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i'm planning a trip to New York solo this summer, and i am excited but i dont know where to start .. Nerve Wrecking..
I Hope New yorkers will be helpful and patient to give me some directions if i get lost,,
They will. get yourself a small street map. NY is a grid. Streets run east & west with 5th Ave the dividing line between east and west.
Avenues run north and south
i'm planning a trip to New York solo this summer, and i am excited but i dont know where to start .. Nerve Wrecking..
I Hope New yorkers will be helpful and patient to give me some directions if i get lost,,
Best to start googling about NYC and what it is you want to see and do. It also helps that once you've figured it out, consult an online map to coordinate the sights by upper/lower/midtown so you're not just running all over the place. The subway system is incredible, very easy to get around if you know how to read a map.
The airport transfer to and fro the hotel.. What is the best way to do it New Yorkers ?
What is the estimated cost by taxi and how about by public bus/train ? How difficult is it ?
It depends which airport you plan on using. Also how long it takes depends on where you are going in the city. Another fact is if you use the NYC subway system many of the stations don't have elevators or escalators so you need to be able to carry your luggage upstairs by yourself.
From JFK one has the airtrain which connects to the subway system and that costs $7.5 ($5 for airtrain & $2.50 for the subway which go up to $2.75 in March). I believe the current flat fare taxi rate from JFK to Manhattan is $52.50. There is also an airport bus that goes to Grand Central Station in the city.
From LGA, one has a local bus with a free transfer to the subway which costs $2.50 (from March it will be $2.75).
From EWR there is an airtrain that connects to NJ Transit as well as an airport bus that goes to the Port Authority bus terminal in Manhattan. I don't know the cost but you can google all of this information yourself.
It depends which airport you plan on using. Also how long it takes depends on where you are going in the city. Another fact is if you use the NYC subway system many of the stations don't have elevators or escalators so you need to be able to carry your luggage upstairs by yourself.
From JFK one has the airtrain which connects to the subway system and that costs $7.5 ($5 for airtrain & $2.50 for the subway which go up to $2.75 in March). I believe the current flat fare taxi rate from JFK to Manhattan is $52.50. There is also an airport bus that goes to Grand Central Station in the city.
From LGA, one has a local bus with a free transfer to the subway which costs $2.50 (from March it will be $2.75).
From EWR there is an airtrain that connects to NJ Transit as well as an airport bus that goes to the Port Authority bus terminal in Manhattan. I don't know the cost but you can google all of this information yourself.
In addition to this, and touching on something I forgot to mention earlier, there is also a cheaper public transportation option. Specifically, you can catch the B15 bus from Terminal 5 (and, thus, avoid paying the $5 fee for the Airtrain if you exit at Jamaica or Howard Beach), which runs through parts of Crown Heights and Bed Stuy (as far as subway access goes, the B15 connects with the 3 New Lots Avenue train station). This would cost $2.50 per person (soon to be $2.75), but I find it useful really only if you're either going to the parts of Brooklyn/Queens served by the line or don't mind taking the 3 train.
Note, you either need a Metrocard before hand or need to have enough change (coins) for the bus. If you don't have a Metrocard before hand and require a subway transfer, then it probably makes more sense, from a cost and convenience standpoint, to just pay the Airtrain fare and get the A train at Howard Beach. After all, you can only transfer from the bus to the train for free via a Metrocard, though you can transfer to the bus to the bus even when paying in cash; in such a situation, you'd only save "2.50 per person, but would likely have much more hassle). It may be possible to purchase a Metrocard at the bus stop during the day, but such an option certainly isn't there at night.
Even after all of this, some may find that it is much simpler to just pay the $7.50 per person to take Airtrain and transfer to A train at Howard Beach, but a savings of $5 per person via the B15 route will remain well worth it for other travelers (both locals and visitors), especially for families. I, for one, wouldn't dream of using any other route now.
In addition to this, and touching on something I forgot to mention earlier, there is also a cheaper public transportation option. Specifically, you can catch the B15 bus from Terminal 5 (and, thus, avoid paying the $5 fee for the Airtrain if you exit at Jamaica or Howard Beach), which runs through parts of Crown Heights and Bed Stuy (as far as subway access goes, the B15 connects with the 3 New Lots Avenue train station). This would cost $2.50 per person (soon to be $2.75), but I find it useful really only if you're either going to the parts of Brooklyn/Queens served by the line or don't mind taking the 3 train.
Note, you either need a Metrocard before hand or need to have enough change (coins) for the bus. If you don't have a Metrocard before hand and require a subway transfer, then it probably makes more sense, from a cost and convenience standpoint, to just pay the Airtrain fare and get the A train at Howard Beach. After all, you can only transfer from the bus to the train for free via a Metrocard, though you can transfer to the bus to the bus even when paying in cash; in such a situation, you'd only save "2.50 per person, but would likely have much more hassle). It may be possible to purchase a Metrocard at the bus stop during the day, but such an option certainly isn't there at night.
Even after all of this, some may find that it is much simpler to just pay the $7.50 per person to take Airtrain and transfer to A train at Howard Beach, but a savings of $5 per person via the B15 route will remain well worth it for other travelers (both locals and visitors), especially for families. I, for one, wouldn't dream of using any other route now.
There is also another equivalent option and perhaps a better one from JFK. Take the local Q10 bus (from any JFK terminal) to the end of the line near Queens Blvd/Union Turnpike and from there with a free transfer - take the E or F express trains to Manhattan. This too would only cost $2.50 per person (soon to be $2.75). This is a much better option if the OP is going anywhere in Queens or even Midtown or the Upper East Side (or Upper West Side) of Manhattan as it is closer than going via Brooklyn.
Also I think if one opts to take the JFK Airtrain - it is better to go to the Jamaica station in Queens and from there transfer to the E express train to Manhattan which I believe is quicker than going via the Howard Beach station for Manhattan (or Queens) destinations.
There is also another equivalent option and perhaps a better one from JFK. Take the local Q10 bus (from any JFK terminal) to the end of the line near Queens Blvd/Union Turnpike and from there with a free transfer - take the E or F express trains to Manhattan. This too would only cost $2.50 per person (soon to be $2.75). This is a much better option if the OP is going anywhere in Queens or even Midtown or the Upper East Side (or Upper West Side) of Manhattan as it is closer than going via Brooklyn.
Also I think if one opts to take the JFK Airtrain - it is better to go to the Jamaica station in Queens and from there transfer to the E express train to Manhattan which I believe is quicker than going via the Howard Beach station for Manhattan (or Queens) destinations.
My trip is still a couple of mths away going there in June.. would anybody be interested if i share my experience after that ?
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