New York City Flights

Newark Liberty International Airport (IATA Code: EWR), is located approximately 15 miles from Midtown Manhattan, just south of the city of Newark, New Jersey. A hub for Continental Airlines, Newark also hosts 29 other airlines from Air Canada to WestJet. International flights from all over the world arrive here, including direct flights from multiple airports in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa.

There are several public transportation options to choose from. For those who like to like to ride the rails, AirTrain Newark is an option to whisk you from the airport terminals to the Newark Airport rail station, where you can connect to Amtrak and NJ Transit commuter trains to New York's Penn Station (Connections to the 1,2,3,A,C, and E Trains, as well as the Long Island Railroad). One-way fare between the airport and New York-Penn Station is $12.50 with NJ Transit. Amtrak fare can vary -- it can be as low as $25, but can cost up to $68 if you don't reserve well ahead of time (translation: you're usually better off taking the NJ Transit commuter train to New York City). You can purchase train tickets at the gates which will include the AirTrain fare. If you only need to pay for the AirTrain (e.g., if you have a NJ Transit commuter pass), fare is $5.50.

There are four NJ Transit buses that stop at the airport. Buses 37, 40, 62, and 67 all serve Newark Airport, but you will need to make at least one change to get to New York City. If you're not familiar with the area, you're probably best off not using this option.

A more convenient bus option is the Newark Airport Express. Buses depart every 20 minutes (every 30 minutes late nights) from the airport terminals, stopping at the Port Authority Bus Terminal (Connections to the A, C, and E Trains), Bryant Park (42nd Street and 5th Avenue; connections to the B,D,F,M, and 7 Trains), and just south of Grand Central Station (on 41st Street between Park Avenue and Lexington Avenue; connections to the 4,5,6, and 7 Trains, the Times Square Shuttle ("S Train"), New York Airport Service buses to LaGuardia or JFK Airport, and the Metro North Railroad). Fare is $15 one way, $25 round trip. You can purchase your tickets on the bus or in advance online.

Plentiful Taxis are available from all airport terminals. Fares vary depending on traffic, but a trip to midtown Manhattan normally will range between $50 and $60, plus tolls and tip. Fare to JFK or La Guardia Airport will typically run between $85 and $100, plus tolls and tip.

Several car rental companies offer services at Newark Airport. Take AirTrain Newark (free within the airport) to either station P2 or P3, depending on which company you are renting from. Note that Enterprise is located off-site, and you will need to wait for a shuttle van to take you to their lot. The airport is located just off Interstate 95 (New Jersey Turnpike); take the highway north to your bridge or tunnel of choice to get to New York.

Because we were to spend the second week of our trip south of the city in New Jersey, we decided it would make sense to fly to Newark rather than JFK or La Guardia, and it proved to be a good choice. We went with Continental from London Gatwick (although slightly oddly, and conveniently for us, returned to Heathrow). Both flights went smoothly, arriving ahead of schedule on both occasions (something Continental apparently pride themselves on). The service was pleasant, the meals instantly forgettable and the planes modern and reasonably comfortable – and travelling economy we’ve learned not to expect anything more than this!

Newark seemed to be a well-organised airport, apart from rather lengthy queues when we checked in for our return flight – the baggage conveyor had broken down which is some excuse for that. A free monorail, the Airtrain, links the three terminals with the station, car rental companies and parking lots, running every four minutes during the day. We found that a very efficient way to get to wherever we needed to be, both on arrival and departure and when we passed through the airport to pick up our hire car at the end of our week in New York.

Although the airport is in New Jersey, travel arrangements into the centre of New York City are similar to those from JFK as are the costs. The options include bus, train, shuttle service (see my next tip), or of course taxi. For more on all of these see the airport’s comprehensive website.

Thank god for the air train. After an eternity of awful cab rides or nightmarish old buses to Kennedy liberty has shown her light on NYC and you can now take the train to and from JFK. You have 2 options for going to and from JFK, the ari train is a monorail that connects all the terminals to:

1. The Howard Beach subway station, at which you can get the A Express train to Brooklyn and Manhattan. $2 for subway. It take about 15 minutes. The ride to lets say Penn station is another 30 minutes.

2. To the Jamaica LIRR / Subway station, where you can pick up the railroad to Long Island and Manhattan as well as the subway.
Takes 20+ minutes to Jamaica.

The Airtrain costs $5 + you pay the cost of the subway, so if you take the Howard Beach option only 7$ to Manhattan, what a bargain and less than an hour!

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New York's Fiorello La Guardia International Airport (Airport Code: LGA), despite its name, is actually the domestic airport for New York City. While the airport hosts 15 airlines, the only international carrier is Air Canada, and the only international destination is in Canada. A hub for budget carriers Frontier Airlines and Spirit Air, LaGuardia also hosts the shuttle services of US Airways and Delta between LaGuardia and both Boston and Washington Reagan National Airport. There are no direct flights between LaGuardia and destinations outside North America, though connections are possible to international flights through airports such as Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Washington-Dulles.

Public Transportation. Getting to and from LaGuardia Airport by public transportation can be a bit tricky, as there is no Subway connection to the airport. There are, however, several buses that connect LaGuardia and the Subway. If you want to go to Manhattan, the cheapest way is to take Bus M60. Your best way downtown is to take the bus to "Hoyt Avenue" and transfer to the N or Q train (at the Astoria Boulevard Station) to Times Square (Note: you will be required to climb stairs, so only take this option if you're packing light). Bus drivers are supposed to announce the stops, but they don't always. If they don't, never fear: stay on the bus until "Lexington Avenue" and change to the 4 or 5 trains downtown. At Park Avenue, transfers are also possible to Upstate New York and Connecticut via the Metro North Railroad station at Harlem-125th Street. Another possibility, especially in times of heavy traffic, is to take the Q33 bus to 82nd St/Jackson Heights. From there, you can transfer to the 7 train to Grand Central Station and Times Square. Also consider staying on the Q33 until the end of the line (transfer to the E, F, and R trains). Fare is $2.50 in coins, or $2.25 per ride with a prepaid Metrocard. Change machines are located inside the terminal near the bus stops. Metrocards can be purchased at Hudson News outlets within the airport terminals. There are also a few touch-screen Metrocard machines just inside the terminal entrances nearest the bus stops.

Another option to get to Midtown is to take New York Airport Service bus. Buses depart every 20-30 minutes to Grand Central Station, with connecting bus service to Penn Station and other destinations in Manhattan. Fare is $12 one way, $21 round trip.

Taxis are available for door-to-door service, and are a better value relatively speaking than in most other cities. Expect a fare of $30-$40 (including tip), depending on your destination. WARNING: Do not accept unsolicited "limousine" or "shuttle van" service offered to you at the airport. These are almost always a rip-off.

If you arrange it in advance, certain reputable shuttle van services can be a good value if you're traveling on your own and are in a hurry. Among the best is the "Dial-7" service (telephone 212-777-7777 or toll free 800-777-8888). Fare for this service is $33 per person, plus tolls and tip.

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New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (Airport Code: JFK), located in the extreme southeast of the Borough of Queens, is the largest of the three major airports in the New York City metropolitan area. An international hub for U.S. carriers American Airlines, Delta, and United Airlines, as well as a domestic hub for budget airline Jet Blue, JFK hosts an incredible 68 different airlines, from Aer Lingus to XL Airways. If you are arriving in New York from overseas, there's a good chance you will be arriving at this airport. JFK has 8 terminals, connected by the "All Terminals Loop" route of the AirTrain JFK light rail system. Unfortunately, if your transfer involves a change of terminals, you will need to exit security, take AirTrain JFK to your connecting terminal (the train is free for travel within the airport), then pass through security again to get to your gate. As a result, be sure to allow extra time if you need to change planes at JFK.

Ground transportation options to and from JFK are plentiful. The cheapest (and slowest) option is to take an MTA bus to connect to the Subway. Bus Q10 departs from the east side of the Terminal 4 arrivals roadway and connects to the A, E, and F trains. Bus Q3 departs from the west side of the Terminal 4 arrivals roadway and connects to the F train. Bus B15 departs from the west side of the Terminal 4 arrivals roadway and connects to the 3 and 4 trains. Fare is $2.50 in coins, or $2.25 per ride with a prepaid Metrocard. If using coins, be sure to get a transfer card from the fare machine on the bus so you don't have to pay again for the subway. Metrocards can be purchased at Hudson News outlets in the airport terminals.

A faster option is to use AirTrain JFK to connect to the Subway or Long Island Railroad. For this, use either the Jamaica route to connect to the Jamaica station (LIRR) and Sutphin Blvd/Archer Avenue subway station (E, J, and Z trains), or the Howard Beach route to connect to the Howard Beach/JFK Airport subway station (A train). Trains from each line depart every 5-10 minutes, 24 hours per day. Travel time is approximately 10 minutes. Fare is $5.00 for AirTrain, payable using a pay-per-ride Metrocard at Jamaica or Howard Beach (card vending machines available at the fare gates). You then need to pay again to use the subway or LIRR.

New York Airport Express Service Bus is another option, departing all terminals for Grand Central Station and the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Departures are every 20-30 minutes, travel time is depends on traffic, but is normally 60-90 minutes. Fare is $15 one-way, $27 round-trip.

Car Rentals are also available at JFK, but be aware driving in the city itself is not easy to say the least. All major car rental companies have offices at JFK; you can take AirTrain JFK to Federal Circle station (free) to get to the rental offices.

Taxis are plentiful. To get to Manhattan from JFK, fare is a flat rate of $45 plus tolls. A 15-20% tip is expected for good service, which will bring your total cost to just under $60. WARNING: do not accept unsolicited "limousine" or unmarked "taxi" service from the airport. These are almost always a rip-off.

There are other options to get to and from the airport, to include charter buses and car services. Check the website for details.

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providing a cheaper alternative to JFK and La Guardia since it has cheaper Landing Rights than both so that many local and International Airlines and budget carriers land here instead of the 2 other airports.

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the John F Kennedy International Airport is the main gateway to new york for both Domestic and International Flights however La Guardia and Newark Liberty complements JFK as the 3 major airports in the Tri-State Area.

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JFK airport, located on Long Island, is said to be the busiest American airport for international arrivals and departures. That's odd since I have traveled overseas dozens of times in the last decade, mostly to Europe and the Middle East, and had never been through JFK until a recent trip in 2010. In terms of number of total passengers, its 45 million a year ranks about 12th among world airports.

Construction on the airport began in the 1940s in order to reduce the load at La Guardia airport. Just a month after President Kennedy's assassination, the airport was renamed in his honor.

I flew through Terminal 4, which just opened in 2001, and is strikingly modern, spacious, and clean.