From LGA to Midtown
 

We (2 of us) arrive at LGA around 2PM this Friday.

What are better options getting to midtown?

Thanks.

Better than what?

Options include car services (such as Dial & or Carmel), taxi (on the meter) or public transportation (Q70 express bus to Roosevelt Station, transfer to the subway--which one depends on the specific location of your hotel).

When you say "better options," which is more important--price or ease and comfort of reaching your destination?

Fridays are always busy with traffic, especially in the summer. But I almost always take a regular taxi unless I am taking a city bus and subway combo. You can take a car service, but LGA is a bit hectic to find a specific car.

this from the MTA website:

M60 bus from Manhattan and Astoria
With the M60 bus, you can travel to all terminals at LaGuardia from the West Side, the East Side or Astoria (Queens). The M60 runs between 106 St and Broadway in Manhattan and LaGuardia Airport 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The M60 serves all airport terminals. Connections can be made with all north-south Manhattan subway lines or with the N train icon and Q train icon trains at the Astoria Blvd station.
If you pay your fare with MetroCard, you can transfer free between the subway and the M60 bus. The M60 also makes convenient connections with MTA Metro-North Railroad at the 125 St station. Travel time between Broadway and 116 St and the Delta Terminal is approximately 40 minutes.


Q70 Limited from Woodside and Jackson Heights
Q70 Limited from Jackson Heights provides limited-stop bus service between Woodside, Jackson Heights and LaGuardia Airport (Terminals B, C and D). Service operates non-stop between Jackson Heights and LaGuardia Airport. Connections can be made with the E train icon F train icon M train icon R train icon and 7 train icon trains at Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue/74 St-Broadway and with the Long Island Rail Road and 7 train icon train at Woodside-61 St. Travel time between Woodside and LaGuardia Airport is approximately 10-15 minutes and between Jackson Heights and LaGuardia Airport is approximately 8-10 minutes. Free transfers between any bus or subway are available if you pay your fare with MetroCard.
CLICK here for more Q70 information


Q47 from Jackson Heights and Glendale (Marine Air Terminal)
The Q47 provides local bus service between Glendale, Jackson Heights and LaGuardia Airport’s Marine Air Terminal only (Terminal A). Connections can be made with the E train icon F train icon M train icon R train icon and 7 train icon trains at Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue/74 Street-Broadway. Travel time between Glendale and the Marine Air Terminal is approximately 50 minutes and between Jackson Heights and the Marine Air Terminal is approximately 30 minutes.



Q48 from Flushing, Queens
The Q48 provides local bus service between Flushing and all terminals at LaGuardia Airport. It loops through LaGuardia Airport and makes a stop at Mets-Willets Point. Free transfers between the Q48 any bus or the subway are available if you pay your fare with MetroCard. The Q48 operates from 4:30 AM to 1:00 AM. Travel time from the Main St 7 train icon station to LaGuardia Airport is approximately 30 minutes.
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if you are taking public transit be sure to check the website for any last minute changes

if you have a lot of luggage or bulky things,, take car service or a taxi

there is also a bus that goes to the port authority if you need to be on the west side of midtown

Please note that the bus and subway are not special airport services - they are just regular services for commuters - so can be very crowded and there is no place to put luggage. You can hold on your lap if you are lucky enough to get a seat - but whatever you do - don;t let go of it on public transit.

sorry - if it were me and 2 people with luggage I would just grab a cab.

Agree with posters above about just using a cab. As you exit after baggage, there is a line for cabs. It's very organized and the cab fares are regulated. We think it feels good to get taken directly to your hotel and begin your enjoyment of NYC. Enjoy your stay!

The Q70 bus had luggage racks.
IMHO, it depends on how much luggage you have and how big it is.
We used the Q70 bus to the subway with just roller bags and it wasn't a problem. They fit between our legs as we stood on the subway, so really didn't take up much extra room.

Last time, several years ago, we took a cab.

I think a cab it is. I thought possibly there was some new miracle.

Thanks.

This is NY we keep the miracles to ourselves.

I have used bus to subway no problem at all.

I like fixed prices, even if they are not the absolute cheapest. On a Friday afternoon, I would not think twice about taking a car service for two people.

Just when you thought you had a clear answer . . .

Actually, all the bus lines from LGA have luggage racks.

Cab

I've used this service with complete satisfaction:
http://www.nycairporter.com/Schedule...LaGuardia.aspx (also goes the other way, so don't be misled by URL)

From LGA - but not the other buses or subways you will need to get to your final destination.

Cab or Dial 7.

I wouldn't drag my stuff on bus+train.

I might consider a bus if it went to somewhere in midtown and then I could take a cab from there to mid-50s and Ave of Americas.

And of course, only if that saved a bundle.

What would a cab cost these days?

The cab will cost about $35 to $40 depending on traffic and which route (some have tolls, some don't). Could be as much as $50 if traffic is horrendous (that's happened to me).

Public transit costs $2.50 and drops you either at 125th Street (M60 ... bus only) or 42nd Street, east or west (M60 to the 7 Subway at Astoria Blvd.). So I consider saving up to $48 a bundle. But it's obviously less convenient. For example at Astoria Blvd. you have to climb up a long flight of stairs. So obviously if you have a lot of luggage that's not very practical. There's no elevator at that station, and it's a lot of stairs. On the plus side, I've done this in the middle of the day and gotten back to the office from LGA in less than 30 minutes (less time than a taxi).

The people who say "I won't schlep luggage" obviously can afford not to. If you've taken taxis before, you can too, but perhaps you don't want to.

There's one more detail that I didn't mention that's important in your decision making. The M60 bus is now a Select Bus, which means you pay before you board and get a little slip to carry with you. But the difficulty here is that while you can pay in a little machine before boarding, you really need to buy a metro card in advance (and you have to do that in a machine on the baggage claim level of the main terminal). Otherwise, you have to pay twice because you can't get a free transfer to the subway from the bus if you pay in cash. The Metrocard itself costs $1, but you'll need one anyway to ride the subway later.

Cab fixed rate and scheduled (not the guys that loiter the airport asking if you need a ride) car service are about the same. $50ish + tip/toll.

Sacks, now you've confused me. Is there now a "fixed rate" cab program from LGA?

the bus will not take you to midtown.

the Q70 will take you to Jackson Heights/Roosevelt Station. I believe there is an elevator at that station the E train will take you to 5th and 53rd..about 3/4 of a block to 6th Avenue (that is Avenue of Americas to non-NYers) while there is an elevator and escalator from the platform you will still have to go up stairs to exit the subway.

a car service will have a fixed rate and you can arrange that in advance or call when you arrive . If you do not mind the expense and do not want to schlep then take a cab or car service.

I don't like to throw out money but I'm also practical.

If we're going to start a little trip with a hassle it's not worth it. Getting worn out at the start is not a good idea.

I expect to take a cab from Union Station in Washington to our hotel (11:30PM to just west of the White House - that would require a Metro change and a 2 block walk with luggage) but a Metro to DCA late afternoon, with no changes.

I'll pick my battles about what's worth saving on and what's not.

A cab it is from DCA to the hotel.

Thanks.

Just FYI, the last time I tried to take a taxi from Union Station after 11, I had to wait in a taxi line for almost 45 minutes. You may want to look into Uber for DC. I don't recommend Über in NYC, however.

All yellow cabs going to/from NYC airports are a fixed rate.

"All yellow cabs going to/from NYC airports are a fixed rate"

http://www.panynj.gov/airports/lga-t...n-service.html

Unfortunately, sacks is absolutely incorrect. Only taxis going to/from JFK have a fixed rate of $52 (before tolls, tip, and surcharges) ... make sure the meter shows Fare Rate 2.

Tolls are now added to fares automatically and show up as "extras". Surcharges should be built into the fare as well but separated.

And both yellow and green taxis can go to the airports, but green taxis can only pick you up in Manhattan above 96th Street, or anywhere in Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, or Staten Island.

In my post above I meant

"A cab it is from LGA to the hotel".

Doug,

Uber is an interesting idea.
However, we haven't as yet joined the modern generation.

We have cell phones. No smartphones.
We have a tablet but wifi not 3G.

They don't make it easy to contact them unless you've joined the NOW generation.

I sent them an email asking if it's possible to contact them by cell phone. No response (as yet).

I guess we haven't joined the "smart" world and they've left the Old World.

Doug Stallings wrote about arriving in Washington (I'll post this also in DC forum)

"Just FYI, the last time I tried to take a taxi from Union Station after 11, I had to wait in a taxi line for almost 45 minutes. You may want to look into Uber for DC. I don't recommend Über in NYC, however."

Well, I emailed Uber and they didn't respond.

Now I'm thinking of going in a different direction.

Our train from NYC is supposed to arrive at 11:25PM. If it's on time, I'm tempted to take the Metro. Metro runs until midnight.

Our closest stop (3 minutes walk as per Google Maps) is Farragut West but that requires a change.

Our second closest stop (7 minute walk) is Farragut North and we can get their without changes (Red Line) after an 8 minute ride from Union Station.

Can I assume the Union Station Metro is easily accessible and easily found from inside the train station?

Is this an ok option (disregarding the saving in fare) compare to a cab?

I've already purchased Smartrip Cards.

Why add a whole post about DC's Union Station to a question about LGA in NYC?

Because Doug obviously thought it might be an issue since I listed what we are doing.

Why not?

This topic has about an 30 extra unnecessary responses. It is LGA, not DC, or the boonies.

I have taken the Super Shuttle to/from LaGuardia/Manhattan. It is slower than a taxi because it will be a shared ride and the driver will follow the best route for him to deliver everyone and not based on first in/first delivered. It is much less expensive if time is not crucial. However, if you have 3 or more people, it is just as economical to take a taxi and much faster directly to your destination.

The OP's trip is over.

And yes, that Metro stop at Union Station was easy to find, right?