We will be arriving at JFK at 5:00 p.m. on a Sunday and need the best,ie.clean,courteuos,affordable etc. car service suggestions. Thank you in advance for any helpful hints. Nita

Why not just take the subway? There is a free shuttle bus right from the terminal exit to the metro station, and from there the subway, which costs just a couple of dollars, will take you right into Manhattan, to Times Square if you want! When we did it, around 6 a.m. on a Thursday morning, we found it got progressively more crowded with commuters as we got closer in, but that shouldn't bother you at the time you're getting in -- and I can't imagine a car being any quicker, from what I saw of traffic in Manhattan.

Hi nita, I topped a limo question for you, thre are plenty of names and numbers for you.See the little box that says text search-next time, you can just type in your question/word and it will bring up past threads.

I find that most car services are not reliable from trip to trip...each driver is more or less curteous than the other so it's hard for me to recommend one as the "best". I use Carmel 212-666-666 which is usually okay. Honestly the biggest challenge is often meeting the car service at baggage claim if it's a busy time. As a rule I take a car service from my home in NYC to the airport, but always take a taxi back into the city. Just easier to grab one and go.

The subway is indeed a bargain, but you are looking at lugging your bags in and out of the station yourself, and the trip takes about an hour. I did it once and won't do it again. But if you are a robust backpacker type you might think it's just great.

Marlena
NYC

Nita, the regular taxi rate from JFK to anywhere in Manhattan is not metered, but set at $35 (although the taxi commission has requested an increase to $49, it's not likeley to happen soon), the same as most car services, so I also usually take the regular (yellow) cab from the airport to the city. There is a dispatcher so the very long lines usually move quickly. Don't forget that you have to add in the cost of bridge or tunnel (depending on where you're going or which route the driver takes, it's either 0 or $3.50) plus tip (maybe $5)
for either the taxi or a car service.
Going from Manhattan to JFK, the rates are NOT set, so a metered ride would probably cost more like $50 plus toll and tip. That's when you might want to call a car service

Thank you for your informative reply. I think the cab route is the best way to go after all. I appreciate the time you took to reply.