New Yorkers both love their subway and love to complain about their subway, and while it may not be the cleanest or most punctual metro system in the world, it's surprisingly easy to use for getting from JFK to Manhattan and undoubtedly your cheapest option. The total travel time depends heavily on where in Manhattan you want to get to, but before you get on the subway, you need to use the AirTrain to get out of the airport.

The AirTrain is a tram that circles all of the terminals at JFK and connects to two different transit stations outside of the airport with service to the city: Jamaica Station and Howard Beach. If your final destination is in Manhattan, it's most likely that you need to transfer at Jamaica Station. While the AirTrain is free if you're using it to travel between terminals, you'll need to pay a fee of $8.50 if your starting or ending point is outside of the airport. Once you're off the AirTrain at Jamaica Station, follow signs for the Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue subway station. In addition to the AirTrain ticket, you'll also need a subway ticket, which costs an additional $2.90. The available train options are the E, J, and Z lines, and which one you take depends on where you're going in the city.

The New York City subway and AirTrain both run at all hours of the day, seven days a week. However, subways run less frequently late at night and you could be waiting for a while if your plane lands at 3 a.m. The trip might seem long, but it can actually be faster than a taxi if you're commuting during rush hour. If you're traveling with luggage, it might not be the most comfortable ride, so take that into account if you have more than one suitcase with you.

Using the subway may seem overwhelming, especially to someone who's new to the city and doesn't understand where to transfer, what express lines are, or which way is downtown and which way is uptown. However, the airport station is staffed with MTA employees who are there to help you. If you get to the station and feel utterly lost, just ask for help. New Yorkers actually love to give people directions.

The Long Island Railroad, or LIRR, is the commuter train that connects all of Long Island—where JFK is located—to Manhattan, and it's the fastest way to get into the city from the airport. Just as with the subway, you'll first need to take the AirTrain from the airport to Jamaica Station. Jamaica is one of the busiest train hubs in all of North America, so if you're flying in during weekday rush hour, be prepared for a lot of foot traffic in the station. You can buy tickets from the ticket office, at one of the machines, or on your phone using the MTA eTix app. You can also buy tickets on the train, but they'll be more expensive. As of May 2024, a one-way off-peak ticket is $8.25 and a one-way peak ticket $11.25, plus a $2.90 subway ride to get to or from Moynihan (Penn) Station. Peak is any weekday train that arrives in NYC between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. or departs between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.

All Manhattan-bound trains go to Moynihan (Penn) Station and only take about 25 minutes to get there. From there, you can connect to the A, C, or E subway line to continue on to another part of the city, or take a taxi to your final destination. If you're traveling alone, you'll save money by taking the train to Moynihan and hailing a cab from there, or hopping on the subway if your luggage allows, instead of taking one all the way from the airport.

Taking a taxi is the least stressful way of getting from the airport to Manhattan, especially for those who have never been to the city before and are worried about navigating the subway. However, it's also going to be the most expensive and it may be the slowest, depending on traffic conditions. But if you've just gotten off a long flight or you have lots of bags, you may just want to sit back and relax while someone else brings you right to the door of your accommodations. If you're traveling with a group of friends or your family, splitting a taxi ends up being not much more than each person buying individual train tickets.

Fortunately, you don't have to worry about the unknown factor of taxi meters when taking a cab from the airport, since all taxis from JFK to any part of Manhattan have a fixed fare of $70. However, that's not likely all you'll need to pay. If you're traveling during "peak hours," which are from 4–8 p.m. on weekdays, there's an additional surcharge of $5 and a 50 cent tax . If there are any tolls along the way, those will also be added to your fare. Congestion pricing is in effect south of 96th St, and for taxis this is $2.50. And finally, tipping your driver about 10% is customary if it was good service, so factor in another $7-8 or so for that. All in, you're looking at nearly $90. Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft can cost less but rarely go below $65.

When you're leaving the airport, make sure to hail one of the official NYC yellow cabs from the taxi stand outside each terminal. Ignore anyone else who is soliciting taxi rides; it's illegal for them to do so and they are not official cabs.

If you don't want to shell out $90 for a cab but also don't like the idea of lugging your bags around on the train, several private companies offer shuttles throughout the day that take you directly to major transit hubs in Manhattan such as Grand Central, Times Square, Moynihan Station, or even directly to your hotel.

If you want flexibility with your drop-off location, including the possibility of being dropped off right at your hotel door, you can reserve a seat with GO Airlink ($27-34 as of May 2024). There's a van to Grand Central and another where you can choose your own drop-off location just as if you were in a taxi. However, it's a shared shuttle, so the travel time can really vary depending on if you're the first person dropped off or the last one.

Even if you've never been to New York City, everyone knows it from movies, literature, music, and other pop culture. You could spend a year living in New York and you still wouldn't be able to see all that it has to offer. If it's your first time visiting, then there are a few must-see sites that everyone has to experience, and most of New York's iconic sites are located in Manhattan. Around Midtown, you have Times Square, Rockefeller Center, and Grand Central Terminal. Just a few blocks uptown is the enormous Central Park, and a few blocks downtown the legendary Empire State Building dominates. Many of Manhattan's most charming neighborhoods are below 14th Street, such as Greenwich Village, Soho, and Washington Square Park. Walk around and get lost in the endless display of designer boutiques, hip cafes, and amazing restaurants.

To get to JFK to Manhattan or vice versa, you can take the subway, commuter train, taxi, or a shuttle. The fastest is the commuter train (about 35 minutes), and the cheapest is the subway.

Yes, a commuter train and the subway. For either option, take the AirTrain from JFK to Jamaica Station. There, you can take the commuter train (Long Island Railroad) to reach Moynihan (Penn) Station, or the E, J, or Z subway lines to various parts of the city.

Yes, you can catch the E train toward Manhattan/World Trade Center (best for Queens or Uptown Manhattan) or the J or Z train toward Manhattan/Broad Street (best for Brooklyn or Downtown Manhattan).