cslasor

Does anybody know approximately how much it would cost to take a taxi from JFK to The Lucerne Hotel on the Upper West Side? The address is 201 W. 79th St. I'm trying to decide if a taxi would be worth the extra cost over the shuttle, which appears to take 3 times as long to get there. But I don't know how much the taxi would be.

The desk clerk at the hotel just guestimated $35 to $40 for the taxi - does that sound about right?

Oh, and if anybody has any comments regarding The Lucerne I'd love to hear them. I got a room with 2 double beds for me and my sister for the Memorial Day weekend. Hopefully it will be bug-free!

Thanks!

vjpblovesitaly

It is a set fare. I think it is $52 plus tax and tips. The website for JFK has the info.

vjpblovesitaly

I meant to say plus TOLLS (if any) and tip

and the flat rate applies to anywhere in Manhattan

nyer

The clerk at the hotel is very poorly informed. The official taxi rate from JFK to anywhere in Manhattan has been on a flat rate system for many years now. The current fare is $52 plus tolls , plus tip)

http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/pas...cab_rate.shtml

Private car services are often a few dollars less.

Supershuttle is particularly bad in NYC especially on the way from the airports in to the city, It can turn a 45 minute ride into 2 hours or more.

vjpblovesitaly

I am thinking maybe he just got confused. I really would hope he would know such a thing. It would be inexcusable not to.

nyer

I hope so vjpblovesitaly as this is question they are asked every day, multiple times per day.
I suppose it could be a confusion with LGA rates which are metered, not flat fare. Still, it's the kind of thing that should be pinned up right next to the reception desk phone to avoid that problem!

nytraveler

Fare is $52 flat to anyplace in Manhattan plus bridge or tunnel toll ($7.50) and tip (20% of the fare but not the toll - $10.40) for a total of about $70.

Pepper_von_snoot

I would take the Sky Train at JFK to Jamaica Station, then transfer to subway or LIRR to Penn Station.


Thin

cslasor

Thanks to everybody for the info. It looks like it's $70 one way for a taxi and 30 to 45 minutes, vs $23 one way for the shuttle and 1.5 to 2 hours. Does that sound right?

In that case, since I have more time than money these days I think I'll plan on the shuttle - at least from the airport to the hotel. I'll just consider the extra time to be more sightseeing. On the day I leave if I get pressed for time I'll do a taxi instead. At least now I know what the options are.

I'm getting excited! This will be my first trip to New York (not counting changing planes at the airport). Let's hope for good weather for Memorial Day weekend!

nyer

Shuttle price is per person (I see it as $19 per person on their website) , taxi includes all riders.

A reputable car service like Carmel or Dial 7, with a coupon (that can be found online) may be closer to $60, so see if that's another option.

cslasor

I did forget to mention that it'll be just me (my sister is coming in on the train) so that definitely influences the math of shuttle-vs-taxi. If I had more people with me the taxi would become a better option, but for just 1 person with only a carry-on bag I'm still thinking the shuttle will work fine.

nytraveler

I hope you aren't considering Supershuttle van - which is super unreliable in NY (there are reports of people missing flights since they were driven to 4 or 5 hotels in Manhattan traffic before heading to the airport.).

the large buses that take people to a central location are a much better choice - then you can just walk or hop a cab or a subway (depending on luggage and willingness to schlep) to your hotel.

tenthumbs

bookmarking for summer trip to NYC

NeoPatrick

tenthumbs, I'm trying to figure out what "bookmarking" in this case means. Do you mean you're raising it up from the dead so it's easier to find? Or do you mean that you are making a note of it somewhere (and if that's the case, why do you need to update it on the board?). The thread is nearly two years old and hardly a reliable source at this point of any real information. When you "bookmark" what exactly does that do for you, while meanwhile everyone else sees this thread and if they're not careful they think it is a new one? I honestly can't think of a reason to bring such a "general" thread up to the top after almost two years, especially when it is so easy to get better current specific information.

doug_stallings

If it's just you and a carry-on bag, you can take the AirTrain to the Long Island Railroad at Jamaica, then hop on the 1 train to 79th. The Lucerne is at the subway station. That trip takes less than an hour and for me that's infinitely easier than a shared shuttle van, which isn't any cheaper and might take 90 minutes or more.

A taxi will cost about $70 all in (including tip and tolls).

doug_stallings

Just to clarify. You hop on the 1 train at Penn Station after taking the LIRR into Manhattan.

NeoPatrick

Doug, I'm curious. Are you still offering suggestions to the OP whose trip was nearly two years ago? I doubt cslasor still cares since he (she?) has not even posted here for about a year and the trip was in May of 2013.

doug_stallings

I'm thinking this is more for tenthumbs, who topped the thread earlier today and who is going this summer.

NeoPatrick

Oh, I didn't think about tenthumbs actually staying at same hotel, I guess I just assumed tenthumbs was looking for general taxi costs from JFK, and not specific directions to the same hotel as the OP.

Inakauaidavidababy

You know what they say about assume! Don't you?