New York City - Easy vs. Cheap: Help me get from EWR vs LGA to Times Square

We're flying to NYC in May. Our hotel is in Times Square. We'll be arriving around 4pm on a Thursday afternoon. The airline ticket price is about the same to come in at EWR or LGA.

Which airport would be best for us to fly into??


Here are all the factors that are making it hard for me to plan:

1) Money ~ this trip is already costing a lot, so any I can save on transportation would be appreciated

2) Time ~ We're in town for only 2 1/2 days, so I've got to pack a lot in a little bit of time

3) Luggage ~ We have teen girls! Enough said!

*BUT*
3) As a family of two 50-something adults traveling with 2 teenagers, we are the proverbial clueless tourists so it would be nice to be as simple (idiot-proof) as possible.

Please advise me....
Should we come in at EWR and take the trains?
Or come in at LGA and take, what? A bus??
Or just pay the big price and hail a cab???

Thanks so much for your help. This is going to be such a fun trip!:D

Short answer: LGA + Taxi.

Long answer: http://flyerguide.com/wiki/index.php/NYC_Airports_to_Manhattan_Transportation_FAQ

Welcome to flyertalk!

Being 4 people, that changes the economics a bit. A cab from LaGuardia won't be more than 4x $12.50 train fares from Newark, and it will probably be faster, certainly more convenient and simpler.

There's a sticky at the top of this forum, that has links to the information you need about transit from all NYC airports.

(Edited: themicah beat me to it.)

if you fly into EWR, your best bet would be the. Newark Airport Express Bus. Picks up at all three Terminals, and drops at the Port Authority Bus Terminal (as well as Bryant Park and Grand Central Terminal)

Cost is 15.00 per person, or 27.00 round trip. Leaves every 15 minutes from 5:00am until 1:00am.

You may also want to look at www.dial7.com. They offer towncar service usually for cheaper than cabs. If my memory serves me, from EWR, it would be 46.00 plus 16.00 in tolls for them, versus 55.00 plus 16.00 in tolls for a cab. Their website would give you a price quote. They also serve.LGA as well.

We're flying to NYC in May. Our hotel is in Times Square. We'll be arriving around 4pm on a Thursday afternoon. The airline ticket price is about the same to come in at EWR or LGA.

Which airport would be best for us to fly into??If the fares are near the same, fly into LGA and take a taxi. Second best is JFK as you can take the Airtrain and then take the E into Times Square (42nd St). If you really want to take a taxi, you can. It's a flat $45 plus tolls and tip. EWR is a pain. If that is the cheapest, fly there and take car service (Dial 7).

Have fun!

We're flying to NYC in May. Our hotel is in Times Square. We'll be arriving around 4pm on a Thursday afternoon. The airline ticket price is about the same to come in at EWR or LGA.

Which airport would be best for us to fly into??


Here are all the factors that are making it hard for me to plan:

1) Money ~ this trip is already costing a lot, so any I can save on transportation would be appreciated

2) Time ~ We're in town for only 2 1/2 days, so I've got to pack a lot in a little bit of time

3) Luggage ~ We have teen girls! Enough said!

*BUT*
3) As a family of two 50-something adults traveling with 2 teenagers, we are the proverbial clueless tourists so it would be nice to be as simple (idiot-proof) as possible.

Please advise me....
Should we come in at EWR and take the trains?
Or come in at LGA and take, what? A bus??
Or just pay the big price and hail a cab???

Thanks so much for your help. This is going to be such a fun trip!:D

LGA will give you more options for a cheaper ride in. NYC Airporter which is the bus service sometimes have a special of $5 per person into Manhattan. If you can see if you can snag the $5 for the return too. That's $10 per person return. They transport your luggage for free with you on the bus and then you can either get off at Bryant Park or the Port Authority bus station depending on which side of Time Square you are on.

And if worse comes to worse you can get a cab from LGA to Times Square for around $30 plus tip and toll.

Take a taxi from LGA. Would you be checking bags? Would all your bags fit into the truck of a regular taxi?
If not, call a car service and I think their cars have larger trunks.

Arriving at 4 pm I'd use a fixed-price transportation option (like a car service) rather than a metered taxi, because rush hour traffic could really slow you down. If you have to wait for checked baggage that will put you on the roads around 5 pm. If you're a bit adventurous and you can keep luggage to a minimum, the Q33 bus + subway (E train) would take you directly to the western edge of Times Square. At that hour you'd be traveling the opposite way of folks going home, and at $2.25/pp you can't beat the price. To keep your luggage down, a) tell your girls that everyone wears black anyway (pretty much true) and b) threaten them with no shopping if they insist on bringing everything they have. How much does anyone need to bring for 2 1/2 days anyway?

Its amazing what a "you carry it" policy can do to encourage young ladies to pack lighter. My son on the other hand always lived out of a cram-packed backpack and was so rumpled I encouraged him to trade up.

Having had a few bad cab and car service experiences I do the bus and train. But now closer to 60 than 50 I know our window for chucking four days worth of luggage over the turnstile is winding down. Never again on a really hot day, but I really hate paying a cab.

The reverse trip I do train out to Astoria Blvd. and catch the M60.

Its amazing what a "you carry it" policy can do to encourage young ladies to pack lighter.You know it! I learned that lesson as a teenager and that's stayed with me. :)

At that hour you'd be traveling the opposite way of folks going home,
A LOT of folks will be getting on the E train at Lex, 5th, 7th and 50th to get to PA/NYP. :-:

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" If you're a bit adventurous and you can keep luggage to a minimum, the Q33 bus + subway (E train) would take you directly to the western edge of Times Square."

Several LGA buses have connections to Times Square-bound subways. The Q72 connects to the #7 train at Junction Boulevard. The Q33 also connects to the #7 at 82nd Street/Roosevelt Avenue. The M60 connects to the Q and R at Astoria Boulevard.

If going by public transportation, I would take whichever one of those three buses arrived first.

The reverse trip I do train out to Astoria Blvd. and catch the M60.

The M60 is cheaper, but you might find that the few extra bucks for a cab to LGA is worth it depending on the luggage you're carrying.

I regularly take public transit to the NYC-area airports, but if I were to be checking a bag, I would take a cab to LGA.

if you fly into EWR, your best bet would be the. Newark Airport Express Bus. Picks up at all three Terminals, and drops at the Port Authority Bus Terminal (as well as Bryant Park and Grand Central Terminal)

Cost is 15.00 per person, or 27.00 round trip. Leaves every 15 minutes from 5:00am until 1:00am.


I second this one...good option. I work in Times Square and have used this bus a few times. It's always been a smooth ride. Of course, I've only done it without a lot of luggage, so you would have to either carry your luggage a few blocks or get a cab from PABT.