Best way to get to Manhattan from JFK late at night?
 

All the flights we've found so far get us into JFK around 11 p.m. What's the best way to get to Manhattan, either the upper west side or midtown?

As you can see, we have the New York bug--were there in December and now planning to return at the end of October, as a friend is running in the marathon on Nov. 1st. I'll be back with sightseeing questions once I've digested 2 guidebooks.

Take a taxi… or if you don't want to wait in a queue arrange for a car service. I've always had good luck with212-777-7777… you can also check them out online.

Cabs. It is a fixed rate $52 plus 30 cents and 50 cents surcharges plus any toll and tip.

Unless there is bad weather, there are always cabs at JFK. And some times you have to wait for Carmel at the airports for someone to drop off and of course that is less likely at 11 PM.

Um ... actually, 11pm isn't that late. The LIRR has regular trains until well after that if you don't want to take a taxi. But I'd take one anyway for the convenience. It's usually a little cheaper to take a car service from JFK than a regular taxi, but not too much. My problem with car services is that for the past two or three times I've used one from JFK, I've waited quite a bit longer for that than for a regular taxi.

If you take the Airtrain and LIRR you will not find the train quiet or uncrowded, and they run about every 20 minutes until at least 1am and probably 2am.

"Best" is subjective but IMO opinion that means a TAXI. No fuss, no muss, no tickets, and it goes DIRECTLY to your destination.

People always throw around the words "best" and "most convenient" when they talk of taxis, but I can tell you that I've been stuck in traffic for an hour-plus trying to get out of JFK when they've been doing work on the Van Wyk Expressway late at night. It's neither good nor convenient. The only good part is that the meters are not running for these trips, but the time wasted is not without cost.

I have always found the Airtrain and then either the LIRR or subway the most convenient way to get to or from Midtown from JFK. Now that I live on the Upper East Side, it's not nearly as convenient for me, and I usually take a taxi or car service, but if your hotel is relatively close to Penn Station, I actually completely (and strongly) disagree with those posters who tell you that a taxi is always best.

Whether to take a taxi late at night really depends on the day you're arriving and the traffic conditions. I agree that it's more convenient, but it's not always the best choice. Most roadwork is done at night on weekends. So if it's a weekend night, it might be worth investigating whether lanes are being closed or not before making a final decision. That information isn't always available until a few days before, but that's always enough time to adjust your plans.

I have taken the Airtrain on many occasions, and I still think a cab is easier, even if there is traffic on the Van Wyck.

It is the Airtrain, then the E or LIRR and then a cab.

Doug, if you now live on the UES, why not take the Aitrain to the E and get off Lex/53 and transfer to the 6. That has to easier than LIRR and a cab.

Thanks for the suggestions. I think we'll use a car service or take a taxi, as we don't want to have to deal with luggage on the train. We will probably arrive on a Thursday evening. Should I assume that returning to JFK for a morning flight means a cab as well?

Returning to JFK in the morning also depends. If it's very early indeed (i.e., before 6:30 am), you can often get to JFK from Midtown in about 15 minutes by taxi, so there's a definite advantage. If later, traffic will definitely be much heavier except on weekends, when it doesn't usually pick up until 8am. But if you don't want to deal with a lot of luggage at night, then it's a sure bet you won't want to deal with it in the morning either.

Arriving late I always just hop a cab to Manhattan - but w live on the upper west side. For an early am arrival (red eye) I always get a car service - since cabs can be sparse at 6 am.

IMHO I am no longer the age to be pack mule woman (for me that was about 35) and I prefer not to take public transit to/fro any of the airports if I have more than a small shoulder carry-on.

Oh ... and while it may seem self-evident to take the E train into Manhattan from Jamaica, the transfer to the 6 is particularly burdensome because of all the ups and downs and the 6 train so crowded that it's not usually worth it. I tried when I first moved to the UES, but I fairly quickly abandoned that route. I will still do it now on a weekday if it's not rush hour, but otherwise not.

Grandma, What is the name of the car service you recommend?

The car service Grandma mentions in her post is "Dial 7" (www.dial7.com). That's also the car service I usually use. But Carmel (www.carmellimo.com) can be a few dollars cheaper. These are the two major car services in New York City, and I've used both over the years. Both can be reliable or hit-and-miss since cars are usually individually owned by the drivers. You could also consider Uber, but you need the smartphone app for that. It's increasingly popular here.

Thanks, Doug. I've been using 777 the last few years. Always seem to have a good driver and a nice black car. Before that I had some iffy experiences with other services…. but my aging brain can't remember the names at this point.

We always used to take a service TO JFK and a taxi FROM. That way the price was always guaranteed. (Once made the mistake of taking a taxi from LGA on what we had forgotten was Marathon sunday. The usual 10 minute trip turned into a journey!!)

I have been using Allen Car service for years and years. They also go by the name of AJ Limo.
Drivers are uniformly cordial and prompt.

I like that both Carmel and Dial 7 now do all payments electronically. A couple of years ago, they would actually swipe your credit card with one of those old-fashioned machines. Now they have tablets with credit-card readers attached and email your receipt.

We were there in January and used Uber a lot. Once you sign up you get $30 off your first ride and then recommend the app to someone in your party and they get $30 off there first ride. I paid $8.00 to get back to LaGuardia from Mid Town.

Thanks for the recommendation, Grandma. We arrive at JFK at 1:20pm on a Monday, so I think we'll take our chances with a cab to Manhattan, but take a service back to the airport!

Sounds like a good plan at that time of day….
Scroll down and you'll find the latest info on taxi fares from JFK.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/pas...cab_rate.shtml

I watch the runners go by on First Ave….. and will be thinking of your friend!

Taxis will be the best bet. You can always keep some taxi numbers handy. Rates are fixed as far as I remember.