Getting from the airport into Manhattan
Three airports, none of them close — the cheapest, fastest, and door-to-door way in from each, with honest 2026 fares and when a cab is actually worth it.
New York has three major airports and not one of them is close — but all three are solvable, and the answer is almost always the train. From JFK and Newark, the rail beats the road on both price and, usually, time; from LaGuardia, it's a quick bus to the subway. A cab earns its keep in exactly a few situations, spelled out at the end. Here's each airport, with honest 2026 fares. First tap-and-go tip: read the subway guide if the system is new to you.
JFK — take the train
JFK · into Manhattan
Kennedy is in southeast Queens, far but well-connected by rail via the AirTrain (the light rail that loops the terminals). From the AirTrain you pick your onward train. Skip the car if you can — the road trip can crawl for an hour.
AirTrain + subway
AirTrain to Howard Beach (the A train) or Jamaica/Sutphin Blvd (the E), then the subway into Manhattan. Roughly $8.75 for the AirTrain plus a $3.00 subway fare, about 50–75 minutes total. The workhorse option.
AirTrain + LIRR
Take the AirTrain to Jamaica and catch the Long Island Rail Road to Penn Station — around 20 minutes on the train itself. Costs a little more than the subway but it's the quickest way in, and it lands you in Midtown West.
Yellow cab or rideshare
Yellow cabs charge a city-set flat fare of $70 between JFK and anywhere in Manhattan — but add the state surcharge, tolls, a possible weekday-evening add-on, and tip and most people actually pay $90–115. Uber and Lyft start around $45 but aren't flat and surge in bad weather.
LaGuardia — a bus to the subway
LGA · into Manhattan
LaGuardia is the closest airport to Midtown and the only one with no train of its own (the planned AirTrain was scrapped). The move is a short bus to a subway line — genuinely fast when traffic cooperates.
Q70 LaGuardia Link + subway
The Q70 “LaGuardia Link” runs from every terminal to the 74th St–Broadway station (E / F / M / R / 7) in about 10 minutes — the Q70 itself is fare-free, so you only pay the normal $3.00 subway fare when you transfer. About 45–60 minutes in.
M60 bus
The M60 SBS runs to 125th St in Harlem, where it meets a stack of lines (1/2/3, 4/5/6, A/B/C/D). Ideal if you're headed uptown rather than to Midtown.
Taxi or rideshare
There's no flat rate from LaGuardia — the meter runs about $60–75 to Midtown before tip, more in traffic. Close enough that a cab is tempting late at night or with luggage.
Newark — the train to Penn
EWR · into Manhattan
Newark Liberty is in New Jersey, which sounds far but is fast by rail: the AirTrain Newarkconnects the terminals to the airport's own train station, where you catch a New Jersey Transit train straight to Penn Station in Manhattan.
AirTrain + NJ Transit
One ticket to New York Penn Station (around $15.75) covers both the AirTrain and the NJ Transit train — roughly 35–40 minutes door to Midtown. The clear best option for most arrivals.
Via Newark Penn + PATH
If you're going to Lower Manhattan or the West Village, riding to Newark Penn Station and switching to the PATH train drops you closer than Midtown's Penn — more transfers, but better placed.
Taxi or rideshare
Crossing state lines with tolls makes this the priciest cab of the three, easily over $100 with surcharges. Worth it mainly for a group splitting the fare late at night.
When to take the train, and when a cab is worth it
- Solo or a pair, in daylight, without a mountain of bags? Take the train, every time. It's cheaper and it doesn't sit in traffic.
- Late at night, three-plus people, or heavy luggage? A cab or rideshare split several ways gets competitive, and the trains thin out after midnight.
- Going to Midtown West / Penn Station? JFK's LIRR and Newark's NJ Transit both drop you basically there — hard to beat.
- Driving into Manhattan below 60th St now carries a congestion toll on top of the fare; the trains skip it entirely.
The locals' secret to the airport isn't a secret. It's the train.
How we make these. Fares here are current as of July 2026 and framed as ranges because they move: the JFK yellow-cab flat fare is $70 but runs $90–115 with surcharges and tolls, the JFK AirTrain is normally about $8.75 (with occasional summer discounts), and the Newark ticket is around $15.75. Confirm the fare of the day with the airport, the MTA, or NJ Transit before you rely on it. Nothing on this page is sponsored.