Originally Posted by
exilencfc
1- How long does it take to get from Penn Station to JFK in the evening rush hour? (By LIRR and Air Train unless there's a better route). Also i'd like to confirm that if I buy a $20 metrocard I can use that on the JFK airtrain but i'd need to buy a ticket for the LIRR
I normally budget 2 hours, 15 minutes between when I leave my office in Midtown to my scheduled departure time via LIRR. Since you're less familiar with NYC, you will want to leave a bit more time, but generally, the most I've had to wait in the afternoon peak for a train once at Penn Station is ~10 minutes, followed by a ~30 minute ride, and then ~15 minutes of waiting for the airtrain/riding it to the terminal.