NYCSightseeing
Destinations ActivitiesGlossary Events News

How to Get from the Airport to Manhattan

Short answer

Take the train. From JFK, AirTrain plus the E line for 75 to 90 minutes door to door, or the LIRR for 50 to 65. From LaGuardia, the free Q70 bus plus the subway, 40 to 60. From Newark, AirTrain plus NJ Transit, 60 to 75. Book a private car instead if you land after midnight or travel with children.

The three airports at a glance

Almost every arriving visitor lands at one of these three. Pick yours and read that section. The options inside each one are ordered by how often we would give each one as the answer, which is our judgment and not a count, and never by what it pays us.

LaGuardia

LaGuardia (LGA)

About 8 miles (13 km) from Midtown, in northern Queens.

Default pick: The free Q70 bus plus the subway.

How we worked this out

The times on this page are door to door. They run from the moment you walk out of the terminal to the moment you are standing outside your hotel, and they include the walk, the wait, the transfer and the last blocks with your bags. A rail timetable measures only the middle of that, which is why timetable numbers always feel like a lie when you are the one carrying the case. Each range is the operator’s own scheduled running time for the middle leg, plus a typical wait of one headway, plus the walking at both ends, and the top of the range is what the same trip does under load rather than its worst ever case. They are estimates and we say so. The operators publish the running times, nobody publishes the rest of it.

There are no fares, no ticket prices and no timetables on this page, on purpose. They change, and a stale number sends you to the right platform with the wrong expectation. Where a number decides something we name the page that publishes it: the Port Authority for the two AirTrains, the MTA for the subway and the buses, NJ Transit for the Newark train, and the Taxi and Limousine Commission for the flat fare, the surcharges and the tolls. Every one of them is linked at the foot of this page.

The transport facts come from the transit entries in our own New York glossary, where each term has a dated entry with its sources, and every term below links back to it. The distances are road distances to Midtown and they do not move.

Four of the five private transfers at the end come from six searches of the Viator catalogue for the New York destination, run on 2026-08-28. Those searches returned 69 unique products between them, of which 45 have both an airport and a car in the title. That 45 is what the search gave back rather than a census of New York arrivals, since it still contains departures and one transfer that turned out to be in Buffalo. The other card is the one transfer that has its own page on this site, so it is here because we host it rather than because the search found it, and we say so on the card. All five are then ordered together by rating and then by review volume, with no exception for the one we host, which comes out fifth of the five today. Every rating on this page was read from the Viator product record on 2026-08-28, not from our own catalogue, which turned out to be two reviews behind. It is the first page of each search, not the whole catalogue, and we are not going to pretend otherwise.

We left out the transfer with the most reviews of all of them, the shared shuttle from JFK, because it scores 3.15 out of 5 across 3,740 reviews. Only three transfers in the search carry more than a thousand reviews and all three sit between 3.15 and 3.57, which is the useful finding here: in New York the airport transfers everybody books are the ones people rate worst. On a page that earns a commission, a bad product is worse business than one fewer row.

John F. Kennedy International (JFK)

About 15 miles (24 km) southeast of Midtown, in southern Queens.

JFK is the furthest of the three and the only one whose rail link runs around the clock. That second half is what matters on arrival: the train stays a real option here at an hour when Newark trains have thinned out and LaGuardia has no train at all. The distance is what makes the road route a gamble, and the flat cab fare is how the city took the money out of that gamble.

1.AirTrain plus the subway

The default budget route and the one locals use. AirTrain JFK is free between terminals and charges a flat fee only when you leave the system at Jamaica or Howard Beach. From Jamaica the E runs into Midtown, from Howard Beach the A runs down the West Side. Pay with OMNY by tapping the same contactless card or phone at every gate. The Port Authority page for JFK carries the current AirTrain fee and the MTA carries the subway fare.

2.AirTrain plus the Long Island Rail Road

The fast rail route, and the one most visitors never hear about. Same AirTrain ride to Jamaica, then the LIRR into Penn Station or Grand Central Madison. It is a commuter railway, so you get a seat, a rack and far fewer stairs than the subway route. The LIRR sells its own ticket and is not covered by a subway tap, so buy it in the MTA app or at the Jamaica machines.

3.Yellow cab

The yellow cab rank is outside arrivals at every terminal, staffed, and it moves faster than it looks. JFK to Manhattan is one of the few trips in the city with a published flat fare instead of a running meter, which is the whole argument for it: a jam costs you time, not money. Tolls, the state and city surcharges and the congestion charge are added on top, and a tip goes on top of those. The TLC publishes the current rate card and the list of what may be added to it.

4.Uber, Lyft and the app pickups

Same roads, same traffic, different walk. At JFK the app pickup points sit in assigned lots and on levels that are not the taxi rank, and they move with the terminal construction. Follow the signs in the building rather than the pin in the app.

5.Private transfer booked before you fly

A named driver who tracks the flight number, waits through a delay and meets you inside. It is the car route with the decisions taken out of it. Book it in advance or it is not this option, it is an app ride with a longer wait.

LaGuardia (LGA)

About 8 miles (13 km) from Midtown, in northern Queens.

LaGuardia is the closest of the three and the only one with no rail link at all. That sounds like bad news and mostly is not, because the bus that replaces the missing train is free and goes to a subway hub where five lines meet. Its 40 to 60 minutes is the lowest door to door number on this page that does not involve a car.

1.The free Q70 bus plus the subway

The Q70 LaGuardia Link runs nonstop from the terminals to 74th Street in Jackson Heights, where the 7, E, F, M and R meet, and on to Woodside for the LIRR. The fare was set at zero on purpose to get people onto it, and it has luggage racks because it was built for this job. You still pay the subway fare when you tap in.

2.The M60 bus to Upper Manhattan

A local bus that crosses to 125th Street, where most of the north to south lines stop. It takes the standard fare rather than being free like the Q70, and it sits in traffic like any other bus.

3.Yellow cab

LaGuardia has no flat fare to Manhattan, so the meter runs and the Grand Central Parkway decides the number. It is still the shortest road trip of the three airports by a wide margin. Tolls and the congestion charge are added on the same terms as anywhere else.

4.Uber and Lyft

The rebuilt terminals moved the app pickup points away from the arrivals curb, and they change with the construction. Trust the signs on the way out, not the map in the app, or you will walk the length of a terminal twice.

5.Private transfer booked before you fly

Worth less here than at the other two airports, because the road trip is short and the free bus is genuinely good. It earns its place for families, groups and late arrivals.

Newark Liberty International (EWR)

About 16 miles (26 km) from Midtown, in New Jersey.

Newark is the only one of the three where reaching Manhattan means leaving a state and crossing under the Hudson. That single fact decides everything below: the train ignores the crossing and the car pays for it twice.

1.AirTrain Newark plus NJ Transit into Penn Station

AirTrain Newark links every terminal to the airport rail station in a few minutes, and NJ Transit trains on the Northeast Corridor run from there into New York Penn Station. It is a separate railway with a separate fare, so a subway tap does not cover it. Confirm the AirTrain is running on the Newark airport site before you travel, because it has had planned closures.

2.The downtown variant, changing to PATH at Newark Penn Station

Stay on NJ Transit one stop past the airport station to Newark Penn Station and change to the PATH train, which runs under the Hudson to the World Trade Center Oculus. PATH is run by the Port Authority with its own fare and no free transfer to the subway, but contactless cards tap the same way.

3.Taxi or car service

Newark taxis to Manhattan work on published zones rather than a running meter, and the zone list lives on the Newark airport ground transportation page. A Hudson crossing toll and, below 60th Street, the congestion charge are added on top of the zone fare.

4.Uber and Lyft

The same tolls and the same congestion charge appear on the fare, and drivers price the empty return leg into a trip that takes them out of their home state. On a busy evening this is the option on the page that moves the most.

5.Private transfer booked before you fly

The strongest case of the three airports, because Newark is where a wrong decision costs the most time. A booked driver who tracks the flight removes the two failure points that matter here, the late landing and the tunnel.

The five cases that change the answer

The short answer at the top holds for a normal daytime arrival with normal luggage. These five situations move it. Four of them push toward the booked car and one pushes the other way, back onto the train and harder than any of the others.

  1. 1.You land after midnight

    AirTrain JFK runs around the clock, but the subway waits stretch and Jamaica at that hour is not where you want to work out a plan with your bags. Newark trains thin out and LaGuardia has no train to thin. Book a car before you fly. It is the one case where nobody sensible argues for the train.

  2. 2.Two large cases or more

    Count the transfers, not the minutes. JFK by subway has two, LaGuardia has one hard one at Jackson Heights, Newark has one manageable one at Penn Station and a second if you go on to PATH. Above one case each, the car wins on effort even when it loses on money.

  3. 3.Travelling with children

    Children under 44 inches (112 cm) ride the subway free with an adult, so the rail routes stay cheap. What they do not stay is simple. Two adults, a child and a stroller on the Q70 transfer is a job of work. Of the rail routes the Newark train asks the least of you, because the change at Penn Station is a single one and you get a seat, but if the budget allows a choice at all, this is a case for the booked car.

  4. 4.You land in rush hour

    This is the case where the train beats the car on time as well as on money. Through the weekday afternoon and into the evening, and again on the morning run inbound, every road route on this page stretches and no rail route does. Landing then is the clearest argument for the train that exists.

  5. 5.Two of you against one of you

    One person on a normal daytime arrival takes the train. Two people change the arithmetic, because a car is one fare and the train is two. By three the gap narrows enough that the car often wins outright. Do that sum with the fares published today by the MTA and the TLC, not with a number from an old blog post.

The mistakes that cost money

None of these are exotic. They are the five that catch people on their first evening. Two are about a number that gets added after the one you were quoted, and the other three are about standing in the wrong place, trusting the wrong person or tapping the wrong card.

  1. 1.Taking a ride from someone who approaches you inside the terminal

    Licensed cabs wait in the rank outside, and app drivers never come to find you at baggage claim. Anyone offering you a car in the arrivals hall is not the cheap option, whatever they say while walking beside you.

  2. 2.Assuming the JFK flat fare is the total

    The flat fare buys the ride. Tolls, the state and city surcharges and the congestion charge are added, and a tip sits on top of all of it. Read the TLC rate card once before you land, since it lists what can legally be added, and the final number stops being a surprise.

  3. 3.Forgetting that Newark means paying to cross the Hudson

    A car from Newark pays a tunnel toll, and below 60th Street it pays the congestion charge as well. Neither appears in the fare estimate you were shown at the terminal door. The train pays neither.

  4. 4.Queueing in the wrong place

    At all three airports the taxi rank, the app pickup and the bus stop are in three different places, and at least one of them is up a level or across a road. The signs in the building are current. The map in the app is not, because these airports have been under construction for years.

  5. 5.Tapping a different card each time

    OMNY counts free transfers and weekly fare capping per card. If two of you tap the same phone, or one of you switches cards halfway through the journey, you lose the transfer and the cap. One card or device per rider, every tap. The “MetroCard” era of buying a ticket in advance ended when sales stopped at the end of 2025.

If you decided on a car, book it before you fly

A private transfer is only worth what it costs when it is booked in advance, because the value is the driver who watches your flight number and waits through a delay. Booked at the terminal door it is just an app ride with a longer wait. These are the 5 we would use, ordered by rating and review volume, with the airport each one serves. Availability and what is included are on the operator page, and both change, so read them there rather than here.

Booking links go to Viator. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure. Ratings and review counts were read from the Viator catalogue on 2026-08-28 and they move.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest way from JFK to Manhattan?

AirTrain JFK to Jamaica and then the E train, or to Howard Beach and then the A. You pay one flat AirTrain fee to leave the system plus one subway fare, and nothing else. Budget 75 to 90 minutes door to door. The Port Authority publishes the AirTrain fee and the MTA publishes the subway fare, so check both the week you fly.

Is the Q70 bus from LaGuardia really free?

Yes. The fare was set at zero deliberately to move people off the taxi rank, and the bus has luggage racks because it was designed for arriving passengers. It runs nonstop from the terminals to Jackson Heights, where the 7, E, F, M and R meet, and on to Woodside for the LIRR. You still pay the normal fare when you tap into the subway.

Is Newark too far away to be worth flying into?

No. By train it beats the JFK subway route, because AirTrain Newark plus NJ Transit into Penn Station runs about 60 to 75 minutes against 75 to 90, and cannot be delayed by traffic. Of the rail routes on this page, only the JFK run over the LIRR is quicker. It is only the car route from Newark that punishes you, because that one pays a Hudson crossing toll and the congestion charge as well.

Should I take a yellow cab or an app from the airport?

From JFK, the cab, because the trip has a published flat fare and an app does not, so a traffic jam costs you time rather than money. From LaGuardia the meter runs, and at 8 miles it is the shortest of the three rides, so the risk is small either way. From Newark, taxis use published zones rather than a meter, and what decides the fare is not the choice between cab and app but the Hudson crossing toll and the congestion charge, which both of them pay. Nobody should be choosing a car at all in weekday rush hour.

Do I need to buy a travel card before I arrive?

No. Tap any contactless card, phone or watch at the turnstile and you are paying the fare. Use the same card or device for every tap of the trip, because free transfers and weekly fare capping are counted per card. One card per rider, and children under 44 inches ride free with an adult. MetroCard sales ended at the end of 2025, so there is nothing to queue for.

How much time should I allow going back out to the airport?

More than you allowed coming in, and by a wide margin. Arrivals are spread across the day and departures are not, so the approach roads and the security queues peak together. Allow 90 minutes from Midtown to JFK on the subway route and 75 if you use the LIRR, 75 to LaGuardia and 90 to Newark, and put the security queue on top of that. Take the rail route back if you can, since it is the only leg whose duration you can predict. Then work backwards from your airline's check-in cut-off, not from the flight time.

Is a private transfer worth booking in advance?

For a night landing, a group of 3 or more, or a family with a stroller, yes. The driver tracks the flight and waits through a delay, which is the part an app cannot promise. For one traveller with a cabin bag arriving in daylight, no. That is the trip the trains were built for.

Which airport is easiest to reach Manhattan from?

LaGuardia, at 8 miles from Midtown against 15 for JFK and 16 for Newark, as long as you can handle one busy subway transfer with your bags. By rail the fastest is actually JFK, because AirTrain plus the LIRR runs 50 to 65 minutes against 60 to 75 from Newark, and JFK is also the most reliable, since its rail link runs around the clock. Newark is the one that splits opinion, because it is good by train and the worst of the three by car.

Once you are in the city

The same tap that got you in from the airport works everywhere after it, so read the New York glossary for the rest of the transit vocabulary. Then start with our New York City guide, or go straight to the borough you are staying in: Manhattan, Brooklyn or Queens, which is where two of the three airports are. For a first day that needs no planning, the hop-on hop-off buses and the observation decks are the usual openers, and the museum guide answers the rainy version of the same question. Everything bookable is in one list.

Sources and review date

Reviewed August 2026 by the NYC Sightseeing Tours editorial team. Fares, timetables and taxi rates are deliberately absent from this page. These are the pages that publish them, and they are the ones to check the week you travel:

The transport terms used above have their own dated entries in our glossary, each with its own sources: