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The Easy Way From All NYC Airports to Manhattan

January 29, 2024

Don’t spend $50-100 each way in a Taxi, when you can take public transportation into the city! Save yourself some cash for things you really want to spend it on like souvenirs or NYC pizza! I lived in NYC for 16 years and I go back and visit often, so you can trust me when I say to you that to get from an NYC airport into Manhattan, the most you will spend is around $10-15 each way!

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Each of these routes requires paying with a MetroCard (NYC) or for Newark (NJ) a Train Ticket, however they now offer a service where you can just tap a card and pay if you prefer to do that. I like to use a MetroCard because I use the Subway often to get around whenever I’m in New York City so I prefer the Unlimited MetroCard option.

I suggest getting an Unlimited MetroCard which offers a set rate for Unlimited Trips on Subways and Buses for that amount of time. Right now an Unlimited MetroCard for 7 days is only $33 versus paying $2.90 every time you swipe. If you are coming from JFK, you will have to pay for the AirTrain which is $8.25. This is not included in the Unlimited MetroCard price, but they will let you also add money to your MetroCard so you can use the same MetroCard without having to purchase two. There’s machines on both sides of the turnstiles.

If it’s confusing for you, just put the flat rate to exit the AirTrain and then once you exit the AirTrain you can use the Refill MetroCard option to then pay for the Unlimited MetroCard.

When you land at Laguardia Airport, follow the signs that lead you towards the baggage claim area. On the way, don’t forget to stop and check out the water installation! It’s actually pretty fun!

There are a few levels at Laguardia Airport, so be careful to not get disoriented as you leave the airport. Keep following the baggage claim signs until you fully exit the interior of the airport. It’s going to pop you out around here, where you will take these escalators or elevators all the way down into the baggage claim area. This is located down on the third level down. (The other two levels are the Security Exit and the Check In area.)

Walk past the Baggage Claim turnstiles and past the New York City sign, but don’t get out on that level. You want to keep going down another level down to departures and that’s where all the ground transportation is. A good way to know if you’re on the right level is to look for the Dunkin Donuts near Door 3.

I suggest buying your MTA MetroCard here. There’s never a line and there are a lot of uniformed assistants if you can’t figure out how to do it. If you are going to be in Manhattan for longer than 24 hours, I also suggest buying an Unlimited MetroCard. You’ll be able to get on and off the subway and buses without having to pay each time. You just swipe to enter for the subway and print a receipt for buses. FYI – You can’t use the same Unlimited MetroCard for two people however because they require 20 minutes in between swipes at the same location.

For more on how to buy a Metrocard, check out the Transportation video at the bottom of this post.

After you get your MetroCard, head outside of the airport. You should look for Door 3. From here you have a few different options on getting into the city.

Q70 – is a FREE shuttle bus that takes you to Roosevelt Avenue / Jackson Heights which is a major Subway Hub. From there you can use your MetroCard and connect to a number of different Subway Lines. This will be the easiest way for you to get into Manhattan if you’re going to the lower half of Manhattan.
M60 – is a paid bus, so you’d use your MetroCard to get on this bus. It will take you to Upper Manhattan around 125th Harlem area. The bus goes all the way across Manhattan to the West Side, hitting the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, A, B, C, & D Subway lines.

Laguardia Airport has great customer service, with clear signage everywhere to help you find exactly where you’re trying to go. Just to reiterate, LGA Link Q70 is a FREE transfer shuttle so you can just walk right onto it. The M60 you will have to pay at the kiosk and keep your receipt before you board the bus. There is a local service bus or a SBS (Select Bus Service) bus. One hits every bus stop while the other just hits the express stops. I suggest getting on the M60 SBS if you are taking this bus into the city. I think most of the buses that stop at Laguardia will be SBS, but it will just save you time taking the express bus.

For either bus, you can use New York City’s MTA bus route locator. It will tell you when the next bus is coming anywhere you are in the city.

If you take the Q70, you should get off at Roosevelt Avenue/ Jackson Heights stop. You can follow along on the bus route locater to know where you are in Queens, or you can watch the location inside the bus itself. It will show you and tell you digitally what the next stop will be.

When you get off, head into the main terminal. From here, you will swipe your MetroCard and head to the subway line that works best for you. If you are just heading into Midtown, like the Time’s Square area, I suggest you take the 7 Train.

After you swipe your card, you’re going to want to look for the signs that say towards Manhattan. If you get confused, there are maps everywhere in the station. Taking the 7 Train will take you within walking distance to Grand Central Station Area, Bryant Park, 34th Street Herald Square (which is by Macy’s), Times Square, all the way to Hudson Yards. It’s a good train to kind of get you wherever in the popular areas of Manhattan you need to go. Each of those stops are also major intersections so another subway line will connect you for free to go Uptown or Downtown (as long as you don’t exit the subway station.)

You may be a bit surprised when you first come outside because the idea is Subways are all underground, but the farther you are from Manhattan the more elevated trains there are. The 7 is one of those elevated trains. As you get closer to Manhattan you will start to go underground. Then, it will take you a few sets of stairs or escalators to get out of the subway station.

I like to go into a car towards the end of the train because the middle of the train tends to be really congested with a lot of people. If you go to the ends of the trains, usually those train cars are pretty empty and there’s not as many people. It will be easier for you to stand around, look at the subway map, and not feel awkward or anything. And don’t forget as the train comes in, people are going to come off of the train so just keep that in mind before you get on because this is New York! There’s tons and tons of people in these cars – so don’t be surprised if a flood of people end up coming out of the train depending on what time of day it is.

From exiting Laguardia Airport to Roosevelt Ave, I’d say it takes about 15 minutes or so, and then from the 7 into Manhattan is another 15 minutes or so. All in all depending on transfers, I’d give yourself an hour to get to the airport if you are heading back. But really speaking it will probably only take you about a half hour from the airport to NYC.

Here are some POV step by step videos so that you know exactly how it will look to take public transportation…

When you land in John F Kennedy Airport in New York City, follow the signs towards the AirTrain. This is what will get you to the Subway and take you into Manhattan. It will be free to use to transfer in between terminals if you need to, but otherwise we plan to get off at the Jamaica stop to connect to the subway. So, take the AirTrain towards Jamaica (Sutphin Blvd Stop).

You can just walk right into any door of the AirTrain, it’s an automated monorail. Once you get off at Jamaica, this is where you will have to pay the $8.25 AirTrain charge in order to exit the AirTrain. To do this, you have to pay with a MetroCard or there is a one time fare option. You can also pay digitally and just swipe a credit card. You will also need your MetroCard to pay to get onto the subway.

I suggest buying your MTA MetroCard here. There are a lot of uniformed assistants if you can’t figure out how to do it. If you are going to be in Manhattan for longer than 24 hours, I also suggest buying an Unlimited MetroCard. You’ll be able to get on and off the subway and buses without having to pay each time. You just swipe to enter for the subway and print a receipt for buses. FYI -You can’t use the same Unlimited MetroCard for two people however because they require 20 minutes in between swipes at the same location.

For more on how to buy a Metrocard, check out the Transportation video at the bottom of this post.

Next, you want to head over to the Subway. There will be plenty of signs to direct you. You will head past the Long Island Railroad platform entrances and head down an escalator into the Subway station. You’ll see how hectic it is down here, and that’s why I had you buy your Subway card over by the AirTrain. Once down at the Subway, you will need to swipe your MetroCard to get in.

From the entrance at Sutphin Boulevard, take the E Train (Blue Line) and head towards Manhattan. This will take you all the way into New York City. It will make stops along the way in Queens that will be above ground. As you get closer to Manhattan, you will start to go underground. Once you enter Manhattan, you will have the option to get off around 51st street which is around Grand Central area, Rockefeller Center area, and Port Authority which is close to Times Square. If you don’t want to walk, you have the option to transfer to another Subway line to get closer to where you are going in the city. All connections will be free to transfer while you are underground within the turnstiles. You won’t have to swipe to enter the next train unless you get out of the subway.

Depending on which Terminal you enter the AirTrain, it should take you 15 minutes to get to the Sutphin Blvd station in Jamaica. From Sutphin Blvd to Manhattan, depending on whether the train is running on local or express stops, it should take you about a half hour. I’d say it will take you all in all around an hour to get from JFK to NYC. It just depends on how much time there is between connecting trains.

Here’s a POV video that will take you from Jamaica to JFK and give you an idea how exactly how it all looks…

Once you arrive in Newark Airport, keep an eye out for signs for the AirTrain. You can catch the AirTrain from any terminal. It is a fully automated monorail, so just get in wherever and whenever one of the doors open.

Make sure you go the right direction to save yourself time vs the long way. Next, you are going to get off at the AirTrain Rail Link Station.

Here, you will have to pay at the machine to exit for the AirTrain. While you are at the machine, pay for a ticket to go to NEW YORK PENN STATION (NOT Newark Penn Station.) Your ticket for AirTrain is included in this price! (To use the AirTrain, You pay when you exit AirTrain on the way out, or if you are going to Newark Airport you pay to get on the AirTrain on the way there.) Again this will be included in the price when you purchase your tickets for either direction.

Be ready for two tickets to print out for you plus a receipt. To exit, scan the your ticket and keep the other for when you get onto Amtrak. It should cost you around $16.

Check the Amtrak schedule and take the “New York” train. New York SEC is the same route but is the local train, so it will make all the local stops. You can check it online here.

Just remember you are going to New York Penn Station, Don’t GO TO NEWARK!

(I prefer to use the trains versus a bus, because they bypass any traffic going into Manhattan. The buses do have their own lane but it all gets backed up as they go into the Tunnels that lead into Manhattan.)

The Train schedules are posted everywhere and will tell you which track to go to and what time your train is leaving. Keep an eye on the track because sometimes they change, usually like 5-10 minutes before it is leaving it should be on the track for you to board. If you don’t see a track listed yet, just be patient it may be a bit behind schedule.

You can sit anywhere you like on the train. And just a heads up, the seats face two different directions so if you get motion sick easily, just make sure you are facing the best direction for you. There are usually more spacious seats in the middle of the train that face each other. It’s nice if you are in a group you can all sit together, though most the times these seats are most sought after because people like to prop their legs up.

It shouldn’t be a long trip. The AirTrain takes about 15 minutes to the Rail Link Station. Once you catch an Amtrak train it takes about 15 minutes at well depending if you catch the express or local. I’d say from AirTrain to Penn Station NYC, it will take you only about a half an hour if you catch all the trains. Otherwise it shouldn’t take you more than 45 minutes.

Here’s a more complete guide from MTA itself.

And of course, you can do this all online now thru their app if you want.

You can plan your trip here if you want to just take a bus.