USA trip - airport transfers?

[chergar]

We are going to usa in November, flying in to JFK landing around 4pm local time, what is the best way to get to our accommodation? We are staying in a hotel near Times Square, looking at all the transfer options - taxi, Uber, bus, train and I just don't know what would be best. It will be 4 adults with a case each and a carry on bag each as well

Honestly the subway is doable but I prefer a taxi for ease + comfort.

I recommend downloading the MPC app to help clear through arrivals quicker - we did in NYC recently and had a 20m queue vs 90m for the regular line. Saved us loads of time!

To get a taxi, once you've claimed your bags and exited through to arrivals there's a "transportation" or similarly labelled zone in the arrivals terminal. Ignore anyone inside offering you a taxi, they're soliciting and will massively overcharge. You just get yourself into the ground transportation queue and when you're at the front they'll assign you a taxi that'll fit you + bags. It's a set fare (then with tolls / surcharges on top) so you won't get overcharged like the unlicensed cabs! There's people in uniforms assigning taxis and they're all really helpful.

I’d go Uber XL to ensure room for luggage. Your terminal will have a dedicated pick up point that the app will direct you to. Train isn’t direct and that’s not a faff I could personally be bothered with after a long flight and dragging a suitcase. My experiences with cabs in NY (and Chicago, and pretty much every big US city) have generally been really poor so I always try to avoid.

Thank you for this, what is the MPC app?

Thank you, is the Uber line near the taxi bit or is it somewhere else?

Ooh watching with interst as we go in a couple of months and I wasnt sre best transport to get to hotel.!

@chergar

MPC is like a skip the line style app for pre approving parts of your entry - it's mobile passport control.

You enter your details, what you're using to enter (eg. VISA waiver like an ESTA) and take a photo once you've landed. It then will tell you to go to a certain agent / queue at the airport for passport control - saved us loads of time 😃 I think if it's your first ever time in the US you can't use it but worth checking out the app 😊

We did 4 adults with hold bags and carry on bags from JFK to Manhattan in June. It’s a fixed fare of $70 plus tolls and congestion charge, came to about $85 in total.

https://www.jfkairport.com/to-from-airport/taxi-car-and-van-service

You just need to follow the airport signs for taxis and get a yellow cab.

Another vote for uber. There's no direct subway from JFK to Manhattan, so you need to take the Air Train to Jamaica (runs direct from certain terminals, but I can't remember which ones off the top of my head) and then transfer to the subway to Manhattan. The whole thing probably takes under 1.5 hrs, but it's a bit of a faff, particularly if you're hauling suitcases.

You can pre-book here
www.uber.com/global/en/r/airports/jfk/car-service/

As an aside, I'm a native New Yorker and I always do uber when I'm back - New York taxis are awful, imo.

*I swear I have no affiliation with Uber (and never use them in London) 😅

Uber is a taxi you call via an app on your phone. There's no line for it. We were there recently and got a taxi (yellow cab) from outside the airport building at midnight.

I get it if you’re considering airport transfers in the USA—it can be a bit of a headache. It’s such a nice touch, especially after a long flight. You get to kick back in style, and it’s way more comfortable than cramming into a shuttle.

At work I use King Limo to book cars from the airports in the US. They meet you right at arrivals and you can just book it online and it gives you the cost. V reliable.

I’d recommend looking into a limousine rental near me. Plus, the drivers usually know the area well, so you can skip the stress of navigating traffic or finding your way around.
Having a reliable ride waiting for you removes that travel chaos. You might even want to treat yourself to that upgrade—you deserve it! It makes the whole trip feel special right from the start.

Is it this one: Fleet - King Limo Worldwide

Is it this one: Fleet - King Limo Worldwide

You can get a cab from outside the terminal- no need to book, and flat fare of about $85. The regular cabs from JFK into the city are fine, in my opinion (native New Yorker). For 4 people you will be given one of the larger cabs; there are two sizes. If you want to save money, the air train to Jamaica and then take the E to Times Square- you would save about $40, or a little more, depending how generously you tip.

At 4PM, your cab will not be very fast so you would probably only save a little time by taking the cab, but it would be a lot less hassle.

If going on public transit, take the air train to Jamaica and the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) into Grand Central then take the subway S shuttle to Times Square.

Suggestions using the subway from Jamaica are out of date, unless going somewhere other than central Manhattan of course.

But for 4 pax it’s easier to just get a licensed cab as described above.

Zombie thread

Following as going soon too

I would go by Uber as you have 8 bags not counting any personal bags, plus it's a long flight/fatigue may kick in.

Does you hotel offer it's own transfer service?

I booked a transfer with the hotel directly the last time I was in the States (different location admittedly). It worked brilliantly - and my flight was delayed so arrived later than anticipated.

Yes that's the one. I've been to NYC twice actually since this post was started and both times I've got a cab at the airport. As another poster said, it's a fixed rate into manhattan. But King are really reliable if you want something a bit more luxurious.

By far the cheapest option is the subway but if you're a first time visitor the NYC then I wouldn't suggest this as it's a tricky journey involving the Airtrain. It's the most 'New York' way of doing it but would be stressful with kids and luggage.

As PP have suggested, taxi or Uber would be best. The taxi is a fixed price and will include tolls and whilst not cheap, at least you know the cost in advance. Uber can vary quite wildly in my experience.

Hope you have a great trip

Just re-read your post and saw that it was four adults and no kids. Doesn't really change anything in my reply though.