Ah, yes. You’ve stepped off the plane and found yourself in JFK Airport. Now, you face the challenge of making it to New York in one piece. There are many ways to reach New York, but only a few are considered easy or cheap. Not knowing your options could lead to unforeseen delays, going the wrong direction, or souring your journey in any number of ways.
This article will examine the easiest ways to get from JFK to Manhattan, what options are available, and discuss the approximate cost of your journey.
There are a number of ways to travel from JFK to NYC, including renting your own car, taxi/Uber, shuttle, train, and helicopter. These options will be broken down below.
Traveling from JFK to New York is easy when you have your own rented car. It’s an easy process to obtain car rental JFK Airport to ensure your journey allows you as much control as possible. You shouldn’t feel boxed in when you make a choice; RealCar.nyc offers electric vehicle rental for those who want a gas-free option.
With your rented vehicle, you'll have three main paths available to you: I-278 W, I-678 N and Belt Pkwy. I-278 W is 18.5 miles and about 40 minutes from JFK to Lower Manhattan. It is considered the fastest of the three options, and involves crossing the Brooklyn Bridge.
I-678 N is 18.7 miles and about 40 minutes, similar to I-278 W. However, it goes around the south edge of the peninsula on the way to Lower Manhattan, passing by Brighton Beach, Coney Island and Bay Bridge.
Belt Pkwy is the last option for popular roads to Lower Manhattan from JFK Airport. It follows the same roundabout way to Lower Manhattan, passing by Bay Bridge. It is about 26.2 miles and 50 minutes. At the very end of the journey, you go along Trinity Pl instead of West St, like on I-678 N. However, it should be noted that this path has tolls.
Taking a taxi or Uber instead of renting a car is a great alternative. This means you won’t have to worry about parking or tackling the heavy traffic of Manhattan yourself. Leave that to the experts!
Taking a yellow taxi, you’ll be charged a flat fare of $70 from the airport to Manhattan. There is a surcharge of $5 on weekdays between 4 and 8 PM, excluding holidays, making your total fare $75, excluding tax.
Dial 7’s car and limousine service cost $48 for a four-door sedan to take you from the airport to Manhattan.
If you want to avoid the hassle of a taxi and try to save a bit of money, booking an Uber or Lyft may be a better option. However, it should be noted that you won’t be able to have your Uber come directly to your terminal in most cases. If you are in Terminal Four, you will have to take a free shuttle bus to the Remote Ride App & Car Services Lot, where your car can then pick you up.
If you are in Terminal Five, you will have to travel to Terminal Seven’s Orange Garage roof in order to be picked up. This means you’ll have to take the AirTrain, which is about a fifteen-minute ride.
The average cost of an Uber trip is $74. It is very similar in price to yellow taxis, so you will have to compare yourself to see which one outperforms the other.
If you are looking for a more affordable and convenient way to travel, a ride share may be a better option for you. Yes, it does mean that you share the ride with others. But if you don’t mind the lack of privacy, a shared ride can get you from point A, the airport, to point B, Lower Manhattan, in a jiffy.
If you choose a ride-share shuttle with GO Airlink NYC, the fare for one person and a standard one piece of luggage is $29, not including tax. This is for a destination located in Lower Manhattan. For pricing from JFK Airport to Midtown NYC, you’re in luck. For this shuttle, it’s the same price.
If you choose instead to shuttle with the ETS Airport Shuttle, you’ll be looking at around $243.20 for a 10-pass van, able to hold ten people. This is ideal if you have a large family or are shuttling with a business organization or sports team.
Although it may not be the quickest way, taking public transit from JFK Airport to Lower Manhattan may be an excellent option if you want to have as minimal of a cost as possible. One thing that you will have to note when riding the subways, buses, and trains is that it may be more of a challenge to move large luggage pieces on and off transit, especially if it is busy.
From Terminal Eight, you can take the Jamaica AirTrain from Jamaica Station. From there, it is an eight-minute ride to Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av, where you can take the J Bus to Canal Street, which takes about 46 minutes and will put you right in the heart of ower Manhattan. Most public transit systems like this have a fare of $2.90.
For a luxurious experience and to skip the traffic, minimizing your commute to about five minutes, you can reserve a helicopter to fly you from JFK Airport to Lower Manhattan. Depending on the helicopter provider, a one-way trip can cost upwards of $195. Your helicopter provider will typically cover ground transportation between the helicopter pad and your hotel.
The distance from JFK Airport to Central Park, New York, is roughly 17 miles and 45 minutes by car via the Grand Central Pkwy.