New York City - Suggestions to get to Port Authority from Jamaica Station? (Within 35 mins & cheap))

Hello fellow travelers!

I am looking at quickest (and cheaper) options to get to Port Authority from Jamaica Station.

My only concern with the routing I have put together below is whether I'll have enough time between landing time at JFK to boarding Peterpan bus to Union station Hartford (CT) from Port Authority (that is time interval from landing at JFK to boarding Peterpan is 7pm-8:30pm).I will not have any checked-in bags. It is imperative that I make it to Union Station Hartford CT prior to midnight same day to avail a shuttle arranged for me.

Can you please give me an estimate on how much time Jamaica AirTrain takes to get to Port-Authority?

Is it true that LIRR is faster from Jamaica Station, and then I can walk to Port Authority from Penn Station for the PeterPan bus?

If so,how do I get to LIRR from Jamaica Station?

--
From JFK to Port Authority (via AirTrain)
- Landing time 7pm.Clear immigration and customs within 7:30pm.
- Board AirTrain Jamaica Station.
- Jamaica Station:Take Subway E-42nd Street (Port Authority/Bus Terminal; 625 8th Avenue & W 42nd Street)

From Port Authority to Hartford Union Station (via Peterpan Bus)
-Peterpan bus departing at 8:30pm from Port Authority.
-Disembark at Hartford Union Station (8:30pm bus is last one for the day).
Arrival time: 11:30pm.

--

I will not have any checked baggage since I will have one carry-on that will suffice.So that should expedite immigration and customs clearance at the airport to board Jamaica AirTrain by 7:30pm latest, I hope....

Any help appreciated! Thanks!

The LIRR may be faster, but given the additional time to get to PA from Penn Station, I think you may be better off just taking the E train at Jamaica.

Let's assume you leave customs at 7:30.

It appears that while Peter Pan's last run is at 8:30, Greyhound has another one at 10:30 (may depend on the day). If the 8:30 is the last one that you can take because you have to be in Hartford by midnight, you probably need a taxi from JFK to PABT. If not, I think a Greyhound ticket will be good for either departure.

I haven't timed the AirTrain, but the brochure has it at 10 minutes from Terminal 8 (the closest) to Jamaica, so maybe 13 minutes from Terminal 4. That's before transfer at both ends and waiting time, so I think 20 minutes is very optimistic, if not impossible, even if you run very fast from customs to the AirTrain station at the terminal and from the AirTrain station at Jamaica to the LIRR.

Assuming it is a weekday, there is an LIRR train at 7:50 arriving Penn Station 8:09. (The previous and next LIRR trains are 7:33 arriving 7:50and 8:03 arriving 8:25.) If you get out of customs at 7:30 you will probably miss this. If you do get this train, and it arrives on time at 8:09, you should have enough time to run out of the station and to the gate at the PABT by 8:30, though not by much.

Via the E (trains every 5-6 minutes at that time), you would similarly have to be lucky to make the train leaving Jamaica around 7:52 and arriving at 42 St around 8:25, and then run to try to make the bus which, again, would require luck especially if you are not familiar with the terminal and where you should be located on the train.

Neither one is really a good option if making the 8:30 is important.

http://mta.info/nyct/service/pdf/tecur.pdf
http://mta.info/lirr/Timetable/Branch/CityTerminalBranch.pdf
http://www.panynj.gov/bus-terminals/pabt-terminal-map.html

Let's assume you leave customs at 7:30.

It appears that while Peter Pan's last run is at 8:30, Greyhound has another one at 10:30 (may depend on the day). If the 8:30 is the last one that you can take because you have to be in Hartford by midnight, you probably need a taxi from JFK to PABT. If not, I think a Greyhound ticket will be good for either departure.

I haven't timed the AirTrain, but the brochure has it at 10 minutes from Terminal 8 (the closest) to Jamaica, so maybe 13 minutes from Terminal 4. That's before transfer at both ends and waiting time, so I think 20 minutes is very optimistic, if not impossible, even if you run very fast from customs to the AirTrain station at the terminal and from the AirTrain station at Jamaica to the LIRR.

Assuming it is a weekday, there is an LIRR train at 7:50 arriving Penn Station 8:09. (The previous and next LIRR trains are 7:33 arriving 7:50and 8:03 arriving 8:25.) If you get out of customs at 7:30 you will probably miss this. If you do get this train, and it arrives on time at 8:09, you should have enough time to run out of the station and to the gate at the PABT by 8:30, though not by much.

Via the E (trains every 5-6 minutes at that time), you would similarly have to be lucky to make the train leaving Jamaica around 7:52 and arriving at 42 St around 8:25, and then run to try to make the bus which, again, would require luck especially if you are not familiar with the terminal and where you should be located on the train.

Neither one is really a good option if making the 8:30 is important.

http://mta.info/nyct/service/pdf/tecur.pdf
http://mta.info/lirr/Timetable/Branch/CityTerminalBranch.pdf
http://www.panynj.gov/bus-terminals/pabt-terminal-map.html

Thanks for your thorough response,NoName678! So,I just spoke with a Greyhound representative and they do have a bus at 10:30pm tomorrow from PABT-Hartford Union Station,Thursday (2 Aug). It's strange that when I looked up their schedules on the website,this is still not coming up,but I spoke to them and they do have one.

Now,my day has become infinitely easier!

I am now trying to push back my shuttle from Hartford to 1:15am when I arrive there on Greyhound.If that goes through, this is it!

Agree that PeterPan's 8:30pm is too ambitious.Besides Greyhound at 10:30pm, I am curious if you had any alternatives to suggest to reach Hartford soon after midnight/wee hours of Friday morning at least?

Thanks!

Megabus has a departure on August 2 that leaves at 10:30 pm from 34th street between 11th and 12th Ave. and arrives Hartford at 12:45 am. Fare is $12

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

I like Megabus, and have taken it often. But if I were the OP, I would opt for Greyhound over Megabus for this particular trip. Greyhound leaves from the PABT, so the OP can take the E train right there, and never have to go out on the street. In addition, Greyhound will arrive at a bus station in Hartford; Megabus drops off on the street.

It's strange that when I looked up their schedules on the website,this is still not coming up,but I spoke to them and they do have one.For whatever reason, I did (and do) see it. If you happen to get there by 8:30 you can take that one, if I am not mistaken, since Greyhound tickets are for any run on the stated day (it is actually the same as the Peter Pan run). Of course if your shuttle is coming at 1:15 there would not be much point.

Besides Greyhound at 10:30pm, I am curious if you had any alternatives to suggest to reach Hartford soon after midnight/wee hours of Friday morning at least?I don't think so. Amtrak would work on Friday but not Thursday. Metro-North can take you from Grand Central to New Haven but I think (not really familiar) you would be looking at an expensive cab ride, unless you can get the shuttle to pick you up there (it's around 40 miles from Hartford to New Haven).Thanks!You're welcome.

Thanks for your suggestions folks!

So I'll just take the Greyhound at 10:30pm.Yet to hear confirmation on my 1:15am shuttle though, but Greyhound's the only feasible practical solution.

The LIRR may be faster, but given the additional time to get to PA from Penn Station, I think you may be better off just taking the E train at Jamaica.
I disagree with this. So long as you don't have a long wait for a Penn Station-bound LIRR train at Jamaica, I think the LIRR to Penn Station and then walking or taking the A,C or E to Port Authority is quicker than taking the E the whole way.

I disagree with this. So long as you don't have a long wait for a Penn Station-bound LIRR train at Jamaica, I think the LIRR to Penn Station and then walking or taking the A,C or E to Port Authority is quicker than taking the E the whole way.

You are correct but the difference in time is minimal.
Lirr fromjamaica to penn is 20-21 mins
E train to 42nd is 35-37 mins.

It takes approx. 10 mins to walk from 33 to 41st for non local pace

Remove the wait time and extra minutes to/from platforms the time difference is about 5 mins. E is slightly more convenient as one avoids weather in exchange or the 5 min.

As op doesn't have same urgency the cheper option may win out over slightly faster.

Unless the OP is familiar with the locales, everybody was ignoring the time needed to navigate gate to airtrain (Jet Blue is a 10 minute walk!), Jamaica Station (subway and airtrain are at opposite ends of the LIRR station), and the relatively large complex of the 42 st/8 av station and PA Bus Terminal (I usually need 10-15 mins just to find where my bus leaves from after entering the building...).

It was implied in my posting but I would have to agree one should consider all times posted from station to station or more specific boarding transport vehicle until destination station (PA Station or 42nd station). Doesn't include walkway, elevators, turnstiles, etc.

If you're going to take the Megabus at 34th street between 11th and 12th Ave, then take the LIRR to Penn station. But if you're going to Port Authority, then take the E train.