New York Subway !

[richfrommo]

Flying into NY Laguardia a day early & staying close to airport at Comfort Inn before going on cruise next day . Can we take the subway from that area ! If so where do we want to get off if we were going to Time Square ? And also coming back same question. Never been to NY or rode a subway !!!!:)

[Mike&Shell]

Flying into NY Laguardia a day early & staying close to airport at Comfort Inn before going on cruise next day . Can we take the subway from that area ! If so where do we want to get off if we were going to Time Square ? And also coming back same question. Never been to NY or rode a subway !!!!:)

 

I say hire a car service. Cost you about $50. There will be too many connections on the subway. Also here in NY when you ride the subway with baggage they can stop and check you. That will be a headache as well.

Use Supershuttle to get to and from the port...

[Mike&Shell]

Hey Rich.. Instead of staying in Queens..... Spend the shuttle money and stay in the city. You can get a better feel for NY if you are in the heart of the city. Good food, great bars and some awesome sites

[richfrommo]

I say hire a car service. Cost you about $50. There will be too many connections on the subway. Also here in NY when you ride the subway with baggage they can stop and check you. That will be a headache as well.

Use Supershuttle to get to and from the port...

I guess in my original quote I should have stated. We thought we would just go down to Time Square to see the sites the day before our cruise and won't have any luggage with us. Then come back to hotel and leave on cruise the next day. :)

[Mike&Shell]

When you get to the hotel. ASk the front desk person to point you in the direction of the 7 train ... Take it straight to Times Square. I hope this helps alittle...

[njhorseman]

Flying into NY Laguardia a day early & staying close to airport at Comfort Inn before going on cruise next day . Can we take the subway from that area ! If so where do we want to get off if we were going to Time Square ? And also coming back same question. Never been to NY or rode a subway !!!!:)

 

There are several Comfort Inns within 2 or 3 miles of LGA, so it's not possible to answer your question without knowing which one you're staying at, as there is more than one subway line in the general area, but no subways actually at LGA.

 

However, I can tell you that trying to travel from that area...or any area for that matter, to the cruise pier by subway is not my idea of a good time. Subways are not luggage friendly...you have to drag your belongings up and down stairs, the trains can be very crowded at any time of the day, and there is no subway station that is very close to the cruise terminal.

 

You may want to repost your question on the East Coast Departures board, where we have a lot of discussion of transportation to the piers, but regardless, my recommendation is to spend a few dollars for a taxi or car service to take you from your hotel to the pier, and from the pier back to the airport. It will cost about $30-35 each way including tip, and in my opinion it's worth every dollar for the convenience.

[richfrommo]

There are several Comfort Inns within 2 or 3 miles of LGA, so it's not possible to answer your question without knowing which one you're staying at, as there is more than one subway line in the general area, but no subways actually at LGA.

 

However, I can tell you that trying to travel from that area...or any area for that matter, to the cruise pier by subway is not my idea of a good time. Subways are not luggage friendly...you have to drag your belongings up and down stairs, the trains can be very crowded at any time of the day, and there is no subway station that is very close to the cruise terminal.

 

You may want to repost your question on the East Coast Departures board, where we have a lot of discussion of transportation to the piers, but regardless, my recommendation is to spend a few dollars for a taxi or car service to take you from your hotel to the pier, and from the pier back to the airport. It will cost about $30-35 each way including tip, and in my opinion it's worth every dollar for the convenience.

We are staying at Comfort Inn 23-45 83rd East Elmhurst NY. I've made arrangements to pier on cruise day but we are flying in a day early & just thought if we could find a simple & economical way to get to Times Square & back we would do that. I don't think there is much to see around close where we are staying. Thanks

[smeyer418]

We are staying at Comfort Inn 23-45 83rd East Elmhurst NY. I've made arrangements to pier on cruise day but we are flying in a day early & just thought if we could find a simple & economical way to get to Times Square & back we would do that. I don't think there is much to see around close where we are staying. Thanks

get a metro card from the newstand at the airport. The subway isn't close to the airport but a short bus ride away. You take the bus to the subway and then the train(subway) to Manhattan(it will take about 45 minutes in total). With a metrocard you get free transfers bus to the subway. If you pay cash on the bus 2.25 in coins there is no free transfer. without luggage its really easy and relatively fast and its 2.25 pp with the metro card.

don't get an unlimited daily card. its almost invariably cheaper for tourist to get a $10 metrocard and refill it with cash at the booth at the subway station or at one of the self service machines there too.

generally when people say subway they are referring to the NY MTA trains which can be either above ground(an elevated train) or underground- a subway.

The train may also generally refer to one of the commuter lines(like the LIRR) which are generally much more expensive and travel longer distances between stops and can be faster by a few minutes within the city. Rarely do people who live within the city limits(the five boros) use the LIRR. Its much more expensive for the same distance...although it may save you a few minutes sometimes.

see http://www.mta.info

[Starrgazer50]

We are staying at Comfort Inn 23-45 83rd East Elmhurst NY. I've made arrangements to pier on cruise day but we are flying in a day early & just thought if we could find a simple & economical way to get to Times Square & back we would do that. I don't think there is much to see around close where we are staying. Thanks

Go to tripplanner.mta.info .

Put in 23-45 83rd Street and the boro (Queens).

Destination 42nd Street Times Square and the boro.(Manhattan)

And it will give you all the options of Public Transportation in that area.

Hope that helps. :)

[bob brown]

Since you have a whole free day, why go just to Times Square, unless you're planning on taking in a show?

If you get an unlimited day metrocard, you can get on and off all subway and local buses in the city at will. You can say, go from Times Square down to South Ferry, and either go over to the Statue of Liberty or take the free Staten Island Ferry ride. Or go to some of the excellent museums around the city. Get a free transit map and bus map at the booth in the subway and navigate your way around.

If you are not comfortable doing it that way, you can purchase a hop on/off ticket for the Gray Line double-deckers for a lectured tour.

 

Enjoy your stay, and keep NYC 'green'.....spend lots of cash!:D

[puggo63]

I have stayed at the Travel Inn Hotel 515 W 42nd St, New York City, NY 10036 - its nice, no frills, nice location.

 

Another is Grace Hotel, (a Room Mate Hotel Group)

125 West 45th Street, New York 10036 - FANTASTIC location, right off Times Square, windows are sealed against noise - its a boutique hotel with rather unconventional modern rooms and a pool in the lobby behind reception desk, you can see swimmers under water (!!!) - it might not be for everyone - but I stay there almost almost all the time when in NYC.

 

In terms of Subway, it can be VERY overwhelming and confusing and subways change direction or stops depending on time of day

[Ms belp]

Good Lord, NYC sounds confusing at best.

[ladybeans5]

Check out hopstop.com it's like mapquest for NYC's public transport system. You can alter the routes so that they include subways, buses, and Long Island Railroad, or exclude one or more. I agree with a previous poster, it's normally better for tourists to get a metrocard with a dollar amount (everyone can share) than an unlimited ride (must buy one per person).

 

Coming from Elmhurst, it would be a loooong ride on the morning of the cruise with all your luggage - at least an hour. If you are leaving on a weekend day, I'd think very carefully before I'd do that, service is sketchy on weekends. Then again, it would only cost 2.25 per person so you be the judge... I myself will be taking the Long Island Railroad + subway (unless I can get someone to drop us off) for our cruise on Oct 24!

[cheggy]

We are staying at Comfort Inn 23-45 83rd East Elmhurst NY. I've made arrangements to pier on cruise day but we are flying in a day early & just thought if we could find a simple & economical way to get to Times Square & back we would do that. I don't think there is much to see around close where we are staying. Thanks

 

We are doing the same thing , same day and same hotel. Are you as intimidated by all these subways and bus as we are? We are Kentuckians and yes we wear shoes here (now). Public transportation isn't available anywhere near us and if you want to go , you drive. Would like to do a 4 to 5 hour tour of NYC that Friday instead of going out on our own. Do any of the tourlines pickup at hotels?

[BlueHerons]

Good Lord, NYC sounds confusing at best.

 

It isn't. The subway system is quite easy in Manhattan. Just remember that the Bronx is up or Uptown and Brooklyn is down or downtown. There are several crosstown subways but the most common is the Grand Central to Times Square Shuttle.

[Got2Cruise]

We are doing the same thing , same day and same hotel. Are you as intimidated by all these subways and bus as we are? We are Kentuckians and yes we wear shoes here (now). Public transportation isn't available anywhere near us and if you want to go , you drive. Would like to do a 4 to 5 hour tour of NYC that Friday instead of going out on our own. Do any of the tourlines pickup at hotels?

 

The hotel that you booked is in the borough of Queens, across the East River from Manhattan. Greyline tours run all the tours in Manhattan unless you want a small walking tour. http://www.newyorksightseeing.com/ According to Hopstop.com, you need to either catch a bus or walk to the subway from your hotel property. (I guess this is why the price was low). If you don't wish to take public transportation, you can do two things. You can take a taxi or car service into Manhattan, or you can change your hotel to a property which is near the Times Square area and then walk to where you pick up the tours. I am not going to lie, if you are not used to crowds and using public transportation, you might just want to spend the extra money. jmo.

[ladybeans5]

It's not very complicated, you just need to change once from the bus to the subway. The Q47 bus stop is a block from your hotel. Take it to 37 road (it goes in two directions so ask the bus driver before you get to make sure he's going the right way). Then get out at 37 road. A lot of people will likely get out here. Ask someone if you aren't sure, New Yorkers are way friendlier than people think. Take either the E or the 7 train downtown and get out at Times Square/42nd St. To get back, do the same thing in reverse.

 

I'm a born and raised New Yorker, I think it would be a big waste of money to take a car service from Queens to Manhattan. It's only 2.25 a person to take public transport and you have nothing to lose if you're just sightseeing. Buy a little subway map, and between all of you, you should have no problem at all. And once you get to Times Square, you are within walking distance to most things that you'd want to see, including Central Park, Empire State Building, Broadway, Radio City Music Hall and the big museums. If you want to check out the Brooklyn Bridge or Ground Zero you'll have to get on the subway again. You can do it!

 

But again, the day of the cruise is a whoooole other story. It'll take you an hour to get to Times Square alone, and from there you're still a good 20 minutes at least from the pier.

[cheggy]

Thanks for the advise. I think we will wait til we reach NYC before we decide what to do. Hopefully it won't be as confusing as it sounds. Do the subways do loops or just backtrack?

[flowerchild]

FYI: A car service from LGA to Midtown should be about $35. We get from Bensonhurst, Brooklyn to LGA for $35 and Midtown is closer than where we travel from. I would not take public transportation to the pier from the hotel, not worth the savings and a big hassle...like the poster said, subways are not luggage friendly.

 

In addition to Times Square (overrated, in my opinion) why not visit the Natural History Museum? Statue of Liberty?

[Got2Cruise]

It is not a problem, but it might be a culture shock. :) FYI, the tours begin in Times Square but then go all around the city to all the landmarks. It is a great way for a first-timer to get an overview of the city.

[cheggy]

FYI: A car service from LGA to Midtown should be about $35. We get from Bensonhurst, Brooklyn to LGA for $35 and Midtown is closer than where we travel from. I would not take public transportation to the pier from the hotel, not worth the savings and a big hassle...like the poster said, subways are not luggage friendly.

 

In addition to Times Square (overrated, in my opinion) why not visit the Natural History Museum? Statue of Liberty?

We got Dial 7 for the trip to the pier. We just want a tour of the highlights of NYC if possible.

[garycarla]

for anyone else thinking about this, I would spend the extra money and get a hotel in the city, then walk right out the door and see the sights.

 

A cab from the airport to Times Square area is the easiest way to get there.

[bob brown]

The subway lines generally reverse at each terminal. There are no "loop routes" in NYC. Someone mentioned purchasing a subway map. No need, as the booths in the subway stations issue an excellent subway/railroad map, and also borough bus maps free of charge.

[cheggy]

The subway lines generally reverse at each terminal. There are no "loop routes" in NYC. Someone mentioned purchasing a subway map. No need, as the booths in the subway stations issue an excellent subway/railroad map, and also borough bus maps free of charge.

Thanks Bob, Do you know what a day pass for the bus & subway would cost?

[ladybeans5]

Thanks for the advise. I think we will wait til we reach NYC before we decide what to do. Hopefully it won't be as confusing as it sounds. Do the subways do loops or just backtrack?

 

It backtracks, so when you go back to the hotel you would go uptown. Above every train platform is a sign telling you if the train goes uptown or downtown and it gives the final destination of the train. As for not having a map, I still think it's a good idea to have one on your person, sometimes the big maps in the stations and trains get stolen or graffitti'd or have stickers put on them.

 

A one day pass is 8.25. You have to buy one for every person traveling with you. Maybe not for kids... The pay-per-ride is 2.25 per trip, multiple people can share it, for every 8 bucks you put on the card you get a 15% discount. I think if you transfer from buses to trains within an hour you don't have to pay for another ride.

 

I agree with a previous poster. Times Square takes only about 5-10 minutes to gawk at, but it's a good place to begin (and it is even better at night). There are kiosks to do tours, and buy show tickets. Now that no auto traffic is allowed through most of the area, it's quite a nice place to sit down and plot your next move. I wouldn't eat at any of the restaurants there or buy anything because they jack up the already high prices because it's Times Square.

 

The museums are fabulous but HUGE. I've been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Natural History Museum about three times each, and am nowhere near to seeing everything. The Museum of Modern Art is smaller, but some of it to me is not art! For most of them the admission price is "suggested", so you don't have to pay what the sign says.