blackmons

I know I am probably over-thinking this, but I'm taking my adult daughter to New York for her birthday for a quick 2-night stay in August, which doesn't give us a lot of time. We will be returning on a Friday out of Laguardia airport and will be staying not far from Time Square. I believe United has flights at 5, 6, 7, and 8pm. I have read that there can be problems getting a taxi after 3:00. I'm thinking we'll probably get into rush hour traffic no matter which flight I decide on, but want to make the best use of our time. Should we take the 7:00 or 8:00 flight, or is there any reason why we would be better off catching an earlier flight? We will probably hire a car service or take the shuttle from the hotel.
Sorry to be so nitpicky.
Thanks,
Laurie

clarkgriswold

The 5pm flight puts you into 3pm traffic, the 8pm puts you into 6pm traffic.....I'd say the earlier flight is a much better idea.

IMDonehere

The cabs change at 4 PM, so that is why there is a problem. Ironically many cabs change hands in Queens.

Friday afternoon is probably the worst time to fly out of LGA. Thus I would take the 8 PM flight with the hope things calm down a bit.

nytraveler

I would not use a cab at all but organize a car service from your hotel to LGA. This avoids having a problem waiting for a cab in traffic. I would take the later flight home in order to have more time in NY.

Keep in mind that many companies close early on summer Fridays and the mobs headed to the Hamptons and other LI resorts often leave work at 1 pm - so there will be traffic at any time - but possibly less than usual later.

Brian_in_Charlotte

I agree - this is a situation where a car service makes a lot of sense.

abram

From Manhattan, we take the subway to Queens and transfer to the Q70 express bus. It's easy and avoids sitting in traffic.

blackmons

Thanks so much for your great suggestions. I'll look into a car service and also the subway/express bus option. I'll go ahead and book the later flight and will know better next time not to return home on a Friday.
Thanks,
Laurie

tomfuller

Would you consider flying out of Newark (EWR)?
Two of you can go from Penn Station to Newark International in 23 minutes for $56-70. There is a good free shuttle from the EWR train station into the airport terminal.
The two trains to look for are the Keystone and the Northeast Regional.

nytraveler

Taking Amtrak from NYC to get to EWR is close to madness. One can take NJ Transit trains on the exact same route for less than 1/2 the cost.

IMDonehere

And when you go the Penn Station to EWR route, there is an incredible amount of bag schlepping.

sf7307

Hotels in Manhattan don't have airport shuttles.

clarkgriswold

We really need to do an intervention for Tom and his Amtrak addiction.

IMDonehere

I think he gets a special tingle when he mentions trains.

NeoPatrick

"And when you go the Penn Station to EWR route, there is an incredible amount of bag schlepping."

I think the suggestion (based on the $ 56 to 70 estimate) was to take a taxi or car service -- with lots of traffic. From Penn Station for a tiny fraction of that amount, you can take a NJ Transit train right to the airport and then the Skytrain to your terminal. The "incredible amount of luggage schlepping" amounts to taking your suitcase off the train and going up an escalator with it. At your terminal, you'll have to go down an escalator with it. Period. Some people have odd definitions of "incredible amount of schlepping".

Who said anything about Amtrack by the way?

ellenem

Keystone and the Northeast Regional mentioned by Tom are Amtrak trains.

IMDonehere

Penn Station is a third world terminus, which is why they are building a facility across the street.

Approximately 600,000 people pass through Penn daily. The signage is awful and there are numerous entrances. Thus you must navigate your way through rushing crowds with luggage to find the proper area. There are often unexpected stairs. They post the platform number just a few minutes before departure and then the herd heads for the stairs, elevators, and escalators since none of the platforms are on the same level as the waiting area. So you hope you are standing near a working escalator going in your direction. Then you race along narrow platforms.

And all this will happen during afternoon rush hour. And thus will happen whether it is with the PATH or NJ Transit.

And you haven't even gotten to the transfer point and the ups and downs at Newark Station to get to the Skytrain and then you do not know how far you will have walk to your airline from the Skytrain.

We are here to help and truthful for posters not to engage in petty squabbles.

nytraveler

Tom was clearly talking about taking Amtrak. And while Amtrak in the NE corridor is a perfectly functional option between the major cities - taking it from Penn Station to get to EWR makes no sense at all. If one wants to get to EWR (and the OP has already said they need LGA not EWR) one simply hops in one of the gazillion NJ Transit trains that take you to the connection to airtrain.

Tom does need some sort of intervention since he is frequently coming up with these weird suggestions that make no sense in terms of the OP's plans - just to somehow get them on an Amtrak train. No matter the cost or inconvenience.

NeoPatrick

"And you haven't even gotten to the transfer point and the ups and downs at Newark Station to get to the Skytrain and then you do not know how far you will have walk to your airline from the Skytrain.

We are here to help and truthful for posters not to engage in petty squabbles."

Ok, so we are YOU squabbling about such silly little points? Oh, because it's OK for YOU to squabble, just so no one else does, right?

"you do not know how far you will have (to) walk to your airline from Skytrain." Huh? Do you know how far you will have to walk to your airline from wherever the taxi drops you off? How is one any different from the other. And by the way, I have already explained that you need to go up one escalator (or elevator if you prefer) to get to the Skytrain at the airport station. I still don't get your "incredible amounts of luggage schelpping".

But yes, I too didn't get why someone would suggest Newark at all -- unless the trip isn't booked yet -- but perhaps it isn't. (and probably not, since the OP clearly hasn't booked the time of the flight). Until a few years ago I always thought LaGuardia was the preferred airport to fly into for NYC. I have since changed my mind and find the connections from EWR to central Manhattan far easier -- and generally quicker using public transportation -- than travel to or from LaGuardia.

nytraveler, I'm still curious who was talking about "getting on" an Amtrack train. If that was in this thread, I sure missed it, and I can't imagine why anyone would get on Amtrack to get to Liberty Airport.

nytraveler

Tom was clearly talking about taking an Amtrak train - rather than NJ Transit from NYC Penn station to Jersey to get to EWR. He referred specifically to 2 Amtrak trains (Keystone and Northeast Regional) to get to the airport and the cost he quoted is for Amtrak - not NJ Transit.

nytraveler

Sorry - and the OP mentioned LGA. We can assume they have looked into flights and that works best for them based on their destination - EWR is not most convenient from all destinations.