New York has three major airports, and this guide covers the two that aren’t JFK. Newark Liberty International Airport is in New Jersey, and the train from Newark Airport to Manhattan reaches New York Penn Station in around 30 minutes. LaGuardia Airport is in Queens, where a free bus runs to the subway in a quarter of an hour.
From Newark, the choice is between the train, the express bus and a taxi, and from LaGuardia it’s between the bus and subway or a taxi. The right choice depends on where you’re staying and when you land. Here you’ll find fares, journey times, where to get off and what runs at night. For the rough conversions I’ve used about £0.76 per dollar.
Contents
At a glance
- Newark, AirTrain and NJ Transit train: $17.25 (about £13), around 30 minutes from the airport’s rail station to New York Penn Station, runs from around 05:00 to 01:00.
- Newark, Newark Airport Express: $23.50 (about £18), 50 minutes to Port Authority Bus Terminal, runs from 05:30 to 22:45.
- Newark, bus 62 and PATH: Around $5 (about £3.80) to World Trade Center, the cheapest option, runs all night.
- Newark, taxi: $60 to $80 (about £45.50 to £61) to Manhattan depending on the zone, before surcharges and tolls.
- LaGuardia, Q70 and subway: $3 (about £2.30), free bus to the subway in around 15 minutes, runs around the clock.
- LaGuardia, M60: $3 (about £2.30), around 20 minutes to the subway in Astoria, runs around the clock.
- LaGuardia, taxi: Typically $30 to $52 (about £22.50 to £39.50) to Times Square on the meter, before surcharges and tolls.
- Uber and Lyft: An average of $87 (about £66) for an UberX from Newark to Midtown according to Uber, and the app shows the price before you book.
Finding your transport at Newark and LaGuardia
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark has three terminals. Terminal C is United’s, Terminal B is used by many international airlines, and Terminal A is shared by airlines including American Airlines, Delta and JetBlue. On the arrivals level, Level 1, each terminal has a Welcome Center offering official help with onward transport.
The AirTrain is the airport’s own train, and it’s free between the terminals. It has stations at Terminals B and C, while from Terminal A you walk for around 15 minutes along a covered walkway or take the free shuttle bus, which runs every 5 to 10 minutes from 04:00 to midnight. NJ Transit’s ticket machines are in all three terminals and at the rail station.
The Newark Airport Express stops outside the arrivals level at all three terminals. For a taxi, go to the official taxi rank. Uber and Lyft pick up on the arrivals level opposite Terminal A and in front of Terminal B, and on Floor 3 of the car park at Terminal C. Follow the signs for Ride App Pick Up. See more on Newark’s transport page.
LaGuardia Airport
At LaGuardia, scheduled flights use Terminal B and Terminal C. Delta has Terminal C, and airlines including American Airlines, JetBlue and United use Terminal B. The free All Terminals Shuttle runs around the clock between the terminals, and there’s a walkway between Terminals B and C.
MTA buses stop outside each terminal, so follow the signs for public transit. The taxis wait at the official taxi rank. Uber, Lyft and pre-booked cars pick up on Level 2 of the car park at Terminal B and in the innermost lane by the arrivals hall at Terminal C. See more on LaGuardia’s transport page.
1. AirTrain and NJ Transit train from Newark to Penn Station
The train is my first choice from Newark if you’re staying in Midtown, Chelsea or further south in Manhattan. First you take the AirTrain to Newark Liberty International Airport Rail Station, a ride the airport puts at 7 minutes from Terminal C, 11 from Terminal B and 20 from Terminal A. There you change to an NJ Transit train on the Northeast Corridor or the North Jersey Coast Line, which runs to New York Penn Station in around 30 minutes.
The AirTrain runs every 3 to 5 minutes from 05:00 to 23:00 and every 15 minutes at night. When the AirTrain isn’t running, the airport runs shuttle buses instead, and you’ll need to allow extra time to get to the rail station. NJ Transit runs frequently every day of the week, and according to the MTA the trains run from around 05:00 to 01:00. If you land later than that, it’s bus 62 and PATH or a taxi.
There are no baggage fees on the trains and no limit on the size of your suitcase. The thing to watch out for is the names, because the train first stops at Newark Penn Station after around 5 minutes, and that isn’t New York. Amtrak also stops at the airport station, but you need a separate ticket and the price varies, so for most people NJ Transit is the simplest option. See more at Amtrak.
Fares and tickets
An adult ticket to New York Penn Station costs $17.25 (about £13). The price includes the AirTrain fee, which otherwise costs $8.75 (about £6.60). Children aged 5 to 11 pay half price, and up to three children aged 4 and under travel free with a fare-paying adult. At weekends and on public holidays, up to two children aged 5 to 11 travel free with a fare-paying adult.
Buy your ticket in the NJ TRANSIT Mobile App or from a machine. If you wait and buy it on the train, it costs $5 (about £3.80) extra, and according to the MTA the train crew only take cash. You can’t pay contactless as you board the trains. You’ll find fares and departures at NJ Transit.
How your ticket works with the AirTrain
Between the AirTrain and the platforms, you go through ticket gates, where the AirTrain fee is charged. With an NJ Transit ticket to or from the airport, the fee is already paid, and NJ Transit’s own advice is to keep your ticket, because it covers the AirTrain. If you don’t have a ticket, you pay the $8.75 at the gates with a contactless card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. The rules are on the airport’s AirTrain page.
Where to get off
Newark Penn Station: The first stop, and it’s still in New Jersey. Only get off here if you’re heading for the southern tip of Manhattan, because PATH runs from here to World Trade Center. The airport puts the journey at 45 minutes from the airport station, and PATH has its own ticket, which costs $3.25 (about £2.50).
New York Penn Station: The terminus is at 33rd Street and 7th Avenue, beneath Madison Square Garden on the edge of Chelsea. The A, C and E subway lines stop at 34 St-Penn Station. The E runs south to 23 St in Chelsea and Spring St in SoHo, and north one stop to 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal by Times Square.
Onward from Penn Station: For Williamsburg, take the A or E to 14 St and change to the L towards Bedford Av. For the Lower East Side and the East Village, change at W 4 St-Washington Sq to the F towards 2 Av and Delancey St-Essex St, though with big suitcases a taxi is easier.
2. Newark Airport Express to Midtown
The Newark Airport Express is Coach USA’s airport bus, and it’s the easiest choice if you’re staying near Times Square, Bryant Park or Grand Central and want to avoid changing. The bus picks up at Terminals A, B and C in that order and stops in Manhattan at Port Authority Bus Terminal, Bryant Park and Grand Central. The timetable allows 50 minutes from Terminal A to Port Authority and 1 hour 10 minutes to Grand Central.
The first bus leaves Terminal A at 05:30 and the last at 22:45, with between 15 and 45 minutes between departures. The bus uses the same roads as everyone else, and late in the afternoon the timetable allows five extra minutes. You’ll find the day’s departures at Coach USA.
Fares and tickets
A single ticket costs $23.50 (about £18) and a return ticket $39.50 (about £30), so you save $7.50 (about £5.70) by buying a return straight away. There’s a discount for seniors. The ticket is valid on every departure in the timetable and for all three stops in Manhattan, and you buy it from Coach USA online or in the company’s app. The fares are listed on the airport’s public transport page, which doesn’t give children’s fares.
Where to get off the bus
Port Authority Bus Terminal: The first stop, on 41st Street between 8th and 9th Avenue near Times Square. The subway station here has the A, C and E lines and is connected to Times Sq-42 St.
Bryant Park: The second stop, at 42nd Street and 5th Avenue, around ten minutes later. The 7 stops at 5 Av and the F at 42 St-Bryant Pk.
Grand Central: The last stop, on 41st Street between Park Avenue and Lexington Avenue in the eastern part of Midtown. The 4, 5, 6 and 7 lines stop at Grand Central-42 St.
3. Bus 62 and PATH from Newark: the cheapest option
If you want to travel as cheaply as possible, or you land in the middle of the night, there’s a third way. NJ Transit’s bus 62 runs from the terminals to Newark Penn Station, and from there PATH runs to World Trade Center. The MTA calls this the cheapest route and puts the bus at around $1.90 (about £1.45). PATH costs $3.25 (about £2.50), so you pay around $5 (about £3.80) in total, and it’s the route the MTA points to when the trains stop for the night.
Bus 62 runs every 15 minutes or more often on weekdays and Saturdays, and at least every half hour on Sundays and at night. You pay in NJ Transit’s app, by card or with exact change on the bus. The route is described in the MTA’s guide to Newark.
4. Q70 bus and subway from LaGuardia to Manhattan
LaGuardia has no rail station, so the cheap way to Manhattan is the bus and the subway. The bus is called the LaGuardia Link Q70, it’s free, and it runs non-stop from Terminal C and Terminal B to the Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av subway station, which is also called 74 St-Broadway. The ride takes around 15 minutes in normal traffic, and the bus continues to Woodside.
The Q70 runs around the clock, with 8 to 10 minutes between buses during the day and around 20 minutes at night. You board through any door without a ticket, and the bus has luggage racks.
At Jackson Heights, you change to the subway, which runs 24 hours a day. The E, F, M, R and 7 lines stop here. The MTA says the whole trip can take an hour or more, depending on the route and the traffic. The trip works well if you’re travelling light, but it’s a hassle with several big suitcases. You’ll find the MTA’s own directions in its guide from LaGuardia to Manhattan.
Fares and tickets
The Q70 is free, so you only pay for the subway, which costs $3 (about £2.30) per ride, however far you travel. Up to three children under 44 inches, around 112 centimetres, ride free with a fare-paying adult. The fares are listed by the MTA.
An alternative is to stay on the bus to Woodside and take the Long Island Rail Road to Penn Station or Grand Central. The ticket is called a CityTicket and costs $5.25 (about £4) off-peak and $7.25 (about £5.50) at peak times. You buy it separately in the TrainTime app or from a machine, and not every train stops at Woodside.
Paying by card: OMNY
You pay by holding a contactless bank card, your phone or your watch against the reader on the turnstile. The system is called OMNY, and you don’t need to sign up or download an app. If you use the same card or the same device every time, you pay no more than $35 (about £26.50) over seven days on the subway and local buses, and if you change between the subway and a bus within two hours, the transfer is free.
Where to get off
Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av: This is where almost everyone gets off the bus. If in doubt, take the E towards World Trade Center, because it runs express through Queens to Midtown, Chelsea and SoHo.
Midtown: The E stops at Lexington Av/53 St, 5 Av/53 St and 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal by Times Square, among other stations, and continues to 34 St-Penn Station. The 7 towards 34 St-Hudson Yards runs to Grand Central-42 St, 5 Av by Bryant Park and Times Sq-42 St.
Chelsea and SoHo: Stay on the E to 23 St in Chelsea or Spring St in SoHo.
Lower East Side and East Village: Take the F towards Coney Island-Stillwell Av to 2 Av or Delancey St-Essex St.
Williamsburg: On weekdays, the M runs direct to Marcy Av during the day. Otherwise, take the F to Delancey St-Essex St and change to the J, which has Marcy Av as its next stop.
5. M60 bus from LaGuardia to Astoria and Harlem
The M60 is a Select Bus Service route that runs from the airport through Astoria in Queens to Manhattan, where it follows 125th Street through Harlem and ends on Broadway at 106th Street. According to the MTA, it stops at all of the airport’s terminals. It’s the best choice if you’re staying in Harlem or the northern part of the Upper West Side, and it stops at the Astoria Blvd subway station, where the N runs to Times Sq-42 St and 34 St-Herald Sq, among other stations.
The timetable allows around 20 minutes from Terminal B to Astoria Blvd and just under an hour to the end of the route. The bus runs around the clock, around every 10 minutes during the day and around every half hour in the middle of the night.
The ride costs $3 (about £2.30), and you pay at one of the bus doors with the same contactless card as on the subway. If you change to the subway within two hours, the transfer is free. To pay in cash, you need exact change in coins for the machine at the bus stop, and you pay before you board.
6. Taxis, Uber and Lyft from Newark and LaGuardia
From Newark, taxis to New York charge the airport’s official flat fares and don’t run on the meter. To Manhattan south of 14th Street, the trip costs $60 (about £45.50), between 14th and 50th Street $65 (about £49), between 51st and 96th Street $70 (about £53), between 97th and 185th Street $75 (about £57) and north of 185th Street $80 (about £61). The fare is per car, for up to four passengers.
On top of that, there’s an airport fee of $2 (about £1.50), $1 (about £0.76) per bag, hand luggage included, and $5 (about £3.80) if you’re going to the east side of Manhattan. During rush hour, trips to New York cost $10 (about £7.60) extra, and that applies Monday to Friday from 06:00 to 10:00 and from 15:00 to 20:00, and on Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 to 21:00. Tolls, the congestion charge and the tip aren’t included, and the airport says other fees can add another $6.75 to $15.75 (about £5.10 to £12).
So for a hotel near Times Square on a weekday afternoon with two suitcases, that comes to $65 plus $2 plus $10 plus $2, a total of $79 (about £60), before tolls, fees and the tip. All the fares are on Newark’s taxi page.
From LaGuardia, the yellow taxis run on the meter. The fare starts with an initial charge of $3 (about £2.30), then 70 cents for every fifth of a mile or every minute in slow traffic. On top of that, there’s $5 (about £3.80) for trips to and from LaGuardia, an airport fee of $2 (about £1.50) when you’re picked up there, and smaller surcharges in the evening, during rush hour and in Manhattan south of 96th Street. Bridge and tunnel tolls are extra.
The airport estimates the fare itself at $30 to $52 (about £22.50 to £39.50) to Times Square and $34 to $57 (about £25.50 to £43) to Tribeca, before the tip, tolls and the congestion charge. There’s no extra charge for more passengers, for luggage or for paying by card. The rates are listed by the TLC, the city’s taxi regulator, and you’ll find the fare estimates on LaGuardia’s taxi page.
Uber and Lyft pick up at the signposted pick-up zones, and the app shows the price before you book. According to Uber’s own averages, an UberX from Newark to Midtown costs $87 (about £66). From LaGuardia, Uber’s average is higher than the taxi estimate, so compare the price in the app before you book. Both airports also have Uber Shuttle, a shared minibus with fixed routes to places including Times Square, Penn Station and Grand Central, which you book in the Uber app. According to Uber, it costs an average of $29 (about £22) from Newark and $32 (about £24) from LaGuardia.
Private transfer
If you’re landing late with children, or there are several of you with a lot of luggage, you can book a private transfer from Newark to Manhattan here. The price is agreed in advance, and waiting time is included if your flight is delayed. From LaGuardia, you can book a private transfer to Manhattan here, which has room for up to three people.
Onward travel around the East Coast straight from the airport
If you’re flying on from another airport, you can make the transfer by train and bus. From Newark to JFK, take the train to New York Penn Station, the Long Island Rail Road to Jamaica and the AirTrain JFK. From LaGuardia, take the Q70 to Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av and the E to Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av-JFK Airport, where the AirTrain JFK runs to the terminals.
According to the airports’ estimates, a taxi costs $60 (about £45.50) between LaGuardia and JFK, $110 (about £83) between Newark and LaGuardia and $160 (about £121) between Newark and JFK, before tolls and surcharges. The routes are in the airport’s guide to travelling between the airports.
From the rail station at Newark Airport, you can also head straight out of the New York area. Amtrak’s Northeast Regional stops in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, among other places, and NJ Transit runs to Trenton in 68 minutes for $23.25 (about £17.50).
Getting back to the airport
For Newark, take NJ Transit from New York Penn Station with a ticket to Newark Airport, which you buy before you board. Not every train stops at the airport, so look for a plane icon or EWR on the departure board, and keep your ticket for the gates at the AirTrain. NJ Transit allows around an hour from Penn Station to the terminal.
The trains run from around 05:00 to 01:00. The Newark Airport Express is no use for early flights, because the first bus leaves Grand Central at around 07:00 and Port Authority a quarter of an hour later. The bus drops off at Terminals B, C and A in that order, and Coach USA recommends a departure that arrives at least three hours before an international flight from Terminal B and two hours before a domestic flight from Terminal A or C.
In the middle of the night, PATH and bus 62 are running, and otherwise it’s a taxi or an Uber. A yellow taxi from New York to Newark runs on the meter with a Newark surcharge of $20 (about £15), and you pay the tolls in both directions.
For LaGuardia, the subway, the Q70 and the M60 run around the clock. At Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av, follow the signs for the Q70 or the yellow plane icon, go out through the turnstiles and walk straight ahead to the bus lanes. The bus stops at Terminal C first and then at Terminal B. Neither airport gives a fixed time for when you should arrive, so follow your airline’s advice.
Which option should you choose?
Here’s what I’d recommend, depending on where you’re staying:
SoHo: From LaGuardia, take the Q70 and the E direct to Spring St. From Newark, take the train to Penn Station and the E from there.
Lower East Side and East Village: From LaGuardia, take the Q70 and the F to 2 Av or Delancey St-Essex St. From Newark, take the train to Penn Station and a taxi for the last stretch.
Chelsea: From Newark, the train is the obvious choice, because Penn Station is on the edge of the neighbourhood. From LaGuardia, the E runs to 23 St.
Williamsburg: From LaGuardia, the M runs direct to Marcy Av on weekdays, and otherwise a taxi is the easiest option. From Newark, take the train to Penn Station, the A or E to 14 St and the L to Bedford Av.
Midtown near Times Square and Penn Station: From Newark, take the train to Penn Station or the Newark Airport Express to Port Authority. From LaGuardia, take the Q70 and the E.
Midtown near Grand Central: From Newark, the Newark Airport Express runs right to Grand Central. From LaGuardia, take the Q70 and the 7.
If you land at night: At LaGuardia, the Q70, the M60 and the subway run all night. At Newark, the trains stop from around 01:00 to 05:00, and then it’s bus 62 and PATH or a flat-fare taxi.
If there are three or four of you: From Newark, four train tickets cost $69 (about £52), so a taxi at $65 plus surcharges isn’t much more expensive and takes you to the door. From LaGuardia, the subway costs just $12 (about £9.10) for four, but a taxi saves you having to change with your suitcases.
Practical tips for getting from Newark and LaGuardia to Manhattan
Don’t confuse Newark Penn Station with New York Penn Station. The train from the airport stops in Newark first, and the two stations are in different states. New York Penn Station is the one you want.
Bring a card for each traveller on the first day. A new card can’t pay for more than one person on the subway until the bank has approved it, so the first ride needs one card or one phone per person. After that, you can pay for up to four.
Travel light if you’re taking the subway. The MTA advises you not to bring more than you can carry yourself, and to use the lifts. Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av, 34 St-Penn Station, Times Sq-42 St and Grand Central-42 St are on the MTA’s list of accessible stations with lifts.
Only take a taxi from the official taxi rank. Both airports ask you to, and Newark warns against people not in uniform who offer rides or help with your luggage.
Choose your hotel with the connection in mind. If you’re staying in Chelsea, you’re at your hotel shortly after the train from Newark has pulled into Penn Station, and you can see hotels in Chelsea here. If you’re staying near Times Square, you have both the Newark Airport Express and the E from LaGuardia close by, and you can see hotels near Times Square here. The E also runs direct from Jackson Heights to Spring St, so you can see hotels in SoHo here, and the F runs direct to the Lower East Side, where you can see hotels on the Lower East Side here.
If you’re not sure which neighbourhood suits you, read my guide to where to stay in New York, and you’ll find ideas for your trip in my guide to things to do in New York.
Travel ressources & websites I use all the time 👇
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