My adult daughter and I will be traveling to New York. We will be staying in a small hotel near 5th AVE and 20th ST. Does anyone know the best and least expensive way for us to get from JFK to the hotel?

Just for clarification are you asking for two answers -- the least expensive way and the best way? Or are we to assume that the least expensive way is automatically the best because it is the cheapest?

The BEST way to get into Manhattan is a car service such as Carmel, (212) 666-6666, or a taxi. The cost is roughly the same.

The cheapest option is public transportation (Airtrain and subway); but here's where luggage becomes an issue.

A middle option is a SuperShuttle-type service (but with two people, the cost isn't much less than car/taxi).



Time, budget and luggage are the variables.

I always take the airtrain and subway because I don't carry much luggage and my hotel is close to Penn Station. It is about an hour into the city and $7 if I recall correctly.

You need to check a subway map to see if there is a stop for the subway near your hotel. Otherwise you will probably get off at Penn station (34th ST and 7th AVe) and would need to take a cab. Probably one of the vans would do just as well.

Your hotel is not really near any of the public transport drop off points. Your options are

>car service or taxi ~ $60
>shuttle bus to Grand Central (42 st & Lexington)for ~$30 and then added shuttle bus or taxi to your hotel another~ $5-10 for a total of ~$40
>Airtrain ~$24 for 2 and then added transport to the hotel. About $30

I'd take a cab.

My hat is off to you Amie. I'd shoot myself before taking the subway from JFK

My friend and I had a subway vs. bus race to JFK once. She won - on the subway - and that was even before the Airtrain was open! Now I only take the subway.

Traffic is often very, very bad out in Queens, and that bus stops at every freakin' terminal. Aaagghh!

For you, taking a cab will probably be the fastest because it's the most direct - your hotel is not near the A/C trains and not near the airport bus stops. If you have luggage and don't know the city that well, AND since there are two of you, I'd recommend it.

Just to clarify - the fixed cab fare from JFK to Manhattan is $45 - but to that you must add the toll for the bridge or tunnel into Manhattan and tip (20% of the fare but not the toll). This will total about $60.

The car services are about the same price. (They may be more if you tell them your flight # and ask them to meet it - they will charge you waiting time if the flight is late.)

You could take the Air Train to the subway to PennStation. The total cost would be $14. But then you would have to deal with luggage on the subway, up and down stairs - and walk - the best part of a mile through the street carrying/dragging your luggage - to get to your hotel.

Agree that for two people with luggage the only thing that really makes sense is cab.

One thing that I've learned between a car service and cab is that both are the same price (as stated above), but IMO a cab is easier since you can just hop in and go, rather than have the burden of finding the car company that you hired, or them finding you.

I used to use a car company years ago, but have opted for a cab in the past few years. It's just easier IMO.

That's true unless there's a line for cabs -- I've waited 15 minutes during a normal rush and 30 during the holidays.

If you call your car service as you walk off the plane, it'll be waiting for you about 99% of the time. Trust me -- I do it several times a month.

Is the white, blue, yellow free shuttle bus from JFK to Howard Beach still in service or AirTrain is replacing it?
Thanks!

I would suggest that you check out SuperShuttle. It costs $19 for the first person and $9 for each additional person in your party. No additional fee for the toll. If your flight is late, there's no waiting fee as there's a van approximately every 15 minutes. The only caveat with them is that you might have a little bit longer of a ride depending on how many people are on your shuttle and what hotels people are going to.

Hey Gekko--you can call a car service when you get off the plane? I did not know this last time I did a car service my darn plane was an hour late and it cost me big bucks. I would love to be able to do that. Which service do you use? Thanks

Both Carmel and Tel Aviv have a system where you prebook a car but you phone them when you've arrived and they come to the terminal within about5-15 minutes.

thqu60 - the shuttle was replaced by the MUCH more efficient monorail (AirTrain).

No more long waits for that friggin' bus - yeah!

I still don't understand why people will order car service when there's tons of taxis lined up outside the airport.

I use Carmel and Tel Aviv and I make the reservation a day in advance usually. You call when you get off the plane and are waiting for your checked bags.

On a recent trip to NYC we got off the plane and found a few of the "car service" guys hanging around waiting for fares. Not sure but I am guessing that if they had a fare from a Manhattan hotel and dropped them off they might be hoping to get a paying fare going back. At any rate, we got to our mid-town hotel for $50. For the most part these cars are a lot nicer than cabs.

Just my personal opinion, but I would never get into a car unless it's one I that I specifally called for. The car service vehicles usually have numbers on them so that you can identify them and ensure it's the car company you requested to pick you up.

You just never know if a guy with a car is really a reputable and registered car service, or if it's somebody who has other ideas in mind.

Samschak -

Just so you know - the car servicce you took into the city is illegal. they are allowed to operate only when called into advance - npt pick up fares at the airport.

Your driver was apparently OK - but a lot of these guys are unscrupulous - and often demand more money that agreed upon - or they won;t give you your luggage. (They have been know to charge naive tourists up to $300 for the trip - with all sorts of excuses why.)

It is not really safe to do this.

I second the recommendation of Carmel .. we aren't using them anymore but I suggested to a friend from the West Coast coming in on the red eye to be picked up and he called them.
They also took him back to the airport on his return, he was so happy with them!