Fly into Laguardia or Newark??

[itrainu]

We are going to New Jersey. Cheaper to fly into LGA, but looks like more of a hassle. Planning on taking train to New Jersey. What is best way and cost to get from LGA to Penn Station? What is time frame for traveling this trip?

 

[jcjl1]

EWR

It is almost 100% better to fly into EWR. LGA is for NYC, LI, CT or Westchester, not NJ! You can rest assured, LGA to NJ will probably make up your cost differential and add to your traveling headache!

From EWR, you can easily connect to Newark's Penn Station and catch a train.

 

[Icarus]

We are going to New Jersey. Cheaper to fly into LGA, but looks like more of a hassle. Planning on taking train to New Jersey. What is best way and cost to get from LGA to Penn Station? What is time frame for traveling this trip?

Assuming your train leaves from NY Penn Station, there's express bus service from LGA to Penn Station. Most NJ Transit trains leave from NY Penn Station, but not all of them do.

http://www.panynj.gov/CommutingTravel/airports/html/lg_transportation.html

If you follow the links to the schedule, it looks like the express bus runs about every 20 minutes and takes about 1:10 to get to Penn Station.

Newark airport is probably much easier, depending on which train line you need to take. Do you know which train line you need to take? Newark airport has a light rail link to the Newark airport train station. You many need to travel back one stop to Newark Penn Station to transfer to your train line if it's one of the ones that goes through Newark. (not all do, several lines that leave from Hoboken don't go through Newark Penn Station.)

The NJ Transit train line map is here:

http://atisweb.njtransit.com/sf_train_schedules_map.html

It's been a while since I lived in Fair Haven, NJ and took the train from Red Bank to the city.

I hope you are traveling light.

-David

 

[marijalas]

Newark vs New York

Oh, you don't want to deal with New York or Laguardia.. best to fly to where you want to go...New Jersey. Figure the differential re time and expense. Usually the time may be the operating factor. Is someone picking you up? There is a bus from Lag to Newark, again it is the amount of time, especially after a long flight..

 

[Avery]

Where in NJ are you going? If Northern NJ, I could see an argument for LGA if you were saving a decent amount of $ on air and are planning on renting a car anyway. If you're not planning a car rental, no way does it make sense to fly into LGA unless you are saving a bundle and it's worth it to lose a lot of time and energy in the process.

 

[billymach4]

We are going to New Jersey. Cheaper to fly into LGA, but looks like more of a hassle. Planning on taking train to New Jersey. What is best way and cost to get from LGA to Penn Station? What is time frame for traveling this trip?

How much are you actually saving by going to LGA. It really is a hassle to get over to Jersey my public transportation. I would also opt for EWR.

 

[Icarus]

The OP did say that "it looks like more of a hassle". They were probably just looking for specific details.

-David

 

[Avery]

The OP did say that "it looks like more of a hassle". They were probably just looking for specific details.

-David

Ok, it's a BIG hassle. 20 miles takes 75 minutes, give or take. Not including wait times for public transport. More time if part of the mileage is going thru Manhattan from East to West.

 

[Icarus]

I probably wouldn't do it either. But that wasn't the OPs question.

-David

 

[johnmfaeth]

LGA starts building up delays much faster than EWR. Arrive anytime but the early morning and you may spend 1-2 hours circling before landing at LGA.

 

[davhu1]

fly to Newark

IF LGA:

Driving

Map and directions
Driving takes 20-40 minutes and the tolls are around $4 depending on your route. For information on renting a car, click here. For parking information, call (718) 533-3850.

Taxis

Taxis into the city take anywhere from 20-40 minutes. They cost between $16-$26 NOT including bridge tolls (these are an additional 3 dollars). Taxis are cash only. Make sure to hail a cab in the designated areas or ask a uniformed airport employee to help you. Generally, it's polite to tip at least a dollar per bag if the taxi driver assists you.

Car Services

Gotham Limousine: For a little more than a taxi, you can have excellent service in a limo or sedan. Services such as opening doors, helping with luggage, curbside assistance, airport baggage claim greeting, suit & tie attire, and advance reservations are all standard. Visit the website for a special discount coupon and more information or call (800) 227-7997.

Bus and Van Services

New York Airport Service Express Bus:
The fare is $10, which you pay in cash to the bus driver. The busses operate once every twenty to thirty minutes between 6:45am and midnight. For exact schedules call (718) 875-8200. The trip is 40 minutes to an hour and there are several stops in Manhattan:

Grand Central Terminal, 125 Park Avenue (betw. 40 and 41st Streets)

Transfer available to hotels between 27th and 59th Streets.

Air Trans Center located in the Eighth Avenue and 42nd St. Wing of The Port Authority Bus Terminal

Penn Station, 34th Street (betw. 7th and 8th Avenues)
Express Shuttle USA (formerly Gray Line):
One-way fare is $13. The busses run from 7am to 11:30 pm to locations in Manhattan from 23rd to 96th Streets. When you arrive at the airport, go to the ground transportation desk. A shuttle bus will come to pick you up within twenty minutes of your arrival. For exact schedules call (212) 315-3006 or (800) 451-0455.

SuperShuttle: (800) BLUE VAN (258-3826)


Public Transportation

The New York City subways and buses run to LaGuardia for $2.00. If you have large quantities of luggage, you will find it very difficult to manage this trip. You will need $2.00 in change, a token or Metrocard for any public bus and a token or Metrocard for any train. For more information on fares, see our bus and train pages.
The easiest route is the M60 bus which picks you up at the airport and drops you off at 116th and Broadway in front of the gates of Columbia University. From here you can take a bus, taxi or subway to anywhere in Manhattan; we don't suggest riding the subway at night if you are new to New York.

You can also take the Q33 bus to Roosevelt Avenue-Jackson Heights or 74th Street and Broadway in Jackson Heights Queens. If you get off the bus at Roosevelt Avenue, you can catch the E or F trains into Manhattan. If you get off the bus at 74th Street, you can catch the #7 train heading into Manhattan. This train stops at Times Square where you can transfer for free to another train to take you anywhere in the city.