New York City Guide - Getting There By Air

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Tours in New York

The three airports serving New York City (John F Kennedy International, La Guardia and Newark Liberty International Airport) are operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (tel: (212) 435 7000; website: www.panynj.gov). Passengers should arrive for international flights at least two-and-a-half hours before departure. Ground transportation information for these airports is available from the port authority (tel: 1 800 247 7433) daily 0800-1800.


John F Kennedy Airport (JFK)
Tel: (718) 244 4444.
Website: www.kennedyairport.com  

JFK is situated in Queens, 24km (15 miles) southeast of central Manhattan, and is New York's busiest airport, with flights to destinations worldwide.

Airport facilities: Facilities include bureaux de change, ATMs, Wi-Fi access, bars, restaurants, post offices, shops, duty-free boutiques and major car hire companies, including Avis, Budget and Hertz. Hotel reservations are available in Terminals 1, 4 and 7 by Accommodations Plus, Inc. (tel: 1 800 733 7666; website: www.hotelexpress.com) and in Terminal 3 by Megan Services (tel: 1 800 441 1115). The Air Train runs frequently between terminals and connects JFK with the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) and New York City Transit (NYCT) local subways and buses.

Transport to the city: Air Ride (tel: 1 800 247 7433; website: www.panynj.gov) provides information on ground transportation to and from JFK and car park information. The Air Train (see above) also connects with Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to Jamaica station and with New York City Transit subways (NYCT) to Howard Beach subway station. From Jamaica station, the LIRR  (tel: (718) 217 5477; website: www.mta.info/lirr) takes approximately 20 minutes to Manhattan's Penn Station. The MTA ‘A' train (tel: (718) 330 1234; website: www.mta.info/nyct) takes approximately 90 minutes to central Manhattan, with many stops along the way. The New York Airport Service (tel: (718) 875 8200; website: www.nyairportservice.com) express bus runs non-stop to the Port Authority Bus Terminal or Grand Central Station. Buses depart JFK every 15 to 30 minutes, daily 0615-2310 (journey time - 45 to 90 minutes, depending on traffic). The Super Shuttle Manhattan (tel: (212) 258 3826; website: www.supershuttle.com), available 24 hours a day, is a shared door-to-door minibus service that travels anywhere in Manhattan. Taxis to Manhattan are a flat rate US$45, plus tolls and tips.


La Guardia Airport (LGA)
Tel: (718) 533 3400.
Website: www.laguardiaairport.com  

La Guardia is located in Queens, 13km (8 miles) east of central Manhattan. The airport handles mostly domestic flights.

Airport facilities: Facilities include ATMs, Wi-Fi access, money exchange, child care, bars, restaurants, shops, duty-free boutiques and car hire from Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz and National. A free shuttle service transports visitors between terminals.

Transport to the city: Air Ride (tel: 1 800 247 7433; website: www.panynj.gov) provides information on ground transportation and parking. Public transport is available on the MTA (tel: (718) 330 1234) bus M60, which intersects with many subway lines as it crosses to the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The bus operates daily 0450-0100 (journey time - approximately 1 hour). An express bus of the New York Airport Service (tel: (718) 875 8200; website: www.nyairportservice.com) travels every 30 minutes to the Port Authority Bus Terminal or Grand Central Station (journey time - 40 to 50 minutes). Super Shuttle Manhattan (tel: (212) 258 3826; website: www.supershuttle.com), available on demand 24 hours a day, is a shared door-to-door minibus service that travels anywhere in Manhattan. Metered taxis to Manhattan cost around US$25-35, plus tolls and tips.


Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
Tel: (973) 961 6000 or 1 800 397 4636.
Website: www.newarkairport.com  

Newark Liberty is located in New Jersey, 27km (16 miles) southwest of central Manhattan.

Airport facilities: Facilities include ATMs, currency exchange facilities, Wi-Fi access, duty-free and other shops, restaurants, bars, a nursery and car hire from Avis, Budget and Hertz. Accommodations Plus, Inc. (tel: 1 800 733 7666; website: www.hotelexpress.com) has red phones within the facility for hotel reservations.

Transport to the city: Air Ride (tel: 1 800 247 7433, website: www.panynj.gov) is an information provider for ground transportation and parking. The NJ Transit Airtrain service (tel: 1 800 772 2222; website: www.njtransit.com) connects Newark Airport to Penn Station in Manhattan via New Jersey Transit. Trains run weekdays from 0500-0200 and weekends from 0600-0200 (journey time - 26 to 38 minutes). Coach USA (tel: (908) 354 3330 or 1 877 863 9275; website: www.coachusa.com/olympia) offers bus services to Penn Station, Port Authority Bus Terminal, Grand Central Station and several Midtown hotels. Buses run every 15-30 minutes daily 0400-0100 (journey time - 30-60 minutes). Taxis to Manhattan cost approximately US$45-US$75, plus tolls and tip.

Approximate flight times to New York: From London is 7 hours and 45 minutes; from Los Angeles is 6 hours; from Toronto is 1 hour and 40 minutes; and from Sydney is 22 hours.

View Our Airport Guides for New York:

     (New York) La Guardia Airport
     Newark Liberty International Airport
     (New York) John F. Kennedy International Airport





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