New York Travel Guide

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International Travel

Getting There By Air

Main Airports

John F Kennedy International (JFK) (website: www.panynj.gov) is located in Queens, 24km (15 miles) southeast of midtown Manhattan (journey time - 55 minutes). To/from the airport: A free Airport Shuttle Bus takes travelers to Howard Beach Station; from there, a subway connection on the ‘A’ train takes approximately 90 minutes to central Manhattan. The AirTrain light rail system also connects the airport with Howard Beach Station, as well as Jamaica Station (for the Long Island Railroad and the ’E’ and ’J/Z’ subway trains). The New York Airport Service Express Bus is offered by New York Airport Service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal (Manhattan West Side) or Grand Central Station (Manhattan East Side) (journey time 45 to 90 minutes depending on traffic). Airlink operates a shared minibus service on demand 24 hours a day, which goes anywhere between 23rd and 63rd Streets. SuperShuttle Manhattan, available on demand 24 hours a day, is a shared door-to-door service going anywhere between Battery Park and 227th Street. Taxis are also available. Travelers are advised not to travel with a taxi driver who approaches them first. Always find out the standard rate as unscrupulous drivers may overcharge. Uniformed taxi dispatchers (recommended) are available during peak hours and provide information on fares. Facilities: Bank, car hire and currency exchange.

La Guardia (LGA) (website: www.panynj.gov) is located in Queens, 13km (8 miles) east of midtown Manhattan (journey time - 30 to 45 minutes). To/from the airport: For transport into the city, the M60 MTA bus goes over Triborough Bridge and intersects with all subway lines as it crosses to the Upper West Side of Manhattan; exact change or a ‘MetroCard’ (an electronic fare card in use on all MTA buses and most subway stages) is required plus an additional charge if changing to the subway. The 24-hour Triboro Coach services Q33 and Q47 run from the airport to Manhattan and Queens, connecting with local buses and various subway lines. Frequent express bus services are provided by Airlink, New York Airport Service Express Bus and SuperShuttle Manhattan. Private limousines and vans are available. Yellow taxis are readily available from designated taxi stands. Facilities: Bank, car hire and currency exchange.

Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) (website: www.newarkairport.com) is located across the river in New Jersey. For details, see the New Jersey section. To/from the airport: Newark Liberty Airport Express offers links between EWR and Manhattan. Facilities: ATMs, car hire and currency exchange.

Getting There By Water

The Staten Island Ferry (website: www.siferry.com; departing from Battery Park) operates between Lower Manhattan and Staten Island. The Circle Line Ferry (tel: 1 866 925 4631, in the USA only; website: www.circlelinedowntown.com; departing from Battery Park) sails to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises (tel: (212) 563 3200; website: www.circleline42.com) provide guided tours around Manhattan Island and along the Hudson River (departing from Pier 83, West 42nd Street). Frequent ferry services also run from Manhattan to Brooklyn, New Jersey and Queens. Operators include NY Waterway (website: www.nywaterway.com) and Seastreak (tel: 1 800 262 8743, in the USA only; website: www.seastreakusa.com).

Lake Champlain Ferries (tel: (802) 864 9804; website: www.ferries.com) provide several crossings on Lake Champlain, between New York State and Vermont. Routes include: Plattsburg NY-Grande Isle; Port Kent NY-Burlington and Essex NY-Charlotte. Wolfe Island, Ontario, is connected to Cape Vincent in New York by a ferry service which operates daily during the summer (website: www.wolfeisland.com). A service from Wolfe Island to Kingston, Ontario, operates daily throughout the year.

Getting There By Rail

Pennsylvania Station, at Seventh Avenue and 33rd Street, serves both the Long Island Railroad, with routes to Long Island, NJ Transit, with routes to New Jersey, and Amtrak, nationwide (tel: 1 800 872 7245, in the USA only; website: http://www.amtrak.com/). Grand Central Station, at 42nd Street and Park Avenue, is the terminus for services to upstate New York (Metro North) and Connecticut. There are daily trains to Montréal and to Toronto.

Approximate rail journey times:
From New York on the ‘Maple Leaf’ to Niagara Falls is 9 hours; on the ‘Silver Meteor’ to Orlando (Disney World) is 21 hours; and on the ‘Crescent’ to Atlanta is 16 hours. There are frequent shuttles to Washington, DC and Boston, taking 3 hours 15 minutes and 4 hours 30 minutes respectively.

Getting There By Road

Travel from Manhattan to New Jersey is across George Washington Bridge or through the Lincoln or Holland Tunnels. The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge connects Brooklyn with Staten Island. Queensborough Bridge links Manhattan and Queens. Take Triborough Bridge for upstate New York and the New England Thruway and Bruckner Expressway to New England. Bus: The Port Authority Bus Terminal, at 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue, handles long-distance and regional buses, including Greyhound services (tel: 1 800 231 2222, in the USA only; website: www.greyhound.com).

Approximate driving times:
From New York to Washington, DC is 5 hours, to Dallas is 33 hours, and to San Francisco is 61 hours. All times are based on non-stop driving at or below the applicable speed limits.

Approximate bus journey times:
New York to Philadelphia is 2 hours 20 minutes, to Boston is 4 hours 45 minutes, and to Pittsburgh is 9 hours.