Spotlights

Spotlight

New York City

Getting There

New York City is easy to reach by air, as it's virtually serviced by all domestic and major international airlines between its three metropolitan-area airports: John F. Kennedy International Airport (15 miles from Midtown; Queens; 718/244-4444; www.kennedyairport.com) – better know as J.F.K. - and Newark Liberty International Airport (16 miles from Midtown; Newark, New Jersey; 973/961-6000 or 888/397-4636, www.newarkairport.com) accommodate both international and domestic carriers, while LaGuardia Airport (9 miles from Midtown; Queens; 718/533-3400; www.laguardiaairport.com) services mostly domestic carriers. Information about all three airports can be located at www.panynj.gov.Major US carriers such as American (www.aa.com); Continental (www.continental.com); Delta (www.delta.com); Northwest (www.nwa.com); United (www.united.com); and US Airways (www.usairways.com), as well as discount carriers like AirTran (www.airtran.com), Spirit (www.spiritair.com), and JetBlue (www.jetblue.com) (among others) operate nonstop and connecting service from across the United States. Additionally, dozens of international airlines including Air France (www.airfrance.us) and British Airways (www.britishairways.com) offer frequent service to the city from points around the globe.

Efficient train and bus service also operates from major cities across the U.S. into Manhattan. The Port Authority Bus Terminal (625 Eighth Ave. btwn 40th & 42nd Sts.; 212/564-8484, www.panynj.gov) near Times Square is serviced by several bus lines, including Greyhound (800/231-2222, www.greyhound.com), while the city's two main train stations: Grand Central Terminal (42nd St. at Park Ave.; 212/935-3960; www.grandcentralterminal.com) and Pennsylvania Station (31 to 33rd Sts. btwn Seventh & Eighth Aves.), are operated by Amtrak (www.amtrak.com), Long Island Railroad (www.lirr.org), New Jersey Transit (www.njtransit.com), PATH (www.panynj.gov/path), and Metro-North Railroad (www.metronorthrailroad.org) between them. Contact individual transit companies for schedule and fare information.

Package Providers
Booking air and hotel together (and other trip essentials such as airport transfers, car rentals, and even tours and activities) can save a bundle of cash – online travel discounters such as Orbitz (www.orbitz.com), Expedia (www.expedia.com), and Travelocity (www.travelocity.com) are a good place to start your search. You may also wish to consult with any of our recommended New York-specialized providers, including eLeisureLink.com (888/801-8808; www.eleisurelink.com), as well as major airlines that offer air/land packages such as Delta Vacations (800/654-6559; www.deltavacations.com), US Airways Vacations (800/455-0123; www.usairwaysvacations.com), or United Vacations (888/854-3899; www.unitedvacations.com).

Getting into New York
There are several options for getting into Manhattan by ground transportation from the city's three airports. From J.F.K. you can opt to head to a designated taxi stand for a $45 flat-fee taxi ride (plus tolls) into Manhattan, which will take about 35 to 60 minutes depending on traffic (note that all distances and time approximations mentioned here are for travel into Midtown Manhattan). There is additionally shuttle bus service operated by several companies (see below), but the most economical route by far is via AirTrain ($5; 877/535-2478; www.airtrainjfk.com), a light rail connection from the airport's terminals to subway stations at Jamaica (E, J, and Z trains or Long Island Rail Road) and Howard Beach (A train); subway fare will cost you and additional $2.

From LaGuardia, transportation options include taxis, which run about $20 to $30 and take 20-35 minutes, shuttle bus (see below), and several public bus lines - the M60 (www.mta.nyc.ny.us) runs into Manhattan on the Upper East and Upper West Sides; Triboro Coach (718/335-1000, www.triborocoach.com) operates round the clock bus service on its Q33, Q47, and Q48 lines between LaGuardia and subway connections in Queens (bus and subway fares are $2 each).

From Newark, keep in mind that taxis are expensive ($40-$60, plus tolls and surcharges) and take about 45-60 minutes of travel time. AirTrain ($11.15 to Penn Station; $8.15 via PATH; 888/397-4636; www.airtrainnewark.com) connects Newark terminals to NJ Transit or Amtrak rail service into Manhattan. Several shuttle buses operate from all three airports to midtown – the one operated by New York Airport Express ($12-$15 one-way; 718/875-8200 www.nyairportservice.com) does not require reservations and connects to Grand Central, Port Authority, Penn Station, and select Midtown hotels from J.F.K. or LaGuardia (where you can access the subway); from Newark, Newark Liberty Airport Express ($14; 1-877/863-9275; www.coachusa.com/olympia) offers service to Midtown and Lower Manhattan Additionally, private car or limo service can be arranged before arrival for pick-ups at the three airports – we recommend Carmel Car and Limousine Service (from $28; 800/922-7635 or 212/666-6666; www.carmelcarservice.com).

Getting Around
Rarely does car-crazy America relent and offer up to the traveler such a pedestrian-friendly city (that's not to say it doesn't take some doing to maneuver along some of the more crowded and hectic sidewalks, say, of Midtown). With the majority of Manhattan streets and avenues numbered, it's fairly easy to navigate by foot – and if you get lost, New Yorkers are typically more than happy to point tourists in the right direction.

Subways and taxis will easily take care of most of the rest of your getting-around needs (though factor in plenty of extra time for weekday traffic). There are plenty of city buses, that run down major arteries of Manhattan avenues, as well as cross-town – however, due to congestion and a somewhat difficult bus route map to decipher, most locals stick to the subway system.

Don't plan on driving – traffic can be tough, parking even tougher, and a combination of walking, subways, and taxis will easily get you most anywhere you'd want to go.