NYC - Penn Station to WTC
 

Which subway line should I take and then which stop would it be? Thanks!

Perhaps you should consult a map:

http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/

The E to Chambers/WTC is one.

You can take the 1 train from Penn Station to the Chambers street stop, then about a 6 block walk tO the WTC site.

There used to be a Cortlandt street stop on the 1 train right there

I did consult a map and found it confusing - thanks everyone!

The E train to the WTC stop.

I wouldn't take the 1 to Chambers and walk up. I would take the 2,3 to Fulton or the E to WTC.

What you really need is a good street map that also includes the subway stops. You should be able to get one at any major bookstore, often laminated.

Here's an online one to try:

http://nycsubway.eyebeamresearch.org/

It seems like a really cool option, but they say the transparency feature doesn't work in linux, which I am currently using, so I can't try it out.

Using a map like this, you can find your destination then see which subway lines (designated by letters and numbers in variously colored circles) have stops nearby. Then, find your starting point and see if any of those lines also have stops nearby. If so, great - take that line! If not, then you'll have to think a bit more about changing trains.

Having the stops overlaid on a street map gives you a realistic idea of how far away the stops are, so you can decide if it's too far to walk or not.