Newark or JFK for easy access to Manhattan

tuisginideach

Flights currently cost the exact same and very little difference in departure times. Are either of these airports "better" in terms of (i) ease of getting through them and (ii) in terms of ease AND cost of travelling in to/out of Manhattan? Thanks

coylemj

A yellow taxi to Manhattan from JFK is a fixed price (set by the Taxi and Limousine Commission, see link below) so given that the price is set and you can dictate where to be dropped off, I'd go for JFK if everything else is equal. If you're doing pre-clearance in Dublin then you will simply collect your bag and walk straight out of the terminal so there would be no difference between the two airports.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/passenger/taxicab_rate.shtml#AirportTrips

The set fare also applies to the trip back to JFK but having figured out how the transport system works, you might consider getting the subway (to Jamaica or Howard Beach) and the AirTrain back to JFK which will cost $7.75 per person.

tuisginideach

Thanks for that. Edited to add - that's a great link - thank you very much.

Parkman77

Or you can also get the bus from JFK, drops you at 42nd Street/Grand Central.

https://www.nycairporter.com

James Bond Junior

JFK is a lot more straightforward in my experience of the two. Newark is easy but I just prefer JFK.

tuisginideach

Thanks for that - a taxi for the 4 of us then from JFK looks like the best deal.

coylemj

tuisginideach wrote: »

Thanks for that - a taxi for the 4 of us then from JFK looks like the best deal.

For four people arriving on the same flight, it's definitely the best option.

One minor detail - the flat fare applies to the journey from JFK to the first stop in Manhattan so if you're all in the same hotel or Airbnb rental or whatever then that's fine but if you ask the taxi to drop you off at more than location, the driver is allowed to start the meter after the first drop.

tuisginideach

Thanks - no - as a family we're all starting together - might be leaving from different locations after being cooped in one hotel room!!!

coylemj

Parkman77 wrote: »

Or you can also get the bus from JFK, drops you at 42nd Street/Grand Central.

https://www.nycairporter.com

Fine if your hotel is close to Grand Central, the same applies to the Long Island railway (from Jamaica) which stops at Penn Station. But if I was arriving in JFK by myself and didn't have the benefit of sharing a taxi, I'd get the Airtrain to Jamaica or Howard Beach and then the subway. The benefit being that you can pick the subway station to exit from and you shouldn't have too far to walk to your hotel. It's also the cheapest fare at €7.75 one-way.

rossie1977

Via public transportation Newark is easier. Free people mover to Newark/liberty station and from there it's just 20 minutes direct to Penn station http://www.njtransit.com/rg/rg_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=AirportConnectionsTo

coylemj

rossie1977 wrote: »

Via public transportation Newark is easier. Free people mover to Newark/liberty station and from there it's just 20 minutes direct to Penn station http://www.njtransit.com/rg/rg_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=AirportConnectionsTo

Which will cost $13 per adult and $9 per child - $44 total fare for the OP's family of four. And they get dumped at Penn Station .... which could be miles away from their hotel so they have to drag their kids and all their bags down wet and dirty steps to a subway station. Or get a taxi, which with the surcharges for passengers and bags will cost at least $25 for any distance.

Versus the family piling into a taxi outside the terminal in JFK which will drop them to the door of their hotel for a few dollars more? Or less.

I'm all for using public transport (see my previous posts) but for a family of four, the yellow cab from JFK is a total no-brainer.

rossie1977

Taxi is much in a muchness regardless of JFK or Newark as you will pay $60-70 to Manhattan.

I didn't see op later wrote family of four. I just replied that Newark is the easier airport to reach Manhattan via public train, which it is. It's far better and quicker than the JFK option of the airtrain and subway. The subway isn't designed for carrying luggage for one and it's quite slow. Unless you are light on luggage and staying in Queens or long island City I wouldn't recommend that option.

Parkman77

The last time I got a taxi from Newark to Midtown/42nd street (about 3 years ago) it cost approx $80. Slightly more expensive than a taxi ride from JFK to Midtown, but not by much really.
Possibly because the toll on the tunnel from the Jersey side is more than the toll on the bridges from the Brooklyn/Queens side?