Getting in

• JFK: Take AirTrain to Jamaica, then LIRR to Grand Central Madison or Penn Station/Moynihan. It is the sane luggage-friendly choice: roughly 35–50 minutes terminal to Midtown and about $15–20 total. For the budget route, use AirTrain plus the E, J/Z or A subway: about $11.75 and 60–80 minutes. Yellow taxis run a $70 flat Manhattan fare before surcharges, tolls and tip—usually $85–110 total—and make sense mainly for a group, mobility needs or an awkward hotel.
• LaGuardia (LGA): Use the free Q70 LaGuardia Link to Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue/74 St–Broadway, then take the E, F, M, R or 7. Allow 45–65 minutes to Midtown plus the $3 subway fare. The M60-SBS is better for Harlem and Upper Manhattan. Taxis are metered and convenient, but traffic and airport surcharges make them a poor bargain.
• Newark Liberty (EWR): Take AirTrain to Newark Airport Rail Station, then NJ Transit Northeast Corridor or North Jersey Coast Line to New York Penn Station. It is about 30 minutes to Midtown and $17.25 one way, and generally beats the slower Newark Airport Express bus. Check same-day AirTrain notices before relying on it.
• Moynihan Train Hall/New York Penn Station: Amtrak arrives here, at Eighth Avenue and 31st–33rd Streets. It plugs directly into the Penn Station subway, LIRR and NJ Transit complex.
• Grand Central Terminal: Metro-North arrives here from Westchester, the Hudson Valley and Connecticut. It is ideal for East Side hotels and easy subway connections.
• Port Authority Bus Terminal: Most intercity buses use the terminal at 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue. It is central and functional, but grim; do not choose a hotel nearby for charm.

Getting in

• JFK: Take AirTrain to Jamaica, then LIRR to Grand Central Madison or Penn Station/Moynihan. It is the sane luggage-friendly choice: roughly 35–50 minutes terminal to Midtown and about $15–20 total. For the budget route, use AirTrain plus the E, J/Z or A subway: about $11.75 and 60–80 minutes. Yellow taxis run a $70 flat Manhattan fare before surcharges, tolls and tip—usually $85–110 total—and make sense mainly for a group, mobility needs or an awkward hotel.
• LaGuardia (LGA): Use the free Q70 LaGuardia Link to Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue/74 St–Broadway, then take the E, F, M, R or 7. Allow 45–65 minutes to Midtown plus the $3 subway fare. The M60-SBS is better for Harlem and Upper Manhattan. Taxis are metered and convenient, but traffic and airport surcharges make them a poor bargain.
• Newark Liberty (EWR): Take AirTrain to Newark Airport Rail Station, then NJ Transit Northeast Corridor or North Jersey Coast Line to New York Penn Station. It is about 30 minutes to Midtown and $17.25 one way, and generally beats the slower Newark Airport Express bus. Check same-day AirTrain notices before relying on it.
• Moynihan Train Hall/New York Penn Station: Amtrak arrives here, at Eighth Avenue and 31st–33rd Streets. It plugs directly into the Penn Station subway, LIRR and NJ Transit complex.
• Grand Central Terminal: Metro-North arrives here from Westchester, the Hudson Valley and Connecticut. It is ideal for East Side hotels and easy subway connections.
• Port Authority Bus Terminal: Most intercity buses use the terminal at 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue. It is central and functional, but grim; do not choose a hotel nearby for charm.