JFK Airport to Manhattan Transport Review is part of TPOL in NYC Trip Report.
Good afternoon tourist. Welcome to New York City. Oh wait, you’re actually in Jamaica, Queens. And if you haven’t been to NY before, chances are you have no idea where that is. Worse, if you are an international traveler, you are wandering around the airport trying to: 1) Find the information desk. 2) Get Wi-Fi service and call an Uber. If you found Wi-Fi, I will suggest doing one of two things: 1) Taking the AirtTrain and then the subway. 2) Taking the AirTrain and the Long Island Railroad (LIRR for short) to Penn Station.
I usually do the former, but this time I thought I would pay the extra $7.50 and take the faster, more efficient LIRR to get to Penn Station. It beats taking the subway and making a dozen stops to get to your destination while enduring little or no cell service. If you’re staying in Brooklyn, downtown, or the Renaissance 57th in midtown, enduring the inefficiency of the subway is a better bet. However, if you’re a tourist who thought that staying in Times Square was a good idea, this is the way to go. Here is a play-by-play in pictures:
Overall
I hate the NY subway system, but for my time and money, I find it more efficient to do the AirTrain + subway than AirTrain + LIRR. Having said that, both of those options are better than JFK + Uber Pool Scam.
@ TPOL — Why not just use Juno? It is usually about 10% less than uber, they pay their driver’s better than uber, and you don’t have to deal with the stupid train. I could never convince the Queen to take the subway with luggage…the horror. How pedestrian.
Because I’m still stuck in traffic! I use Juno from time to time. https://thepointsoflife.boardingarea.com/juno-rideshare-discount-code/
Ha. Well Queens is part of New York City. I’ve only done that trip once and it was fine. You will want to buy your ticket in advance as the cash price on the train is double! I don’t think there were any kiosks when I was there and there weren’t any/many staff IIRC.
use the app!
I have done in a taxi, taxi scam (the horror and fear, like I would be featuring in a Law&Order SVU), rideshare service, bus, metro and LIRR. I still think LIRR is the best and fastest option.
Reminds me of a great Martin Scorsese line from the movie Quiz Show: “Queens is not New York.”
Don’t forget the weekend ticket (all NYC points only) is $4.25 one way.
True!
As a foreigner who comes into New York at least once an year, I would like to see a recent blog explaining what is the most convenient way to travel to and from EWR to JFK. You know like let us know what the options are (Subway/shuttle service) etc. WIFI in JFK and EWR is pathetic and worse yet only available for 30 minutes or so (if I remember correctly) thus not really a good way to get an Uber. I have always depended on family and friends to come with their car and pick us up to do the transfer. However I am (may be they are too) getting fed up of asking them for this favor time and again.