JFK vs EWR
 

hello - we live halfway between EWR and PHL and have used EWR several times using off-airport lots with shuttle service with zero issues......looking to fly international mid 2025 and checking flights out of all NYC area airports..... but seeing more flight options with some savings if you fly out of JFK.
should we just stick with EWR or is there a reasonable way to use JFK via car? we are used to driving to EWR or PHL so we don't want to mess around with mass transit prior to 14 hours in the air.
i have posted this question before on diff forums and i have gotten a wide range of answers but usually everyone says to avoid JFK but just checking again...thx

Um, why would you post this inquiry in the Japan forum? You might want to alert a Moderator and request that this thread be moved to the FT New York City forum.

To answer your question, it's certainly possible to drive from Central/Southern NJ to JFK, but it will not always be fast. You would probably want to take the Outerbridge Crossing or Goethals Bridge to Staten Island, and then the Verrazano to Brooklyn.
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The drive from central Jersey to JFK will likely be a cluster. Unless the cost savings are significant, or there is a nonstop routing not available from EWR or PHL, stick with those two.

Note EWR will go through a fairly long runway construction project, with runway closure on weekends and also continuous days throughout 2025.

​​​​​​Take that into consideration, as it's not going to be fun.

To be concrete, this would add 2.5-3h each way, setting aside the additional hassles/frustration? That's my guess, I've never driven from EWR area to JFK.

From there, it's up to you if that experience is worth the savings.

From Princeton Junction (which is roughly halfway between PHL and EWR) to JFK, here is the Google Maps estimate of drive time, departing late this afternoon. Day of week and time of day can significantly affect drive time:

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...03965d3f1d.png
Edited to add: Of course, additional time must be allowed to get from your JFK parking lot to your departure terminal.

I agree with others in the thread that unless there's a really good reason to pick JFK over EWR, I'd stick with EWR.

That said, if the drives would both be at times when there's not likely to be much traffic (like late at night, or early on a weekend morning), then JFK looks a little more reasonable. I drove a friend from JFK to Princeton, NJ last spring and it was easy (maybe added 45 minutes vs. arriving at EWR), but that was at 7am on Saturday and allowed him to take a nonstop from HKG at a time that worked better for him. If his flight had arrived at 10am on a weekday, arriving at EWR would likely cut 2+ hours off of the trip.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has a cheaper rail (train) connection from New Jersey's Penn station to a station near the World Trade Centre going via the Hudson Tubes. Amtrak's trains run into New York's Penn station and are more expensive.

I'd go by public transport to JFK, why would anyone want all the stress of driving a car there? And public transport is more 'fossil fuel efficient' so it will give you a nice warm glow knowing you are saving the planet (just before spewing tonnes of CO2 and other poisonous fumes all across the Atlantic!)

(Emphasis added.)

Not necessarily. When booked sufficiently in advance, Amtrak from Princeton Junction to New York Penn Station can be very cheap:

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...74bb9fdf98.png

I'm seeing Amtrak fares during daytime hours as low as $13 from PJC.

And from New York Penn Station, one has the option of taking the Long Island Rail Road to the Jamaica JFK AirTrain terminal; from the PATH World Trade Center station in lower Manhattan, one is limited to the subway.

Amtrak can be expensive on last minute tickets (much like air ticket), but when buying in advance, they are usually not. I just bought a fully refundable ticket from DC to NYC for $30.

If going with public transport from south NJ to JFK, adding PATH would a terrible solution in this case. We can meet in the middle: NJTransit to Penn -> LIRR -> Airtrain JFK

Some NJT NEC train goes express after Metro Park station.

It's not a huge price difference from Newark Penn to NYC when comparing PATH cost ($2.75) and NJT cost ($6), but you would save at least an hour upon arrival at destination when choosing NJT.

Due to recent projects, PATH has been horrendous, especially on weekends - up to 40 minute wait between trains on the Newark - World Trade Center line. While NJT has its own issues in terms of gap schedule, you can take NJT from NJ all the way to NY, you would have to time an additional transfer with PATH.

Note that with advance purchase, Amtrak can actually be cheaper than NJTransit on a route like PJC-NYP, unless one qualifies for half-fare (senior or disabled) on NJT. The same is true for travel to Newark Airport Rail Station, where Amtrak fares include the AirTrain fee!

Of course, NJTransit operates more frequent service than Amtrak does.

But for two people -- especially if they are traveling with heavy and/or bulky luggage -- I can see the appeal of driving to the airport.

Agreed. The downside, however, as you had alluded to, some smaller stations are not frequently served by Amtrak.

​​​​​​The more damaging downside would be being tied to the ticketed Amtrak train, especially when it's delayed. Since NJT tickets have no restrictions on the train set, it is more flexible.

I rode from New Brunswick to New York Penn the other day on NJT for $16.10 (and an additional 20% off via AMEX offer). If schedule had aligned, I could have potentially saved a few backs on Amtrak by buying it in advance, but I probably wouldn't anyway - just higher risks.

I "commuted" from NYC to BWI to catch a flight with 4 hrs in between, and it was tense every single time :) - constant refreshes of next station arrival, departure, live train location tracking - did it for 6 times between Nov and Dec of 2024 (luckily made all flights, barely on one, and luckily only had to do it in one direction; return flight directly to NY).

Let's be realistic, nobody who lives in suburban, Central NJ (where I grew up) is going to take Amtrak/NJT to LIRR to AirTrain. MAYBE you could convince a solo traveler to take Amtrak/NJT to EWR, though certainly not a whole family.
We almost always flew from EWR, it was a 40 minute drive (PHL was probably 1h). On a few occasions we had to go to JFK (e.g., group trip to Israel; only option was El Al from JFK back then)

In any event, yes, best case at very off hours is that JFK adds maybe 30 minutes (38 minutes to EWR from my childhood home right now per Google Maps, vs. 1h6m to JFK), but it could easily take an additional 30-60 minutes or more.

Thank you for posting this. I was reading this thread thinking ... has anyone actually done this before?

OP - stay on this side of the river. Unless absolutely necessary (i.e. airline preference, connection, etc) there is no reason to go to queens. I'm not sure where you're headed, but it was mentioned that you posted this in the Japan forum. I fly EWR-HND several times a year and both outbound and return (customs) are nonevents.

Edit - my home base is north NJ (bergen county) for reference

I actually know a family of three from Livingston, NJ, who took public transportation (an Uber to Newark Penn Station, followed by NJ Transit, LIRR, and the JFK AirTrain) to JFK last summer for relatively cheap Business Class award tickets on AA to LHR. Ordinarily, they would fly out of EWR.

Some people really dislike having to drive through NYC to get to JFK.