Travel Information
Transportation
By Air
The main ways into and out of New York are La Guardia Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, or Newark International Airport.
La Guardia Airport: Distance from hotel: 10 mi., Drive time: 20-40 min. Phone: 718.426.1500
- Taxi: Metered fare; approximately $45.
John F. Kennedy International Airport: Distance from hotel: 19 mi., Drive time: 30-50 min. Phone: 718.244.4444
- Taxi: Metered fare; approximately $60.
- Subway: $2.50; Howard Beach Station; Subway towards Inwood; 30 minutes/12 stops.
Newark International Airport: Distance from hotel: 17 mi., Drive time: 30-40 min. Phone: 973.961.6000
- Taxi: Metered fare; approximately $58
By Train
New York City has two main rail stations: Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station. Grand Central (42nd Street and Park Avenue (between Lexington and Vanderbilt Avenues) is on the East Side, in Midtown, and Penn Station (31st to 33rd Streets between Seventh and Eighth Avenues) is on the West Side, just below Midtown. Both are served by numerous bus and subway lines. Metro-North Commuter Railroad, which goes to NYC suburbs in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, serves Grand Central. Penn Station serves Long Island Railroad (LIRR), a commuter railroad serving New York's Long Island; Amtrak, the U.S. national passenger railroad, serving many points throughout the U.S.; New Jersey Transit, a commuter line serving points in New Jersey; and PATH (Port Authority Trans Hudson), a subway line serving Manhattan and New Jersey.
Subways
The easiest and quickest way to travel around four of the five boroughs is by public subway. Jay Street Station in Brooklyn is the nearest station to the hotel by A or C train.
Riding the subway-or "the train"-is also the best way to feel like a local during your stay in NYC:
- Trains operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- For $2.50 (cost of a single ride), you can use the system citywide and transfer as many times as you need, so long as you don't exit the system through a turnstile.
- You can transfer from bus to subway or vice versa within two hours of using your MetroCard.
- Subway stations are generally about eight to 10 blocks apart.
- The subway does not travel to Staten Island. To get there, board the free Staten Island Ferry.
Visit tripplanner.mta.info for a customized route. This service is available for MTA bus lines as well. MTA Service Information is available at mta.info or by calling 718.330.1234.
Buses
As NYC continues to go green, the number of environment-friendly hybrid-electric buses continues to increase. Public buses are also a scenic way to see the city and a great way to reach destinations not convenient to a subway stop:
- All City buses accept MetroCards and exact coin change (no pennies accepted)
- Check the route sign atop the front of the bus before boarding to ensure it's the bus you want.
- Enter at the front of the bus.
- A single ride costs $2.50, which will take you any distance until the end of the route.
- Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week (there may be a few exceptions in more remote corners of the City)
- Waits vary, depending on the time of day, but they're usually 5-15 minutes.
- Buses generally stop every other block on avenue routes and every block on cross-street routes.
- MTA Service Information available at mta.info or by calling 718.330.1234
Taxis
The City's yellow fleet of taxicabs is regulated by the Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC).
- Taxis are available 24 hours a day.
- Hail taxis whose numbers are illuminated on top.
- Board and exit the cab curbside.
- Hotel doormen can hail a cab for you; a $1 tip is customary for this service.
- Minimum metered fare is $2.50, which increases 50 cents every fifth of a mile; there is also a New York State tax surcharge of 50 cents per ride.
- A $1 surcharge is added to the meter Monday-Friday, 4-8pm, and a 50-cent surcharge is added at night, 8pm-6am.
- All taxis accept cash and most accept credit cards.
- Tip 15-20% at the end of a trip; tolls are extra and added to the metered fare.
- Group rides on a limited number of Manhattan taxi routes cost a flat $3-$4 only from designated pickup points during morning rush hour. Call 311 for more information.
- Dial 311 in NYC to inquire about lost items or other concerns; visit nyc.gov/taxi for more info.
Tourism Information
For resources to help you plan other activities while in New York, visit www.nycgo.com.