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New York Transportation

There are a number of transportation options available to those travelling to, from and around New York City.

Arriving by Air

New York City is served by three major airports: John F Kennedy, Newark and LaGuardia. As well as a vast international presence, every major domestic carrier serves the New York area. New York airports, like all airports in North America, have stepped up their security operations. Travellers, therefore, should be patient and allow plenty of time when arriving or leaving.

Arriving by Car

From the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95) and points west, there are three Hudson River crossings into the city: the Holland Tunnel (for lower Manhattan), the Lincoln Tunnel (for midtown) and the George Washington Bridge (for upper Manhattan). There is a small toll at each for vehicles driving into the city.

From upstate New York, travel on the New York State Thruway (I-87). This road crosses the Hudson on the Tappan Zee Bridge and becomes the Major Deegan Expressway (I-95) through the Bronx. From here on in, take the Triborough Bridge and the FDR for the east side and the Cross Bronx Expressway (I-95) for the west side.

From New England, the New England Thruway (I-95) connects with the Bruckner Expressway (I-278), which leads to the Triborough Bridge and the FDR on the east side. For the west side, take the Bruckner to the Cross Bronx Expressway (I-95) to the Henry Hudson Parkway South.

Getting Around New York

On arrival in Manhattan, the best thing to do with your car is to park it in a garage and leave it there. The garage costs are likely to be upwards of USD 25.00 a day but this is favourable to driving in Manhattan.

The subway is by far the easiest method of getting around. However, the map and train system is quite different to other major cities. There are no line numbers but rather they use letters and / or numbers for each train. That number or letter, which is also colour-coded, will then follow a set route. Once acquainted with, the subway is very reasonable at USD 1.50 for any length of trip, with Metro cards for multiple trips available at all stations.