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Travel to New York City

Flying to New York City

Airlines offering flights to New York from the UK include British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines and many European and international carriers. Flights to New York are competitively priced, but as the city is a year-round destination, its popularity means that prices are steady. New York flights in the lead up to Christmas, when tourists flock to the city to shop, are especially expensive.

Flight times: 

From London - 7 hours and 45 minutes; Los Angeles - 6 hours; Toronto - 1 hour and 40 minutes; Sydney - 22 hours.

Travel by road

Summary:

US freeways and interstates are recognisable by numbers: odd numbers go north-south and even numbers run east-west over their whole length, although at any single, localised point this may seem different. Driving is on the right and the speed limit is 48kph (30mph) in the city and 105kph (65mph) on freeways.

The minimum driving age is 16 years. An International Driving Permit is recommended, although it is not legally required and a full national driving licence is accepted. All travellers are strongly advised to acquire supplementary insurance. A yellow ‘non-resident, interstate liability insurance card', which acts as evidence of financial responsibility, is available through motor insurance agents.

The American Automobile Association - AAA (tel: (212) 468 2600; www.aaa.com) provides information and roadside assistance to members.

Emergency breakdown service:

AAA (tel: 1 800 222 4357).

Routes:

Travel to Manhattan from New Jersey, Philadelphia and Washington DC is across the George Washington Bridge or through the Lincoln or Holland Tunnels. The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge connects Brooklyn with Staten Island. Queensborough Bridge links Manhattan and Queens. The Triborough Bridge leads to upstate New York, while the New England Thruway and Bruckner Expressway lead to New England.

Driving times:

From Philadelphia - 2 hours; Boston - 4 hours; Washington DC - 5 hours.

Coaches:

The Port Authority Bus Terminal, 628 Eighth Avenue at 40th Street (tel: (212) 564 8484; www.panynj.gov/CommutingTravel/bus/html/pa.html), handles long-distance and regional buses, as well as buses to the airports. Greyhound (tel: 1 800 231 2222; www.greyhound.com) operates bus services that link New York City to points throughout North America.

Travel by rail

Services:

New York is well connected by rail.


New York City has two main stations. Grand Central Station, 42nd Street, Park Avenue, is the terminus for Metro-North Railroad, with services to upstate New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Pennsylvania Station, referred to as Penn Station, 34th Street, Sixth Avenue, serves Amtrak and the Long Island Railroad.

Penn Station and Grand Central Station both have ATMs, bars, cafes, waiting rooms, shops and taxi ranks. Grand Central Station is a model of regeneration and the city's most impressive transport hub. Penn Station, on the other hand, is institutional, without many comfortable waiting areas.

Rail travel tends to be expensive, although a number of rail passes are available to overseas visitors. There is no central rail information number and all enquires should be directed to the relevant provider or Amtrak.


Operators:

New York City's rail services are primarily operated by Amtrak (tel: 1 800 872 7245; www.amtrak.com), with services to Philadelphia, Washington DC, Boston, Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, New Orleans, Miami and Los Angeles. Trains also go to Toronto and Montreal in Canada.

Journey times:

From Philadelphia - 1 hour 30 minutes; from Washington DC - 3 hours; Boston - 3 hours 40 minutes.

Travel over water

Summary:

New York has two terminals used by visitors arriving by cruise ship. NY Cruise (tel: (212) 246 5450; www.nycruise.com) operates terminals on Manhattan's west side, near 55th Street, and in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Many commuter ferry services operate from terminals at Lincoln Harbor, Hoboken, Harborside, Liberty Harbor and Liberty Landing on the Hudson River, St George on Staten Island, Hunters Point in Queens and West 38th Street, Pier 11 and South Ferry on Manhattan.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (tel: (212) 435 7000; www.panynj.gov) can provide more information.

Ferry services:

The Staten Island Ferry (tel: (718) 727 2508; www.siferry.com) is free and operates from Whitehall terminal in Battery Park, travelling out past the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island to Staten Island every half an hour, daily 24 hours.

There are a variety of ferry operators, including New York Waterway (tel: 1 800 533 3779/53 FERRY; www.nywaterway.com) and Seastreak America (tel: (732) 872 2628 or 1 800 262 8743/BOAT RIDE; www.seastreak.com).

Nearest port:

New York.

Transport to the city:

New York Water Taxis (tel: (212) 742 1969; www.nywatertaxi.com) provide speedy service to piers in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.

Transfer distance:

5.6km (3.5 miles).

Transfer time:

10-15 minutes.

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