New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [300]
TIP Long layovers don’t have to be only about sitting around or shopping. These days they can be about burning off vacation calories. Check out www.airportgyms.com for lists of health clubs that are in or near many U.S. and Canadian airports.
Airport Information JFK International Airport (718/244–4444 | www.jfkairport.com). LaGuardia Airport (718/533–3400 | www.laguardiaairport.com). Newark Liberty International Airport (973/961–6000 or 888/397–4636 | www.newarkairport.com).
Transfers—Car Services
Car services can be a great deal because the driver will often meet you on the concourse or in the baggage-claim area and help you with your luggage. The flat rates and tolls are often comparable to taxi fares, but some car services will charge for parking and waiting time at the airport. To eliminate these expenses, other car services require that you telephone their dispatcher when you land so they can send the next available car to pick you up. New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission rules require that all car services be licensed and pick up riders only by prior arrangement; if possible, call 24 hours in advance for reservations, or at least a half day before your flight’s departure. Drivers of nonlicensed vehicles (gypsy cabs) often solicit fares outside the terminal in baggage-claim areas. Don’t take them: you run the risk of an unsafe ride, and you’ll definitely pay more than the going rate.
Transfers—Taxis and Shuttles
Outside the baggage-claim area at each of New York’s major airports are taxi stands where a uniformed dispatcher helps passengers find taxis . Cabs are not permitted to pick up fares anywhere else in the arrivals area, so if you want a taxi, take your place in line. Shuttle services generally pick up passengers from a designated spot along the curb.
New York Airport Service runs buses between JFK and LaGuardia airports, and buses from those airports to Grand Central Terminal, Port Authority Bus Terminal, Penn Station, Bryant Park, and hotels between 23rd and 63rd streets in Manhattan. Fares cost between $12 and $15 one way and $21 to $27 round-trip. Buses operate from 6:05 am to 11 pm from the airport; between 5 am and 10 pm going to the airport.
SuperShuttle vans travel to and from Manhattan to JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark. These blue vans will stop at your home, office, or hotel. There are courtesy phones at the airports. For travel to the airport, the company recommends that you make your request 24 hours in advance. Fares range from $15 to $23 per person.
Shuttle Service New York Airport Service (718/875–8200 | www.nyairportservice.com). SuperShuttle (800/258–3826 | www.supershuttle.com).
Transfers from JFK International Airport
Taxis charge a flat fee of $45 plus tolls (which may be as much as $6) to Manhattan only, and take 35–60 minutes. Prices are roughly $20–$55 for trips to most other locations in New York City. You should also tip the driver.
The AirTrain links to the A subway line’s Howard Beach station, and to Long Island Railroad’s (LIRR) Jamaica Station, which is adjacent to the Sutphin Boulevard/Archer Avenue E/J/Z subway station, with connections to Manhattan. The monorail system runs 24 hours, leaving from Howard Beach and Jamaica stations every 4 to 8 minutes during peak times and every 12 minutes during off-peak times. From Midtown Manhattan, the longest trip to JFK is via the A train, a trip of less than an hour that costs $2.25 in subway fare in addition to $5 for the AirTrain. The quickest trip is with the Long Island Railroad (about 30 minutes), for a total cost of about $13. When traveling to the Howard Beach station, be sure to take the A train marked “Far Rockaway” or “Rockaway Park,” not “Lefferts Boulevard.”
JFK Transfer Information AirTrain JFK (www.airtrainjfk.com). Long Island Railroad (Jamaica Station | 146 Archer Ave., at Sutphin Ave. | Queens | 11435 | 718/217–5477 | www.mta.info/lirr).
Transfers from LaGuardia Airport
Taxis cost $21–$30 plus tip and tolls (which may be as high as $6) to most destinations in New York City, and take at least