Flying back to UK from JFK, how near to JFK should we stay the night before?

[Arct1cTern]

Flight 7.30 pm but got to get car back for 1.00. Coming from Litchfield Hills direction. Ever cautious do wants us an hour away. Soooo much hanging around, is it necessary?

I dont think I understand, you fly at 7:30am so the car has to be taken back at 1pm the previous afternoon?

I would just stay in Manhattan the night before your flight?

I'm probably not understanding though.

Whereabouts in Lichfield hills? Why do you have to get your car back by 1.30pm if your flight is six hours later? Is it going back to the airport? Can you change what time to take it back? JFK is a rubbish airport. I would get there as late as possible!

Oh sorry 7:30pm so drop the car at 1pm then go to Manhattan then go back for your flight? Or can you just extend the hire on the car?

Flight 7.30pm, car back 13.00-14.00 that afternoon.We’re doing the Vermont spine route the day before we go back then coming down route 7, got to decide where to stay the night before JFK.

Would there be luggage lockers, there is 5 of us.

Actually we could take the car back earlier, whenever we like. Don’t know whether to squeeze more into the day before in Vermont and stay further away from JFK or get to Danbury, drop car early and head elsewhere after your suggestion. Where is near?

Just change your car return time.

If that's not possible I'd return the car as early as possible, dump your bags (of course there will be left luggage, it's an international airport - Google it!) then get the train into Manhatten for lunch.

'where is near?'

Use Google maps. Have a look.

Dp worried about missing flight,I’m more worried about bored teenagers for hours.

We’d just go for dinner at the airport and do some shopping, by the time you’ve checked in and gone through security, there won’t be a massive amount of time left.

Why can't you return your car later?

Has to be back in that time slit( got a good deal).

Just wondering what roads to JFK are like in the direction we’re coming from. Do they get stuffed up?

Definitely don't stay at the airport for hours, it's seriously dull.

Get to JFK early, dump your luggage and get a taxi to Manhattan for the day? It's an hourish each way (less in good conditions).

It's an international airport for a major city - of course the roads get stuffed up. So leave plenty of time. But as a pp says, dump the car as early as poss then go have a day in NYC. Get a taxi to the lower East side, lunch at a cool brunch place, wander round, wish you'd spent your whole holiday there and then get a cab back to JFK.

Or if you book ahead/manage your time, get the car in really early you could even do a touristy thing - Top of the Rock, couple of hours in MOMA, whatever.

It’s the luggage that will be an issue. Also we will have spent a week there a month earlier. How accessible is Brooklyn or Long Island? Bit worried about expense to store luggage and taxis and how long it would take to get luggage back( queues).

Also.beware US airports even major ones such as JFK are not as equipped as say Heathrow or Gatwick!

By the time you have paid to leave luggage/taxis etc surely you could just extend the car hire?

There is next to nothing to do at JFK I dont recommend staying there longer than necessary.

You can get the air train from jfk into queens then get the subway into Brooklyn of Manhattan
See how early you can bag drop

What is baggage drop like in JFK, some reviews for some say long lines to get bags back.

I'd visit Coney Island, drop the car, store the luggage; www.nyctourist.com/travel_jfk.htm and then get an Uber to Coney Island, i think teens would love that! But def drop car earlier if you can, or later and visit Coney Island! It's about 30 mins from jfk

"Would there be luggage lockers, there is 5 of us".

No, there are no luggage lockers at JFK airport due to security reasons.

You will need to check in around 3 hours before your flight to the UK so this would be at 4.30pm.

There does appear to be some kind of baggage storage in all the terminals though.

Definitely luggage storage at JFK.

www.jfkbaggage.com/

I'd second either dropping the car earlier or much later. 1pm is too late to head far off, but far too early to hang around the airport.