Newark Liberty International Airport is the first port of call for many of New York’s Visitors and getting to and from the Airport is one of the first and last problems to solve. Fortunately, there are plenty of different options for transportation from Newark Airport to Manhattan. There are good choices for every type of person and budget Here are some of your options
Newark is New Yorks’s less known international Airport and is often used as a more budget option for the airlines. Flying in here costs the Airline less and this saving can be passed onto customers allowing for budget airlines to fly here, even long haul such as transatlantic. However, being less known means the transport issues are less well documented and people worry about getting from the airport into the City.
This guide takes a look at all your options and shows you the best, easiest and cheapest ways of getting from Newark Airport to Manhattan…and back again!
AirTrain + New Jersey Transit Train
The best budget option is to catch the AirTrain from your terminal to the New Jersey Transit station. From there you can board a New Jersey Transit train that runs directly into Penn Station right in the heart of Manhattan. You can then catch a Subway to wherever your hotel is situated. Or Walk if it’s located in Midtown.
The Fare is very reasonable at just $15.25 for the AirTrain and NJT combined and then just $2.75 for the subway ride to your hotel. But the Cheap fare is not the biggest attraction for this method. It’s the Speed. Avoiding All of New York’s Potentially horrendous traffic means within 30-40mins of leaving the terminal you are in the heart of Manhattan.
The Downside is you need to manhandle your own luggage the whole way. This is not too bad if Penn Station is your final stop as would be the case for people staying midtown. Through most of Penn station, suitcases can be wheeled through or escalators are provided. If you need to catch a follow on Subway Train the smaller Stations are a little less Luggage friendly and you may encounter some steps.
For us, It’s not a big deal as we are fit and healthy but for anyone a little less physically able you may not want to be humping 20+kg up steps. Or you may just not want to and are willing to pay for the convenience of not having to.
This journey can obviously be reversed for a return trip to the Airport. One trip our flight required us to make this journey at rush hour and while Penn Station was very busy and the NJT was very packed the overall journey time was not affected and we arrived at the airport in plenty of time! We dread to think what road Journey would have taken at that time.
Top Tip: Remember DON’T get off at New Jersey Penn Station, You need the next stop New York Penn Station. You will have quite a walk (and Swim) if you get off the station before!
Taxi
A very convenient, simple option, would be to jump into a Taxi. As you exit the terminal the Yellow cab Station is well signposted and you will have no trouble finding the queues of Cabs waiting to whisk you directly to your hotel door. The two downsides are they are not particularly cheap. All that convenience costs expect to pay $60-70 + Tolls + Tip, depending on where your hotel is located.
Second, you are completely at the mercy of some of the country’s worst traffic: expect 1-1.5 hours in light traffic and much more in rush hour. At least you will get to see some of the city.
Also, there isn’t a good reason to use a taxi over the next two options as they are either cheaper (shuttles) or Better and as costly (Car Service). We particularly warn against taxis on the return leg, especially if the journey is at or near rush hour, it really can take hours to get to the Airport and if not timed well you can easily miss the flight.
This issue also affects the following options, but your booking will be to get you to the airport for an allotted time and the companies will know what time you need to leave to achieve that. A Cabbie, will not know where you want to go until you climb in, and then it could be too late!
Uber
Uber is really taking over for us as the transport of choice in so many Cities. If we are not hiring a car the first choice for us is to jump straight onto the App and hail a ride. In New York, we are still to be convinced. For one there is the cost. Savings over a taxi are absolutely minimal. Newark Airport is still a good $60-70 depending on traffic.
Then there is the Traffic issue. The Uber Drivers face exactly the same issues as the Taxi, shuttle, and private car divers. It makes no difference when the traffic snarls up New York Grinds to a halt. The only way to avoid is via the NJT!
New York Shuttles
There a many Airport Shuttles available. These are especially good if you are in a large group. Once Booked they will pick you and your luggage up from the airport for around $14-18 per person and whisk you to one of a number of set destinations or possibly your actual hotel depending on the service. The Shuttles are shared so don’t expect a private service (obviously if your group is big enough you will naturally fill the shuttle so it will be private)
Again the Shuttle services are road-based and at the mercy of New York’s Traffic.
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Unfortunately Shared Shuttles are not currently allowed due to Covid rules so you need to book the whole shuttle which costs around $200 so this is only affordable if there is a large group of you.
Car Service / Limo
Another option is a Car Service. This is a pre-booked private car that will pick you up at the airport and take you exactly where you want to go. You know the group of men with signs standing at the arrivals gate. Book a Car Service and there will be a man with your name on it. Apart from once again the problem of facing New York’s Traffic this is the best option. It won’t surprise you that it’s also quite expensive. Try Carmel Limo for your private hire.
Hire Car
Of course, you can hire a car and drive yourself. There are all the usual options you would expect at an International Airport. And the prices are not too bad. NYC Rentals are not the cheapest but Newark offers quite good rates as it is located outside of New York in New Jersey.
As you might imagine parking in New York City is not the cheapest or easiest, check with your Hotel first. Overnight parking can be $60-80 a night and be very limited. Also anywhere you may want to drive to in New York can be considered equally expensive.
And we might have mentioned the New York Traffic…Good Luck with that! We would only recommend this option should you wish to Use New York as the First part of a Road Trip or plan on driving somewhere else. If it’s solely a New York Trip I just wouldn’t consider a rental car at all. And even if we were leaving the city after a few days, maybe for an East Coast Road Trip, then we would only hire the car on the day we left!
Having a Car in New York is just more hassle than it’s worth!
Overview
While Getting to your hotel can be quite a chore after a long tiring flight. These options should offer you a cost-effective easy way to get into the city from Newark. While the New Jersey Transit Train is one of the cheapest and the quickest it does lack the convenience of the Road based options, however, the speed aspect is really the clincher for us, we are just so keen to get into the city the super-fast direct Rail link is a godsend, and even at rush hour getting back to the airport is a breeze.
Shuttles are great for the budget-conscious who are not willing to brave the public transport option. While a Car service is a great way for those who want the best hassle-free solution. Taxies Are really only for someone who can’t be bothered to look into other options. But they are easy and convenient!
Have Your Say
I hope you find this guide useful and helps you kick off your stay the right way. Please comment below if you have any experience of Getting from Newark Airport or if you have any further questions, Just leave Us a comment and we will be sure to get back to you.