New York City

John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK)

Location

The airport is located 15 miles (24km) southeast of central Manhattan.

Getting to the city

Ground Transportation Information is available in the baggage claim/arrival areas of all terminals, providing information on buses, shared-ride vans, and limousines. The AirTrain links the airport to the subway, train, and bus system, which go to the city centre.

SuperShuttle Manhattan is a 24-hour, shared, door-to-door service to anywhere between Battery Park and 227th, including all hotels. The service also reaches the boroughs of Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Staten Island.

Go Airlink is another rideshare service, providing shuttles that travel between the airport and the city. Similarly, NYC Airporter is an express bus service that transports passengers from JFK to stations like Grand Central and Penn, and the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

Time

GMT -5 (GMT -4 from March to November).

Car rental

Car hire companies represented at all terminals include Advantage, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, Enterprise, National, and Payless. The AirTrain shuttles passengers between the terminals and the car rental offices.

Airport Taxis

Taxis are available in front of all six terminals, with the general journey time to Manhattan being around 40-60 minutes long. Excluding tolls, the flat fee to Manhattan is around $52, while other approximate fairs include Brooklyn $59-$64, Queens $28-$33, Staten Island $67-$79, and the Bronx $48-$68.

A journey to La Guardia Airport may cost $34-$39, and Newark Airport $97-$102, with a $17.50 surcharge. Tipping is customary for good service. Only use taxis from the taxi dispatch booth and refuse offers from others.

Facilities

All terminals have ATMs, bureaux de change, bars, restaurants, and a wide selection of shops. Travellers will be able to find most services in the terminals, including wifi, medical facilities, information counters, and shoe-shiners.

Parking

JFK has two types of parking. Long-term parking is four miles (6km) from the terminals and served by the free AirTrain. Passengers should allow 30 minutes to reach their terminal. The Central Terminal Area (CTA) parking is adjacent to the terminals and provides daily parking needs.

Signs to the parking facilities are colour-coded to indicate their proximity to terminals. A cell phone lot waiting area is located near the airport's entrance for drivers to wait for disembarking passengers, reducing traffic congestion.

Website www.kennedyairport.com

Passengers can travel between JFK's six terminals for free on the AirTrain, with any travel beyond that incurring various costs.

New York La Guardia Airport (LGA)

Location

The airport is located eight miles (13km) east of central Manhattan, in the borough of Queens.

Getting to the city

Ground Transportation Information is available in the baggage claim/arrival areas of all terminals. All service arrangements can be made at these counters. Public buses service the city and connect with the New York subway; the Q33 and Q47 service Manhattan and Queens. The New York Airport Service Express Bus leaves regularly for all areas in Manhattan. The SuperShuttle Manhattan is a 24-hour, shared door-to-door service that goes to all areas of the city.

Time

GMT -5 (GMT -4 from March to November).

Car rental

Car hire companies include Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz and National. The Arrivals level of each terminal has either car rental courtesy phones or counters. Free shuttles transport customers between the terminals and the car rental offices.

Airport Taxis

The Welcome Center/Ground Transportation Counter is near the baggage claim area, offering information on authorised transportation services. There are taxis available outside each terminal.

Facilities

All terminals have ATMs and currency exchange can be found at the Central and US Airways Terminals, as well as a wide selection of bars, shops and restaurants, but the best choice is at the US Airways, Delta and Central Terminals.

There are business facilities at Laptop Lane in the Central Terminal, including meeting rooms, dataports, internet access, fax, phones, printers, and photocopiers. Disabled facilities are good, but those with special needs should ideally contact their airline or travel agent in advance.

Parking

Short-term parking is available next to the terminals. Long-term parking is available in Lot 3, although there are limited spaces. Additional long-term car parking is located very close to the airport and can be accessed by following the 'P' to the airport exit.

Express payment machines are located throughout the parking areas. Signs to the parking facilities in the terminal buildings are colour coded to indicate their proximity to the terminals. Free shuttle buses transport passengers to the terminal buildings.

Website www.laguardiaairport.com

There are two bus routes connecting the four La Guardia Terminals. The Route A Bus is a free service running every 15 minutes, stopping at all terminals in the central terminal area as well as the Marine Air Terminal. Expect 15 minutes travel time.

The free Route B bus runs every 10-15 minutes between all four terminals, except the Marine Air Terminal/Delta Shuttle. The journey time is between 5-10 minutes.