutes, $23.50 one way.

How do I get from Newark Airport to Brooklyn?

Newark's taxi zones cover Manhattan only, so book a driver for a fixed price. By train, NJ Transit to Penn Station and then the subway.

Does the AirTrain go to Newark Terminal A?

No. It is about a 15-minute covered walk or a 5-minute shuttle from Terminal A to the AirTrain.

Can I take the PATH from Newark Airport?

Yes, with a change: NJ Transit to Newark Penn Station, then the PATH to the World Trade Center, about 45 minutes.

Image credits: Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). (CC BY-SA 4.0)