From the airport to the city centre New York (Manhattan)
New York is served by three airports: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).
To reach Manhattan by subway from JFK, the international airport in Queens, you must first take the AirTrain (US$8 + US$1 for the card), which runs 24 hours a day. There are two AirTrain lines, which will take you to two stations: Howard Beach Station, where you can take the A subway line; and Jamaica Station, where the E, J and Z subway lines are located. They all go into Manhattan. Upon exiting the AirTrain, you will need to purchase your MetroCard. The single ride, even from the airport, is US$2.75. The Long Island Railroad (LIRR), a fast train that serves Penn Station, also leaves from Jamaica Station (ride from US$ 7 to US$ 10.75 depending on the time you take the train).
If you are tired after your trip, you can of course take a mythical yellow cab as soon as you arrive at the airport. Just follow the "Ground Transportation" sign from your arrival terminal, then the "Taxi" sign, where you will join the queue. A uniformed officer will ask you for your destination, which he will tell the driver. The flat rate for a trip from JFK to Manhattan is US$70 (not including tolls, tips and a US$5 rush hour surcharge). For Brooklyn, it is between US$ 63 and US$ 78, for Queens from US$ 30 to US$ 43, for the Bronx from US$ 70 to US$ 78 and for Staten Island from US$ 95 to US$ 103. These rates are valid regardless of the number of passengers (up to 4 passengers in a regular cab, 5 in vans).
From LaGuardia, an airport that mainly handles domestic flights, you will need to take one of the MTA bus lines (the subway does not run to this airport). Some buses will take you to the nearest subway stations, such as the Q47, Q72 and Q48, which will take you to the 7, E, F, M and R subway lines. The M60 and Q70 will take you to Manhattan. If you take a yellow cab from LaGuardia, there is no flat rate fare, the meter will run and the fare will depend on your destination.
From Newark, New Jersey's airport, it is possible to reach Penn Station by taking the New Jersey Transit train. It picks up at the Newark Liberty International Airport Station, which you will access by AirTrain from your arrival terminal. The combined AirTrain and train fare is $10.75. The cab ride from Newark Airport will cost you between US$50 and US$75 to Manhattan, and over US$80 to Brooklyn and Queens (not including tolls, tips and rush hour surcharges).
Arrival by train New York (Manhattan)
If, before your stay in New York, you have been wandering elsewhere on the East Coast of the United States, there is a good chance that you will take the train! The city has two major train stations, both located in Manhattan, in the central Midtown area:
Grand Central Terminal, the legendary New York train station that is one of the oldest in the country still in operation. Today it serves the northern suburbs with the Metro North Railroad(www.mta.info/mnr), upstate New York and Connecticut. An expansion, Grand Central Madison, opened in early 2023 and is served by the Long Island Rail Road.
Pennsylvania Station is now New York's main train station. It is where trains from Amtrak(www.amtrak.com), the national railroad, the Long Island Rail Road(www.mta.info/lirr) and New Jersey Transit(www.njtransit.com) stop. In January 2021, Moynihan Train Hall, an expansion of Penn Station located between 8th and 9th Avenues, opened after eleven years of construction.
From Montreal, if you take the Amtrak Adirondack Line to New York City, you will arrive at Penn Station. The train makes nearly 20 stops, almost all in New York State. The journey takes between 10 and 12 hours, depending on the time it takes to clear customs at the border (US customs officers board the train to check the papers of all passengers). It's long but cheap (from 70 US$ one way) and the scenery is pleasant.
Arrival by boat New York (Manhattan)
Did you know that four of New York's five boroughs are islands? Only the Bronx is connected to the mainland! As soon as he took office in 2010, former mayor Bill de Blasio tried to put this geographical specificity to work for New Yorkers... and since 2017, it's done with the implementation of NYC Ferry. This network connects all boroughs except Staten Island, which has its own ferry line. While it is generally easier and faster to get around by subway, it can be nice to take the time to board the ferries that connect the different boroughs of the city with, as a bonus, a panoramic view of the Manhattan skyline.
NYC Ferry (www.ferry.nyc) has 7 lines (some of which are seasonal) that serve about 20 terminals in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. The advantage, in addition to its speed in connecting the various stops, is its low price: a one-way trip costs US$4, and a pass for ten trips costs only US$27.50!
The Staten Island Ferry (www.siferry.com) links Manhattan to Staten Island. It has the advantage of passing very close to the Statue of Liberty, and the good news is that it is totally free!
Public transport New York (Manhattan)
Every day more than 4 million people use the New York subway ! Needless to say, you'll be using it a lot to get around New York.
The subway, which is more than 100 years old, has 27 lines, indicated by letters or numbers, which connect 472 stations. Just imagine! The subway operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with a periodicity of 3 to 6 minutes during rush hours, and 6 to 10 minutes during the day. After midnight, you may have to wait about 30 minutes. To pay for your trip, you use the Metrocard, which you can buy at the terminals installed at each station. A single trip costs US$ 2.75 and gives the right to a free connection for 2 hours. As for unlimited subscriptions, they cost US$ 33 for 7 days and US$ 127 for 30 days.
The New York subway, managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) - https://new.mta.info - is many things at once. It is sprawling, complex, monstrous... but so practical. New Yorkers complain about its aging facilities that cause many delays, but the fact is that there is no better way to get around New York. A small specificity of the New York subway system is that the same line can be local or express (the expresses only stop every three or four stations, their stops are represented on the maps by white circles and announced by the driver when boarding). Good to know too, some station entrances display " Downtown only " or " Uptown only ". An " Uptown only " subway entrance will only give access to the platform towards Uptown (north), which is annoying when you want to go towards Downtown (south). Then look around, at the other corners of the intersection, the entrance giving access to the desired direction is not far.
The buses, also managed by the MTA, work in the same way as the subway: you can pay for your trip with the Metrocard (the buses are equipped with the appropriate machines), the free connections apply (even between buses and subways), the fares are exactly the same, and the unlimited weekly or monthly pass is valid on the bus network. If you don't have a Metrocard, you can pay with cash, but beware: you need to make up for it and only quarters are accepted. Buses are often slow because of the traffic, but they are nevertheless very practical when you want to cross Manhattan from east to west, because the subway lines are limited in that direction.
Bike, scooters & co New York (Manhattan)
In May 2013, New York City launched its bike share system, Citi Bike(www.citibikenyc.com/), with nearly 10,000 bikes and 750 stations across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. It's an economical option, especially for short distances, as a single trip of 30 minutes or less costs only US$4.49. The US$15 day pass provides unlimited 30-minute rides. It's when you stay on the bike for more than 30 minutes that the bill gets steep, as each additional 15 minutes is charged at US$4 (even if you only go a minute or two over). There are also electric bikes available at the kiosks (US$0.26 per minute extra).
Renting bikes from specialized companies is the best option for longer trips. If you want to spend the afternoon pedaling around Central Park or Manhattan without worrying about the time of day, the best option is to rent a bike for half a day (from US$20 for 2 hours to US$40 for the whole day). Bike Rental Central Park(www.bikerentalcentralpark.com) has two rental locations around the park, while Bike Rent NYC(www.unlimitedbiking.com) has 5 locations throughout Manhattan.
As for safety, there are more and more bike lanes in New York, but they are not always separated from the road where cars travel. Caution is required. Moreover, if self-service scooters have not yet been implemented in New York, it is because of the certain mess they would cause, in a city where traffic is already chaotic!
With a driver New York (Manhattan)
Riding in a yellow cab is not only convenient, it's often an unforgettable experience! Sit in the back seat and watch the city go by... No matter what time of day it is, you'll have no trouble hailing a cab in Manhattan. Position yourself on a busy street to increase your chances of being picked up quickly. During rush hour or bad weather, yellow cabs may be slow to stop, in which case we recommend joining the queue at a major hotel or the nearest train station.
New York cabs are very safe, with the drivers' identities and license numbers prominently displayed, so it is not in their interest to rip you off. In the back of the cabs, you can watch TV or follow the route thanks to the integrated GPS. As for the fare, it is necessary to count 3 US$ for the pick-up, then 70 cts per fifth of mile. In addition, there are various surcharges: US$ 1 for a night trip (between 8 pm and 6 am), US$ 2.50 from Monday to Friday between 4 pm and 8 pm (except holidays), and 70 cents for every 60 seconds of immobility due to a traffic light or a traffic jam. The price of the tunnels and bridges(tolls) is your responsibility. Yellow cabs accept cash and credit cards. Since it is a service, you will have to leave a tip, about 15 to 20%. Note that since 2013, there are green cabs! Called Boro Taxis, they can only take clients outside of Manhattan, in Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island. They are, however, allowed to drop off passengers in Manhattan. Apart from this distinction, they operate in exactly the same way as yellow cabs.
On the VTC side, Uber and Lyft are the two most popular mobile applications in New York. The latter is often cheaper than the former, but there are also fewer drivers. Fares are pretty much the same as yellow cabs, except that they fluctuate wildly depending on rush hour and events. Feel free to check out the Uber and Lyft apps at first, and if the fare seems excessive, hail a cab. With mobile applications, it is not possible to pay in cash, your credit card must be linked to your profile. Without it, you will not be able to book a driver for your trip. In the end, it's quite practical: once you arrive at your destination, there is no need to take out your wallet, payment is made automatically through the application! Another good news is that tipping is not mandatory when taking Uber or Lyft.
Yellow cabs and mobile apps each have their pros and cons. Uber and Lyft vehicles are more comfortable, but you usually have to wait a little longer (between 5 and 15 minutes). If you're in Manhattan and in a hurry, a cab will probably be your best option; on the other hand, if you're coming out of a party in the depths of Brooklyn and there's no cab on the horizon, Uber will be your best bet!
By car New York (Manhattan)
Wanting to drive during your stay in New York is a crazy idea! The city is so well served by public transportation that there is no point in renting a car when you don't plan to leave. With the traffic jams, the time saved on a subway ride is in most cases really minimal. Not to mention the cold sweats that are guaranteed! It is not so much the traffic rules that are a problem, but the aggressive behavior of other users, who honk their horns and overtake on all sides. Moreover, since street parking is difficult to find, you usually have to resort to the more expensive indoor parking lots - about US$20 per hour, compared to US$2-4 on the street.
If you are looking for street parking and find a nice, wide parking space, don't celebrate too soon: chances are there is a fire hydrant on the sidewalk. In New York, it is strictly forbidden to park within 4.5 meters of these famous fire hydrants . Don't take the risk, even for a few minutes - your rental car will be towed away in no time.
Other expenses to consider when driving in New York include tolls, which are charged at some of the tunnels and bridges that connect the boroughs . They cost from 9 to 15 US$. On the other hand, gasoline, which is more expensive in New York than in most other American cities, remains very cheap compared to France.
Accessibility New York (Manhattan)
All MTA buses are equipped with a wheelchair elevator and have a dedicated space. The visually impaired can use the Braille markings on the vast majority of buttons and switches. In general, everything in New York has been done to make life easier for people with disabilities. Unfortunately, the only notable exception to this rule is the subway. Not all stations are equipped with elevators, far from it, especially outside Manhattan. People with limited mobility who ride the subway should refer to the MTA system map to look for the small icon that indicates stations that are accessible to the disabled. On the website(www.new.mta.info/), there is also a page dedicated to the subject, with lots of useful details.
Tourist traps New York (Manhattan)
At the airport, only borrow yellow cabs. Drivers who graze passengers at the exit of terminals drive gypsy taxis and do not have the licence to practice this profession legally. These fake taxis are often posted at the station exit, too.
