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I'll be arriving by Amtrak at Penn Station early in the evening, and then need to get to JFK. Normally I get a pick up, but this time I can't. So, I was thinking of taking the LIRR to Jamaica and then AirTrain to JFK. So, my questions are:
1) How safe is the LIRR from Penn to Jamaica? This is important, considering that I'll have luggage.
2) How far are the LIRR platforms and AirTrain platforms at Jamaica?
3) I'll have two suitcases with me. I've taken these on Amtrak earlier and never had problems. What's it like with bags on the LIRR?
4) I'm fine navigating Penn Station; how's Jamaica Station?
5) How crowded is Jamaica Station and the train there in the evening (around 6pm)?
6) Are the train from Penn to Jamaica direct?
It's all very safe and effortless.
At Jamaica and Kennedy it's almost all escalators,elevators or moving walkways so luggage is easy.The air trains run at east every 5 mins. All of the LIRR trains stop in Jamaica so they run constantly.
Trains will be very crowded at 6 pm
All LIRR trains, save for the Port Washington Branch stop at Jamaica, so don't get on one of those and you're fine. If you have time flexibility, you can also take the NYAS coach service from Penn to JFK.
__________________
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
6pm will put you in Jamaica Station right in the middle of rush hour; crowds are, quite simply, unavoidable. But you won't be the only one on the train going to JFK. Just watch how other passengers with baggage handle the situation!
All LIRR trains, save for the Port Washington Branch stop at Jamaica, so don't get on one of those and you're fine. If you have time flexibility, you can also take the NYAS coach service from Penn to JFK.
Some of the express trains go through Jamaica, but don't actually stop there so you have to check the schedule to make sure that the train will actually stop and let out passengers.
It will be a pain with the luggage because you are going during rush hour, but you should be able to manage. Jamaica station is much smaller than Penn and it is not difficult to get to AirTrain.
The crowd is what I'm concerned about — does it mean less space/no space for baggage?
It's such a quick ride that I would just stand by the door. All luggage has to go overhead (there is no luggage area like on Amtrak). It's not worth the fuss for a 15 minute trip.
All LIRR trains, save for the Port Washington Branch stop at Jamaica, so don't get on one of those and you're fine. If you have time flexibility, you can also take the NYAS coach service from Penn to JFK.
One thing that NYAS doesn't tell you is that to go from Penn to JFK you take a shuttle van to Grand Central and then transfer to the coach to JFK.
Also at Jamaica station the transfer from the LIRR platform to the Airtrain requires you to take the escalator depending on the LIRR platform you end up on.
One thing that NYAS doesn't tell you is that to go from Penn to JFK you take a shuttle van to Grand Central and then transfer to the coach to JFK.
Also at Jamaica station the transfer from the LIRR platform to the Airtrain requires you to take the escalator depending on the LIRR platform you end up on.
That's true, and that's why the coach service does take a bit longer. Good points, since with baggage, it might be easier, if the OP has time, to take the NYAS bus, even with the transfer.
__________________
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
6pm will put you in Jamaica Station right in the middle of rush hour; crowds are, quite simply, unavoidable. But you won't be the only one on the train going to JFK. Just watch how other passengers with baggage handle the situation!
Hi Guys!
I have the same dilemma... My flight from JFK is on a fri at 2350. What time is safe for me to catch the LIRR from Penn Station? Would I still face the rush hour?
I will probably have a large(ish) trolley bag (bigger than cabin sized and weighing 20kg) and carry a backpack. I won't be able to lift the trolley bag onto the overhead rack. Do people just leave their luggage next to them or is that frowned upon?
If I catch the NYAS they do collect passengers from individual hotels in minivans and we transfer to the main coach? My hotel is at the corner of W39th St & 6th Avenue. Guess I can cab it to the Coach terminal near Grand Central Station. Are there high incidences of NYAS being slow in picking up passengers from the hotel or, God Forbids - totally forgetting to pick up?
If I catch the NYAS what time is safe for me to leave the hotel for my 2350 flight? How long will it take the coach from their terminal to the airport at that time?
Which is the better option for me - a single female traveler who is unfamiliar with NYC?
Thanks!
Mel
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What's better - NYAS or train to JFK?
