I will be in Midtown Manhattan, how would i get to Jfk from there? Cabs are too much money, and I heard that the subway does not go there...

The subway does go there, I took it last July 4th weekend. The "A" train to Howard Beach Station (JFK). It's not the most convenient as you must take a bus from the train station to the airport terminal, but you do avoid the traffic in the streets above. I went with a group of 4 guys, so it was relatively safe. But I heard later from my friend who lived in NYC 10 years ago that the "A" train to/from JFK had a horrible reputation (nicknamed, the "animal" train) of being very un-safe. You can get more info from this website: http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/subway/

Good luck!!

[This message has been edited by egtravel (edited 08-22-2003).]

[This message has been edited by egtravel (edited 08-22-2003).]

I used a shuttle last year - about 16 dollars IIRC.

Just had a quick look, and the one I used (Grayline) doesn't seem to be operating any more... but found a link to www.supershuttle.com which may be worth checking out.

(Edited for spelling0

[This message has been edited by Aviatrix (edited 08-22-2003).]

New York Airport service runs a bus from Port Authority (leaves from 42 St.), which then stops at Grand Central, but if you're not getting out at the first stop, make sure you keep an eye on your luggage. There's another bus from Port Authority that runs less frequently. Supershuttle, which is great in some locations, is not very good in New York. Until they decide the train is safe, I'm afraid the options are unappealing.

try this for info

http://www.panynj.com/aviation/jgtsfram.htm

Here's the way I go:

If I'm on the East side, I take the E train (I pick it up at 53rd and 3rd) to the Continental Avenue (Forest Hills) station in Queens. I then grab a cab or a car service from there. It takes about 45 minutes and costs less than $20. (You could save a little money by staying on the E train all the way to Jamaica Station and then grabbing a cab/car service or bus -- there's direct, non-stop bus service from the LIRR Jamaica Station to JFK.)

If I'm on the West side, I'll take the LIRR to Jamaica Station and then take either a cab or car service or the direct bus noted above.

The A train is perfectly safe during the day and at rush hour. If you want to take the subway, feel free.

Ive taken the A train at all hours and if you keep to yourself--your fine. During the day up until even midnight, its totally cool. A lot has changed w/ the subway nowadays..its safer and more efficient.

I take the A train all the time from Midtown to JFK..takes about 70-90 minutes total and is $2....You'll be fine.

[This message has been edited by kdinino (edited 08-22-2003).]

I agree that the A train is perfectly safe. So if price is the ultimate consideration, it's the way to go. If you're willing to spend a little more for a quicker ride, consider my suggestions above.

Just remember that the free Port Authority bus from the Howard Beach subway station of the A train to the JFK terminals will soon be replaced by the Port Authority Airtrain - at a cost of $5!
The cheapest way to JFK then will be the A train to Lefferts Blvd. or the E/F train to Kew Gardens and then the Q10 bus to JFK or the 3 train to New Lots Ave. and the B15 bus to JFK.

[This message has been edited by Track (edited 08-22-2003).]

[This message has been edited by Track (edited 08-22-2003).]

Hopefully someone can help me out on this...

My wife and I are arriving LGA at 12noon and we have a flight out of JFK at 6pm.
This would be our first time in NYC.
IS there something we could do for a few hours?
Mabey go down to Ground Zero(pay respect) or Statue of Liberty?
We will both have rollable luggage w/backpacks - so would like to lose the bags first.
Any suggestions for what we could do, taking into consideration the bags -etc, would be very helpful.
We also don't have lots of extra $$$ to drop on cabs - so we would probally be limited to public transportation.

Thanks for any suggestions.

What is this Jamaica-to-JFK bus of which you speak? How often does it run? Is it reliable? Such a service would make things easier for me but I've done some research before and it always looked to me that until AirTrain is finished the options between Jamaica and JFK airport were pretty dismal. (There are city buses that run from JFK to the Jamaica *bus terminal*, I think, but that's not near the Jamaica *train station*.) One thing I do know is that there usually aren't any cabs hanging around the Jamaica LIRR station - I wouldn't recommend "grabbing a cab" from there to anyone who doesn't know the neighborhood.

It's been a long time since I've taken it, but I think it may be operated by Carey. I only knew about it because of a sign at the airport advertising prices for their buses to three locations: Manhattan, LGA and Jamaica Station. (Now that I think about it, it would make sense for the bus from LGA-JFK to stop at Jamaica Station.) Anyhow, check the JFK or Carey websites for info.

After originally posting this response, I went online and learned that Carey is now called New York Airport Service. They did not show the JFK-Jamaica schedule on the web site, but I did find this reference:

Fare to and from Jamaica Station is $5.00. Reservation is not available on our website. For this service, call (212) 875-8200 for further details.



[This message has been edited by Blumie (edited 08-22-2003).]

You might want to start a new thread on this subject, as it may get lost here. In any event, what you want to do could be tough given the travel times from LGA to Manhattan and Manhattan to JFK, particularly on public transportation (but even in cabs), and also considering you want to lose the luggage.

You might have enough time, however, to at least have lunch in the city. Here's what I propose. From LGA, ask a cab to take you to the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue and Broadway in Jackson Heights, Queens. That will set you back less than $10, including tip. (Cab drivers hate these short rides from the airport, but at least on this trip, the driver will get a "shortie" from the dispatcher, entitling him to cut to the front of the cab line when he returns to LGA.) Then hop in the subway and take the E, F or V train into Manhattan. Total travel time from when you get in the cab until you first reach Manhattan should be about 30 minutes, longer the further crosstown or downtown you go. (For good lunch recommendations, go to www.chowhound.com and post on the Manhattan board asking for recommendations near any E, F or V station. Make sure to indicate what you're looking to spend.) Then after lunch, hop back on whatever train you took to the city, take it back out to Queens, and then follow my recommendations above for getting to JFK. You almost certainly can do all this in the time allotted and don't have to worry about ditching your luggage.

[This message has been edited by Blumie (edited 08-22-2003).]

For restaurants - I would suggest skipping the Manhattan trip and staying in Queens. Right near the Jackson Heights station mentioned above are some of the best Indian/Thai /Vietnamese restaurants you could eat in - better than in Manhattan.
Check the http://www.chowhound.com/boards/outer/outer.html
message boards for recommendations on restaurants such as Jackson Diner or Sripaphai, among others. Then after a good lunch, go directly from Jackson Heights to JFK.

If you want to stop at a museum, go to the MOMA QNS, right next to the 7 train.