I think it's pretty safe to say that no one in their right mind enjoys traveling to or from Newark International Airport (EWR). It's expensive, time consuming, and filled with hidden expenses that no one seems to mention until you're stuck with the bill. Getting to Newark can literally add $150 dollars and hours of time wasted to your trip. If you're one of the unlucky ones with a flight there, here are a few options that can get you between Newark and NYC on the cheap.
$16 dollars one way, $28 round trip if bought together. Can be purchased with credit card and leaves every 15 minutes from the following locations:
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The Airport Express. My favorite way to get to and from Newark. [/caption] - Grand Central Station (41st Street between Park & Lexington Avenues)
- Bryant Park (42nd Street & 5th Avenue)
- Port Authority Bus Terminal (41st Street between 8th and 9th Avenues)
- All Newark Airport Terminals
Direct to your terminal and my favorite and most cost efficient way to get to Newark. All you need to do is get to midtown and enjoy the peaceful ride from there.
$35 dollars door to door – Manhattan only. ($70 Round trip) Tolls are included. I'd add a few dollars for tip too.
What's the catch? You have to schedule to be picked up three hours before your flight is schedule to fly... which is kind of a pain if you don't have access to an airport lounge and the worst when you have an early morning flight with no traffic. You also don't know if you'll be the first or last passenger pickup... so your travel time in the shared van can be anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours.
What about Brooklyn or the other boroughs you ask? That'll be $175. Yup, blew my mind too. Super Shuttle does not provide shared van service to any of the other boroughs, but does provide service to and from the other airports.
$12.50 each way to and from NY Penn Station ($25 round trip)
Although this is the cheapest option it is full of short term transfers that add to your travel time.
From door to terminal, your trip will probably be around 1.5 hours. They advertise 30 minutes from EWR to Manhattan, but that's only from Penn Station to the Newark Airport Station/Airtrain. Not only do you have to get to Penn Station in the first place, you still have to add 10 minutes from the Airtrain transfer point to Terminal C, 18 minutes to Terminal B, and 25 minutes to Terminal A.
Due to the amount of transfers involved, I'd stick to the Airport Express.
UPDATE: Reader Brian Howald makes a good point when it comes to getting to Newark during rush hour. If you're in a hurry, the train is your best option to get into the city as it doesn't require use of any roadways that may have bumper to bumper traffic.
$65 from Manhattan. Tip included. Tolls going TO Manhattan, not TO Newark ($17.00). $20 dollars extra if it's during "Surge Pricing" periods. Best if traveling in a group due to their new reasonable price and the best taxi experience you could ask for.
Brooklyn and the rest of NYC have no flat fares, just the regular outrageous Uber rates. You're better off for a standard livery service.
Metered fare + a $17.50 surcharge + $17.00 tolls (to and from, even if you're only going to Newark) + tip. Not the best option... but still an option if you're in a crunch.
Car Service
Pricing varies, but tends to be between 55-85 each way.
Always ask how much the total is going to be and make sure they know you're going to use a credit card! companies charge for roundtrip tolls. Some hassle you about using cash. Some charge a credit card fee. You guys know your local cab company better than me. This is the easiest door to door but also the most expensive.
$27.50 on average per person. Although these folks have been featured on TechCrunch and are getting some buzz at CES, this company has red flags all over in my book; Bandwagon offer the same concept as Super Shuttle... but gives you more flexibility with time and will pick you up from anywhere. I warn you though... my experience with them has been pretty horrible (no phone support, no confirmation day of, and best yet, they didn't even show up when I booked them! Lucky for me I had a taxi waiting as a backup). Your experience might be better, book at your own risk!
Getting Home from Newark:
If there's one thing I HATE about getting home from Newark, it's the Newark Yellow Cabs.
Newark Cabs:
The cab lines at the airport are for local cab companies, not licensed NYC Yellow cabs. To sum it up these cars are mere months away from the junk yard, have shady drivers that will throw on any extra cost they can think of, and have an unbearable credit card system to deal with. They use a credit card "voucher" system that you have to write out like a check... and charge you a$5 dollar fee on top of your total trip ride for that amazing convenience.
My opinion is just get a pre reserved car, take the bus, or take the train.
Call me a old school New Yorker... but Carmel has some of the best on demand prices for airport pickup. You can schedule them in advance the second you land from their iOS or Android apps and they'll be there waiting for you at the baggage claim.
And there you have it! The most painful airport to get to in the tri-state area. Always remember to factor in these added costs when you book your ticket (it literally can add $150 to your ticket round trip!) and travel smart!
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