ita

we arrive at LGA at 5pm on a Thursday. What is the best choice of transportation to Midtown-Carmel, Dial 7 or taxi? I am considering cost. There are 2 of us. I don't know what Dial 7 is-just saw it on another post.

nytraveler

Dial 7 is a car service (regular sedan - not limousine.) Check out the web sites of Dial 7 and Carmel to see if they have coupons and then check with them to see what they would charge for the trip to your destination. Realize that on top of the price quoted you will need to pay birdge toll - $5.50 - and tip (20% of fare but not tip).

The benefit is that it is a fixed cost. If you take a metered cab and get stuck in very bad traffic the cost can well be higher than Dial 7.

Do not order "meet and greet" service - which is more expensive. What you will do is reserve a car in advance, then call the company when you land. they will have a car there by the time you get your luggage and get out to the street.

At that time of day I would expect the total to be about $40 to $45 inclusive.

J62

I don't like to use a car service at LGA, especially at the central terminal (UA, AA, others). It's a zoo, and finding a specific car can be a hassle, especially at busy afternoon arrival time. All black town cars start to look alike after a while. For a taxi you simply walk out of the terminal to the taxi queue, hop in and you're off.

I believe the consensus advice on the other post was the same, ita. Was it not? LGA to Manhattan use a taxi.

doug_stallings

I'd take a taxi. There's always a slight risk you could get stuck in traffic a pay a few dollars more, but it is, as others have said, a particular hassle to try to find a car service at LGA. You'll have a toll depending on the way you travel into Manhattan, and the ultimate toll depends entirely on where your hotel is, something you don't tell us. But I'd still take a taxi.

sf7307

The concensus on the other thread was taxi in, car service out.

nytraveler

Well - I always do a taxi from LGA into the city - but I live on the upper west side - so don;t have to fight midtown traffic. If someone wants the security of a fixed price (but tell them when you land - rush huor prices are higher) it's another way to go. Agree it can be a pain to find the right car.

mclaurie

I think it depends on where in midtown you're going. If you're going to the west side, I'd book a car service with flat rate fare. For the east side, it's a gamble either way.

irish3

Great after reading both sets of posts I finally pick taxi but my hotel is on the west side (44 w 2 blocks off time sq) so now you have me thinking car again. Being noon on a wed in dec how bad can it be. For now I'll try taxi in car out.

nytraveler

Which Wed in Dec? Between Thansgiving and Christmas there are 5 or 6 gridlock alert days when traffic is so heavy that the city recos no cars enter Manhattan - public transit only. If you hit one of those days (and Wed is matinee day in the theater district wher you are staying) the traffic can be truly humongous.

irish3

Dec 8th, our plane gets in at noon. We leave Sunday the 12th at 11 am,
Knowing date and time can you tell what I should do?
Thanks so much nytraveler for letting me know about this what a mess this could be getting into town.

ita

I can't find this post so I am repeating it. We arrive at LGA at 5pm on a Thursday and are going to the Salisbury Hotel at 123 W. 57th. We do not have any plans for after arrival so we don't have a deadline to meet. What is the best way for us to proceed-taxi or Dial 7 or Carmel? What is the approximate cost of a taxi?

boom_boom

For what it's worth, we landed at LGA at about 5 p.m. on a Wednesday in June and used Dial 7, finding the car wasn't hard, getting across the river was, It took us nearly 3 hours because of gridlock just about everywhere heading into NYC.

J62

what airline/terminal boom_boom? My experience is at the central terminal, which is a zoo.

ita

Central terminal-it is Air Canada. From all we are hearing I think we should take a cab and economize on something else-no shopping.