Hello,
I'm flying into Laguardia at 8:35 AM with one other person and we have an international flight departing from JFK at 5:30 PM. The flight from JFK is international going to Berlin so I know it would be wise to get to the airport with plenty of time to spare. My question is with that long of a layover would it be within our reach to go out and grab some food somewhere unique in the area? I've never been to New York and while I'm not necessarily looking for the city experience I would hate to be there for that amount of time and not see anything except the inside of an airport. Any suggestions or advice is very appreciated. Thank you.
Laguardia to JFK - Long layover
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You can do a lot during that time, but the real issue is luggage. Airlines won't transfer bags between airports for you, and check-in may not be open for your departing flight early. How much are you carrying?
If you are flying on Delta they may transfer the luggage since they do provide transportation between the airports. You would have to check with them to see if they would do so if you are not also being transferred.
There are reports that DL will pay for transfer between airports, using a car service. But I don't believe they'll transfer the bags for you. So, the OP still need to get to JFK first and redeposit the bags there themselves. Then feel free to go anywhere. Plenty of time to get to Manhattan for the OP.
Thank you for your responses, and I apologize for getting back so late I had a few days of computer trouble but we intend to be backpacking across Europe so as long as our packs pass the carry on specifications we shouldn't have any additional luggage to take around besides what we have on our backs.
Plenty of time. We did something similar last year. We had a 12 hour layover. The choice was 1.5 hours (for an international flight) or 12 hours. We are cautious, and chose the latter. I have a friend in NJ who was happy to pick us up from the airport, take us about town (Statue of Liberty, Chinatown, WTC) and made a day of it, via the Hop-on, Hop-off bus. Then we got back to the airport with plenty of time for our flights (we gave it 3 hours just to be sure). We had carry-on only, so luggage wasn't an issue.
You have plenty of time to go into Manhattan and have a bite to eat and then get back to JFK. The difficulty is what to do with your packs all day. I'd suggest checking them at Schwartz Travel and Luggage on 36th Street. The streets are particularly busy this time of the year, so it's best not to try to carry your pack with you.
First, save some money by taking the city bus (M60) to the subway station at Astoria Blvd. ($2.25). Take the N or Q train all the way to 34th Street, which is near Penn Station and close to where you can check your packs. Allow about 45 to 60 minutes to do that. Let's say you are in the city by 10:30. This gives you at least 3 hours to enjoy.
From Penn Station, you're almost next door to Macy's if you want to drop in, and you can have a range of interesting food options: Korean BBQ or fried Chicken Wings (both on 32nd near 5th Avenue ... I recommend Kyo Chon). Or you could have authentic NY Deli (2nd Avenue Deli, on 33rd near 3rd Avenue ... about 15 minutes walk from Penn, but expect to share a table). Or you could have really good NY pizza at John's Times Square location (full pies only, no slices, on W. 44th near 8th Avenue). Or you could have a great burger at Five Napkin Burger (9th Ave., 44th, but you need to make reservations or wait for at least an hour). There are many other options. If you eat early, you can have a nice lunch for well under $20 and shouldn't have to wait long. I'd arrange to eat around 11:45.
You'll also have time to hang out or see a few sights or just gawk at the crowds (the Rock Center Christmas tree is a slight trek but is certainly doable). I can't really recommend the Empire State Building because of the time it takes, but it's close to Penn Station (5th Ave., 34th St), and you could do it. But there are other things to do. Head over to JFK around 2, arriving by 3 if you take the LIRR then the Airtrain for about $13 each). That should give you more than enough time to check in for your flight without luggage, and your entire NYC soujourn, including airport transportation and lunch should cost no more than $50 (less if you don't see a paid sight or buy anything).
My guess is that if you are willing to