Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
AirTrains: Newark & JFK—
The Very Good & the Pretty Good
First the very good: A few years ago, a rail link revolution-
ized the process of connecting by public transportation to
Newark-Liberty International Airport:
AirTrain Newark,
which now connects Newark-Liberty with Manhattan via a
speedy monorail/rail link.
Even though you have to make a connection, the system
is fast, pleasant, affordable, and easy to use. Each arrivals
terminal at Newark Airport has a station for the AirTrain, so
follow the signs once you collect your bags. All AirTrains
head to
Newark International Airport Station,
where you
transfer to a
NJ Transit
train. NJ Transit will deliver you to
New York Penn Station in Midtown.
The trip from my apartment on Manhattan's Upper West
Side to the Newark Alitalia terminal, for example, was under
a half-hour and cost me less than $14 ($11.55 for the AirTrain
link via Penn Station plus $2 for the subway to get to Penn
Station). That's a savings of at least $35, compared to what it
would have been if I took a cab, not to mention the time I
saved. NJ Transit trains run two to three times an hour dur-
ing peak travel times (once an hour during early and late
hours), and depart from their own lobby/waiting area in
Penn Station; you can check the schedules on monitors
before you leave the airport terminal, and again at the train
station. NJ Transit tickets can be purchased from vending
machines at both the air terminal and the train station (no
ticket is required to board the AirTrain). The one-way fare is
$11.25 (children 4 and under ride free). On your return trip
to the airport, the AirTrain is far more predictable, time-wise,
than subjecting yourself to the whims of traffic.
Note that travelers heading to points beyond the city can
also pick up Amtrak and other NJ Transit trains at Newark
International Airport Station to their final destinations.
for tolls and a tip (8pm-6am a $1 surcharge also applies on New
York yellow cabs). Taxis have a limit of four passengers, so if there are
more in your group, you'll have to take more than one cab.
•
From JFK:
A flat rate of $45 to Manhattan (plus tolls and tip)
is charged. The meter will not be turned on and the surcharge
