do not want to be lost in newyorK!

[lost girl]

ok--i need a bit of help--i have never been in newyork and i see there are several airports available to fly into. which one should i fly into that will be the easiet for me to get to times square area??what is the best mode of transport from airport to times sqaure area? also--what area should i find lodgings???i know newyorkers are nice people and you are also pogues fans so that makes you even more willing to help this lost girl find her way.

[orrok61]

Hi lost girl,Unfortuntely,the easiest airport is in the wrong state with no direct access.That would be Newark International..your best bet for direct city access is Kennedy(JFK)..they have a subway line direct to the city with frequent shuttles...don't buy into the airport area hotels as they are dives..try the Milford Plaza or The Penn in Manhattan...they're not great,hardly,but somewhat affordable.And they are walking distance to the venue.I live 60 miles outside of the city & I too,booked a room at Milford for the 16th,to avoid those annoying DWI's.If you want further help or info,you can e me at orrok61@earthlink.net...I've lived in the area for years,if you have questions,maybe I can help you....we already know that we are assembling at Connollys on 45th St for pregame festivities...Black 47 plays there every weekend..so it's established as an Irish haunt..whatever you do...don't fly into Laguardia.....it leaves you in the middle of nowhere & no subway service....good luck & if you need help,don't be shy!!

[dave 81]

I'm certainly not questioning your familiarity with the New York area, but we're flying into Laguardia for a 5 night stay. We're still exploring our transportation options, but shared-ride shuttle vans to our hotel at Times Square are only $12-$15 per person. Pretty reasonable I think.

[Guest]

Hi lost girl,Unfortuntely,the easiest airport is in the wrong state with no direct access.That would be Newark International..your best bet for direct city access is Kennedy(JFK)..they have a subway line direct to the city with frequent shuttles...don't buy into the airport area hotels as they are dives..try the Milford Plaza or The Penn in Manhattan...they're not great,hardly,but somewhat affordable.And they are walking distance to the venue.I live 60 miles outside of the city & I too,booked a room at Milford for the 16th,to avoid those annoying DWI's.If you want further help or info,you can e me at orrok61@earthlink.net...I've lived in the area for years,if you have questions,maybe I can help you....we already know that we are assembling at Connollys on 45th St for pregame festivities...Black 47 plays there every weekend..so it's established as an Irish haunt..whatever you do...don't fly into Laguardia.....it leaves you in the middle of nowhere & no subway service....good luck & if you need help,don't be shy!!

There is actually a very good, very regular bus service that runs from Newark airport to midtown (I always take it to Grand Central). Also, there is now a train station at Newark airport, so you can hop either Amtrak or (I think) NJ Transit in to Penn Station. There is also bus service to midtown from Laguardia (not MTA bus, although there's that, too). Round-trip bus from either Newark or Laguardia is around $20 (maybe a couple bucks more). Check out the airport websites for more info...but I can vouch for the buses...they're very, very easy.

[Mr. Joyce]

lost girl - don't know how much $$$ you have to spend on transport, but if you are traveling with 2 or 3 people in your party, taking a car service would be a safe, economical way to get into Manhattan.

I use the car services for work regularly, and they are the best option, I find -

all you need is a cell phone - call them when you collect your bags, and they have a bunch of cars waiting at the airport that usually pick you up within 10-15 minutes of your call.

THe one I use most often is Carmel Car Service (no, I don't work for them) - nothing fancy, about the same as an NYC taxi.

Depending on the time of day, and # in your party, and the airport you come into, it is from $28-$50. Check out the rates at the link below

http://www.carmelcarservice.com/

There is also a toll fee to cross the bridge or tunnel to get into Manhattan, which is $6, wihch is not included in the rate quoted, plus tip (15%).

If you are in the US, you can call 1-800-9-CARMEL, or 212-666-6666

If you are unfamiliar with NYC, this is nice because they will take you right to the place you want at a set rate with no screwing around by taxi drivers who like to fleece tourists (and the NYC taxi drivers play in the world's top league).

[lost girl]

you guys are great!!!!! i now have options which i can choose from when i finally do book my flight. i know lots of people are scared of newyork like myself cuz its such a big city so i know this info will come in handy for alot of fans coming for the concerts. keep the tips coming and we can all share this info. i know fans still want to know about good hotels to stay at. i myself rather pay more for a hotel that is in walking distance of venue rather than paying for taxi. but i know ny hotels are not cheap. i happen to be on my own , so i can not share the cost unfortunately.once again--big thanks

[7daymile]

If this is a person's first time time to NYC, I would not recommend making an attempt to navigate the subway from JFK, or even the train from Newark. It's a long ride and you have to make transfers. Save it for your journey back to the airport if you're so inclined.

The closest airport to the Times Square area is LaGaurdia (10 miles), then then Newark (15 miles), then JFK (17 miles) .

Flying to LaGuardia is fine, especially if you're traveling with more than one person. Getting a car service is also fine but there are also yellow taxis right outside baggage claim. The fare to midtown will cost you about $35 plus tip (15 -20% of the metered fare). Split the cost with your travelling partner and it's absolutely worth it.

As mentioned in a previous post, there are private shuttle buses that run from each of the airports about every 20 minutes. It costs $12 from LaGuardia, my personal choice and I've lived in NYC for 15 years.

http://www.nyairportservice.com/ - shuttle bus link.

Buses are located outside each baggage claim exit and will drop you at the Port Authority bus terminal (42nd St & 8th Ave - near Times Square), Grand Central Terminal (42nd St and Lexington Ave) or Penn Station (34th St and 8th Ave).

And for more info, below is a link to official information website about covering all three airports, transportation options, etc.

http://www.panynj.gov/

[orrok61]

The A train,while lenghthy,is a direct hit from JFK,no transfers involved.And it only costs $2.00!!!!

[georgecat]

I agree on the Carmel car service.
There is nothing worse than getting to a strange city and hauling heavy luggage through strange subway system then walking how far to a hotel you have no idea of. Same with the train.

40$ for the car service, door to door. You can spend you time getting to know the subways and trains day 2.

[lostgirl]

dragging my suitcases thru dundalk with no taxi in site--i lost the wheels on the suitcase--funny now but not then....and then the host of the b&b not home--so i had to knock on the neighbors door--she let me stay there. travel nightmares..

[Irish Rover]

dragging my suitcases thru dundalk with no taxi in site--i lost the wheels on the suitcase--funny now but not then....and then the host of the b&b not home

Aww thats terrible luck.

The joys of travelling, eh???

[sheva]

The joys of travel indeed - hope this NY trip goes better than that, lostgirl!

I have to agree with the folks who recommend a shuttle or car service from the airport. The subway is cheap(er) and a direct line, it's true, but when you're freshly arrived, tired, and loaded down with luggage, that's the time to splurge on the more expensive transport. Once you're luggage-free and ready to explore, the New York subway system awaits you!

[MissWalshy]

its not as cool as London underground - we both agree eh Sheva?

[sheva]

Absolutely agreed, Walshy - there's nothing like it!!

[AndrewOG]

The A train,while lenghthy,is a direct hit from JFK,no transfers involved.And it only costs $2.00!!!!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the absurd thing about NYC is that there is no direct subway to any of the airports. The A train will get you to howard beach in Queens and then you need to take the Airtrain which is $5 for a seemingly 5 min. monorail ride (easily beat by anything at Disney world). It takes about an hour and for 7$ total you can get to most locations in midtown. the Airtrain also gets you to other locations in Queens depending on where you want to go.

http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/mta/airtrain.htm

If you are really trying to go on the cheap, you can get on the M60 bus from laguardia which is only $2(metrocard) and it will bring you through harlem and as far as broadway and W 105th. (The upper west side). then you can probably get a free transfer to the subway

I usually fly out of newark because its less crazy and nicer - arriving in you have to get on a different Airtrain, and then transfer to NJ transit which goes to penn station often ( have not done this myself)

http://www.njtransit.com/rg_cn_ac.shtml

Regardless, there are options depending on how much you want to spend and where you are staying. If there's more than one of you, it probably pays just to take a private car or taxi. But beware: we wanted to go from newark to staten island - which is like a 20 min drive and a taxi was like $40 or $50 bucks. and that is a set fee, and that was 4 years ago