How to Get from JFK to Manhattan
If your plane lands at JFK, New York's international airport, and you want to go to Manhattan, take note of all the possibilities to get there.
Landing at JFK | ©Miguel Ángel Sanz
John Fitzgerald Kennedy Airport (JFK) is the largest and best known airport in New York City. It is located in the borough of Jamaica, Queens, about 20 miles from Manhattan.
It usually takes about an hour to get there unless it's rush hour and traffic prevents it. I will explain in detail the different possibilities, taking into account duration, comfort and, of course, price.
1. From JFK airport to Manhattan in a private shuttle transfer or shared with other travellers
If you're looking for comfort at a reasonable price, it's best to book a transfer between New York and the airport, either exclusively or with other travellers. You'll travel in comfort in a modern, fully-equipped minivan. Here are all the details on how to book it so you won't have any doubts.
This type of minivan has a capacity for approximately 11 passengers. It will pick you up as soon as you land at the airport and take you to the door of your hotel. You won't have to waste time. This is one of its main advantages.
Regarding luggage, each passenger can carry one suitcase and one handbag. If you bring more luggage, you will have to pay an additional supplement.
How this service works
To book this shared transport service, all you have to do is make a reservation online. To do this, you will be asked for detailed information about your flight (company, flight number, time), so that the company can monitor it and have more details about whether it is delayed or, on the contrary, be aware that it arrives on time.
In addition, you will have to tell them the address of the hotel so that the driver knows where to go and, in this way, prepare the most comfortable route taking into account the location of the accommodation of the different passengers.
Once the booking has been made, you will receive a confirmation email. And... you're all set! When you get off the plane, all you have to do is go to the Ground Transportation Desk, located in the terminal where you land, and present your printed ticket. There you will be given all the information on where to go to catch the minivan.
Timetables
The shuttle service is open around the clock. It operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So whatever time you arrive, you'll have a driver waiting for you - peace of mind!
How long does it take to get there?
The journey time from JFK airport to your hotel in Manhattan is expected to be between 60 and 90 minutes. The airport is located in the Jamaica district of Queens, about 20 miles from midtown, so an hour should be enough time. However, New York is a city that can be very busy at rush hour, so this journey can take up to 90 minutes during rush hour.
Fares
Ridesharing is a good value for money service. It ranges from 18-20€. In addition, one of its main advantages is that it has a fixed price. You pay a fixed amount at the time of booking and the amount will not increase due to traffic, time or distance to your hotel. However, if you bring more luggage than recommended (one suitcase plus a handbag), you will have to pay an additional fee. In addition, tips are not included in this service.
Advantages
In case you are still not clear about the advantages of car sharing, here are some of them:
- Booking: Booking is very easy. You can do it comfortably from your computer.
- Opening hours: It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Door to door: It is a direct service from the airport to the hotel.
- You won't waste time: You will avoid all those extra turns that are so typical when you arrive in a new place and you know the transport network (looking for the stop or station, fighting with the ticket machine, seeing where the platform is from where the metro or bus leaves, making transfers...). It doesn't seem complicated but when you come from a long flight of more than seven hours, it becomes quite tiresome.
- Duration: The journey takes between 60-90 minutes depending on the traffic at the time of the journey. You won't gain much time compared to other alternatives.
- Price: The price starts at €18-20. Moreover, it is a fixed price and will not suffer any increase due to traffic, travel time or the distance to your hotel.
- Experienced driver: The chauffeur fleet is made up of drivers who know the city inside out and have a long history behind the wheel.
- Comfort: There is no doubt that after all this, it is a very comfortable option.
2. The underground, the most economical option
Taking the underground from JKF airport to Manhattan is, without a doubt, the most economical option. The New York underground doesn't actually go to JFK airport, but there is a monorail system known as AirTrain which connects the different passenger terminals with the New York underground.
Below, I'll give you all the details on how to get from JFK to the AirTrain underground stop, as well as all the information you need to know to get to Manhattan by AirTrain.
How this service works
The underground does not go to JFK airport, so to get to the nearest underground station you will have to take a monorail system known as AirTrain which connects the different passenger terminals with two nearby underground stations, Jamaica and Howard Beach.
The Jamaica underground station is served by the E, J and Z underground lines and Howard Beach station is served by the A line. All of these underground lines (E, J, Z and A) run into Manhattan. Now you just need to see which of the lines will take you closest to your accommodation.
Check the New York underground map, so you won't have any doubts about which underground line is the best one to take and which stop is the closest to your accommodation:
- Jamaica Station: E (24-hour service), J and Z lines.
- Howard Beach: A Line (24 hour service).
Timetables
The A and E lines offer a 24-hour service, so you will have no inconvenience no matter what time you arrive.
Fares
As expected, the AirTrain service is free to move from airport terminal to airport terminal, but not to the nearest metro stations. In this case, it will cost from €6 ($7.75) per person, plus approximately €0.80 ($1.00) for the physical card.
Note that when you buy your underground card, you will need to top it up from €2.5 ($3), which is the approximate price of a single New York City underground ticket that will take you from one of the two stations mentioned above to the most convenient stop in Manhattan.
How long does it take to get there?
AirTrain will connect you to the Jamaica and Howard Beach underground stations in about 10 minutes. The journey time from Jamaica and Howard Beach to Manhattan will take approximately 30-40 minutes and the total cost of the AirTrain ticket, physical card and single ticket will be around €9.
3. The train, the fastest way to get from JFK to Manhattan
The train is another option for getting from JFK to Manhattan. It is similar to the underground, although you will get to your destination faster.
How this service works
To get by train from JFK to Manhattan you have to take the monorail system known as AirTrain which connects the different passenger terminals with two nearby underground stations, Jamaica and Howard Beach. From one of these stations you can take the train to Manhattan.
How long does it take to get there?
AirTrain will connect you to the Jamaica and Howard Beach underground stations in about 10 minutes. From there, it will only take you 20 minutes to get from Jamaica to Penn Station in Manhattan.
Fare
In this case, and although users compare it with the underground, the price rises considerably, since the price of AirTrain, 6 € ($ 7.75), you have to add the train ticket that has a higher cost than the underground. It's even more expensive during rush hour. Train fares can be as high as €12 depending on the time of day.
4. Minibus, another option for getting from JFK airport to Manhattan
To get to Manhattan, JFK also offers a shared minibus service.
Price
A ticket for this minibus is priced from 17€, approximately $20. This price may vary depending on the destination.
Opening hours
The service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you choose this option you will need to go to the Ground Transportation Desk and present your reservation.
- You will arrive within.... 60-90 minutes.
- It will cost... from €17.
5. Taxi or Uber, the most expensive options to get from JFK to Manhattan
Another option to get from JFK to Manhattan is to take a taxi or Uber. I do not recommend it, as they are the most expensive of the options mentioned above and there are more comfortable means of transport.
Duration
The duration of the journey will be the same in Uber and taxi, between 60-90 minutes depending on the time and traffic.
Price
Although it may be the most expensive means of transport to get to Manhattan from JFK, in principle you should not be surprised by the price, since the taxi ride, as in other Spanish and European cities, has a fixed price starting at 50€. To this fare must be added the toll, which costs from €3.5 ($4.5) in the middle of the day and an additional fee of approximately €1 for the journey to New York.
The Uber fare is approximately €60.
- You'll arrive in.... 60-90 minutes.
- It will cost... 50-60€.