New York has three airports, and each has one rule worth knowing before you land. From JFK the yellow cab charges a flat fare to Manhattan; from Newark the taxi charges by Manhattan zone and the train needs one ticket; from LaGuardia there is no train, but a free bus to the subway. Below is every realistic way in, with the operators' own times and prices, and the way we would reach each of our ten hotels.
The short answer
From JFK, a yellow cab is a flat $70 to anywhere in Manhattan plus surcharges, tolls and tip, and our Manhattan hotels are typically 40–50 minutes away; with light bags the AirTrain and LIRR take about 30 minutes for $14 off-peak. From Newark, NJ Transit reaches Penn Station in about 30 minutes for $17.25, and taxis run $60–80 by zone. From LaGuardia, our hotels are about 19–33 minutes by taxi, or take the free Q70 bus to the subway.
The simplest answer with luggage or in a group: one price for the car, whatever the traffic. To Brooklyn the meter runs instead.
The fastest way into Midtown at rush hour, and our pick for hotels near Penn Station with light bags. Peak is weekdays 6–10am and 4–8pm.
The cheapest way from JFK, fine with a single case, slower than the LIRR by about 20 minutes.
The best way from Newark for one or two people with manageable bags. Terminal A has no AirTrain stop, so allow about 20 minutes to reach the railway station from there.
Door to door with luggage, and quicker than JFK to our Financial District and Lower East Side hotels. Take a car only from the dispatcher and keep the receipt.
Stops at Grand Central, Bryant Park and the Port Authority Bus Terminal, handy for The Plaza or The Fifth Avenue Hotel if you would rather not change trains.
Our usual way from LaGuardia: short, and with no train to compare it with.
The cheap way for light travellers, every 6–10 minutes by day and through the night. The M60 SBS bus ($3) runs to Harlem and 125th Street instead.
Worth it for late or delayed flights, families who need child seats or a larger car, and Newark arrivals heading to Brooklyn, which the published taxi zones do not cover.
Midtown
The $70 flat fare from JFK covers Central Park South, and the cab pulls up at the door with no changes on the way.
Upper East Side
On the Upper East Side, a long way from the airport trains, so the flat fare from JFK, or a short metered ride from LaGuardia, is the way.
Penn Station is about ten minutes' walk away, so with light bags the AirTrain and LIRR beat the traffic for $14 off-peak.
Financial District
In the Financial District, the furthest of our hotels from JFK and the closest to Newark, where the downtown taxi zone is $60.
DUMBO, Brooklyn
In Brooklyn the JFK flat fare does not apply, but the metered ride is a straight run to the waterfront door.
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg is closer to both Queens airports than Manhattan is: 35 minutes metered from JFK, 19 from LaGuardia.
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side is awkward by train with cases, so take the JFK flat fare or the Newark downtown zone to the door.
Chelsea
Penn Station is about ten minutes' walk along Seventh Avenue, so the LIRR from JFK or NJ Transit from Newark both work well with light bags.
JFK Airport, Queens
The hotel is on the airport, joined to Terminal 5, and the AirTrain from any JFK terminal to it is free.
Lower East Side
On the Bowery, best reached by the JFK flat fare or the $60 downtown zone from Newark, straight to the door.
New York's Taxi and Limousine Commission sets the fares. From JFK to anywhere in Manhattan it is a flat $70 per cab, and the meter should read Rate #2, JFK Airport; to Brooklyn and the rest of the city the standard meter runs. From LaGuardia the meter runs too, with a $5 surcharge. Both airports add a $2 access fee on pick-ups, and trips into Manhattan below 96th Street add the $2.50 congestion surcharge, plus $0.75 below 60th Street.
Newark taxis are licensed in New Jersey and charge by Manhattan zone. Take a cab only from the official rank or the dispatcher, never from anyone offering a ride inside the terminal. Extra passengers and luggage cost nothing in a yellow cab.
At JFK, app cars generally collect you in front of Terminals 1, 4 and 8. For Terminals 5 and 7, pick-ups have temporarily moved to the Howard Beach AirTrain station because of construction, so ride the free AirTrain there first.
At Newark, Terminal A pick-ups are across the road on the arrivals level, Terminal B in front of arrivals, and Terminal C on Floor 3 of the Terminal C garage. At LaGuardia, go to Level 2 of the Terminal B garage, or the inner arrivals lane at Terminal C.
Follow the AirTrain signs from arrivals: trains come every 5–10 minutes and are free between terminals. At Jamaica you pay $8.75 by tapping a contactless card or phone, and change to the LIRR, which runs to Penn Station or Grand Central Madison in about 20 minutes. The LIRR CityTicket is $5.25 off-peak and $7.25 at peak, weekdays 6–10am and 4–8pm. Up to five people travelling together pay $8.75 for the first on the AirTrain and $4.50 for each extra, and under-5s ride free.
Late at night the taxi is the answer from all three airports: the JFK flat fare is the same at any hour, and metered fares add $1 between 8pm and 6am. If you prefer the train, Newark's AirTrain runs every 15 minutes from 11pm to 5am, and LaGuardia's Q70 runs through the night every 20 minutes. A pre-booked driver tracks your flight and waits if it lands late.
A yellow cab from Manhattan to JFK is the same $70 flat fare. To Newark the meter runs, plus a $20 Newark surcharge and tolls in both directions; the meter should read Rate #3, Newark Airport. With light bags, the LIRR from Penn Station or Grand Central Madison to Jamaica takes about 20 minutes, and NJ Transit from Penn Station reaches Newark Airport in about 30. Most airlines close check-in 45–60 minutes before departure.
Questions people ask
A flat $70 to anywhere in Manhattan, plus a $0.50 MTA surcharge, $1 improvement surcharge, $5 on weekdays 4–8pm, the congestion charges, a $2 airport access fee, tolls and tip.
The AirTrain to Jamaica and the LIRR to Penn Station or Grand Central Madison: about 30 minutes in all, $14 off-peak or $16 peak.
Take the AirTrain to the airport railway station and NJ Transit to New York Penn Station: about 30 minutes and $17.25, AirTrain included. A taxi is $60–80 by zone plus tolls, fees and tip.
It is metered, with a $5 LaGuardia surcharge and $2 access fee; the airport estimates $30–52 to Times Square before tips, tolls and congestion charges.
Yes. The Q70 LaGuardia Link is free and runs to the subway at Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue and the LIRR at Woodside, with a free transfer to the subway.
LaGuardia, for most of our hotels: typically 19–33 minutes. Newark is a fair alternative for The Beekman and citizenM Bowery, at about 38 minutes, and the TWA Hotel is on JFK itself.
Yes. Take the AirTrain to Jamaica for the E, J and Z trains, or to Howard Beach for the A train. It costs $11.75 in all and takes about 50–60 minutes to Manhattan.
Image credits: Acroterion (CC BY-SA 4.0)