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Served by three major airports, two train terminals and a massive bus depot, New York City is the most important transportation hub in the northeastern USA. Of the airports, Newark or La Guardia are more convenient to the city than JFK. Getting into the city by car is easy enough until you hit the tunnels and bridges, which are often clogged to bursting point.
John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK), 24km (15 mi) from Midtown Manhattan in southeastern Queens, is where most international flights land. La Guardia Airport in northern Queens is 13km (8 mi) from Manhattan and services mostly domestic flights. If you're arriving or departing in the middle of the day, La Guardia is a more convenient choice than JFK. Newark Airport is in New Jersey, directly 16km (10 mi) west of Manhattan. Flights to and from Newark airport are sometimes a bit cheaper because of the erroneous perception that the airport is less accessible than JFK or La Guardia. In fact, Newark has a large and spanking-new international arrivals terminal, and its four terminals are linked by a monorail system.
Buses run every 30 minutes between the city and JFK International Airport; the trip takes at least an hour. You can also take a subway to the Howard Beach-JFK station then transfer. You can also take a subway to the Howard Beach-JFK station then transfer to the Air Train, a monorail-like train that stops at all the terminals. Transfer at either the Howard Beach stop on the A train or the Sutphin Blvd stop on the E train ( USD 5.00 one way). Buses run every 15-20 minutes between the city and La Guardia; a water shuttle also runs along the East River, or you can catch the subway. Take the N or W train to Astoria Blvd, then it's only a ten to fifteen minute ride on the M60 bus to La Guardia. To get from Newark Airport, you can get a private or public bus from the city. Buses into the city run every fifteen minutes. Taxis from all three airports into the city are expensive.
Pennsylvania Station, on 33rd St between Seventh and Eighth Aves, is the departure point for all Amtrak trains, including the Acela Express, Amtrak's new fast train, and the Metroliner. The station is a little cramped and dreary, but plans to replace it nearly on the same site are in the works. Both trains run services to Washington via Princeton and Philadelphia and the Acela's route also extends north to New Haven and Boston. The Long Island Rail Road serves several hundred thousand commuters each day from a newly renovated platform area to points in Brooklyn, Queens and the suburbs of Long Island, including the resort areas. New Jersey Transit operates trains from Penn Station to the suburbs and the Jersey Shore. One commuter company departs from Grand Central Terminal, at Park Ave and 42nd St: the Metro North Railroad, which serves the northern suburbs and Connecticut.
It's a nightmare to have a car in Manhattan, but getting there is easy. Approaches from the east include the Connecticut Turnpike (I-95); the Long Island Expressway, which enters Manhattan through the Queens Midtown Tunnel (often choked by traffic); and the Grand Central Parkway (right off the Triborough Bridge), which cuts through Queens on its way from Long Island. From New Jersey, I-95 crosses the George Washington Bridge; I-95 also continues south as the New Jersey Turnpike, entering Manhattan via the Lincoln Tunnel (at Midtown) and the Holland Tunnel (near Soho). Via I-95, it's 315km (195 mi) south from Boston, 170km (105 mi) north from Philadelphia, and 380km (235 mi) north from Washington, DC.
All suburban and long-haul buses leave and depart from the Port Authority Bus Terminal at 41st St and Eighth Ave in Midtown Manhattan. Bus lines available there include Greyhound, which links New York with major cities across the country; Peter Pan Trailways, which runs buses to the nearest major cities; Short Line, offering numerous departures to towns in northern New Jersey and upstate New York; and New Jersey Transit buses, with direct service to Atlantic City and the entire Garden State.
Don't be afraid of the subway: it's pretty safe these days and is still the speediest way of taking Manhattan, although the buses are also efficient. They do take much longer than trains but sometimes you need to take one if want to get crosstown. If you're going to be taking several trains during the day or week, it's best to buy a Metrocard so you're not scrambling to buy a ticket when the train pulls in.
Don't be afraid of the taxi drivers, either: the majority of them are fine, and if you do have a problem it can almost always be solved by taking the license number - most cabbies fear being reported. Do be afraid of negotiating New York traffic; it's a nightmare, and rentals and petrol are pricey. If it's a scenic journey you're after, a ferry is your best bet.
New York car rentals are notoriously expensive and petrol in the city costs far more than elsewhere in the US. If you really must rent a car, you'll need a license and a major credit card. The major agencies are in all three airports.
The biggest hassle of having a car in the city is finding parking; street parking rules are so complex that it's just easier to put in in a paid garage in the middle of the day; it is marginally easier to find parking at night.
NY Waterway ferries make runs up the Hudson River Valley and from Midtown out to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. A popular commuter route goes from the New Jersey Transit train station in Hoboken to a Lower Manhattan pier at the World Financial Center. Departing from the South Ferry Terminal, the popular, free Staten Island ferry is worth catching just for the magnificent views of Lower Manhattan.
City buses run 24 hours a day. Bus maps are available at subway and train stations, and well-marked bus stops have 'Guide-a-Ride' maps showing the stops and nearby landmarks. Between 22:00 and 05:00 you can ask to be let off anywhere along your route, even if it's not a designated stop.
