This Ga peach is heading to N.Y.C. for the 1st time.......help, & advice needed

[bubbles1209]

Which airport is better to fly into N.Y. LaGuardia, or JFK? Best spot for hotel? Best way from airport to hotel? Coming at the end of August, all help is appreciated!

[njhorseman]

Are you coming in for a cruise? There are two different cruise terminals in New York City, one in Manhattan and one in Brooklyn. There's third cruise terminal in nearby Bayonne New Jersey.

 

There is no one best airport to fly into. It depends on a combination of factors...where is your destination...one of the cruise terminals, or just making a visit to NY for other reasons? You have to consider the full picture, airfare, airline schedule, ground transportation costs and ground transportation time.

 

We need to know more from you. Your ultimate destination, your hotel budget, what if any sightseeing you plan to do in NY City.

[138east]

We also need to know your exact dates and how many people. There could be some good deals in August, particularly if you're willing to use Priceline or Hotwire and prepay your hotel room.

[bubbles1209]

The 2 of us are coming in for a cruise. Coming in on the 27th, cruise is on the 29th reurning on the 2nd. Just gonna go straight to the airport after the cruise. Cruise is out of the Manhattan terminal. I know all hotels are gonna be pricey, we estimated $150-200 per night. If we can find 'em cheaper, that's great too. Would like to take a ferry ride around the harbor, see the empire state building or top of the rock. See the brooklyn bridge & possibly go to greenwich village. Also, of course, times square is a must see on my list.

[njhorseman]

The 2 of us are coming in for a cruise. Coming in on the 27th, cruise is on the 29th reurning on the 2nd. Just gonna go straight to the airport after the cruise. Cruise is out of the Manhattan terminal. I know all hotels are gonna be pricey, we estimated $150-200 per night. If we can find 'em cheaper, that's great too. Would like to take a ferry ride around the harbor, see the empire state building or top of the rock. See the brooklyn bridge & possibly go to greenwich village. Also, of course, times square is a must see on my list.

 

You probably should stay in Midtown Manhattan, although Manhattan is small enough that I would not be averse to staying at a hotel further downtown in Chelsea or the Financial District if you found a real bargain there. I wouldn't select anything less than a 3 star rated hotel in Manhattan.

 

LGA is the closest airport to Manhattan, and would have the lowest cost of taxi or car service transportation to Manhattan, about $35-40 plus tip...but...if there are significantly lower fares into JFK or EWR, they are not so far away nor so much more expensive for ground transportation... $52.50 fixed fare (plus tolls...which should be $0), and tip by taxi between JFK and Manhattan, or about $50-55 plus around $15 in tolls , plus tip from EWR to Manhattan, that you should automatically exclude JFK and EWR from your plans. You have to price out your airfare for each of the airports in order to make a sensible choice.

[Andee]

I think your budget is low for Midtown Manhattan. If the two of you are willing to share a bed, Priceline is an option--we've gotten very good prices that way. If you haven't used Priceline before, read betterbidding and biddingfortravel to learn how to bid.

[Got2Cruise]

Hi, you are going to love NYC. Pricey in some places is darn cheap in NYC.:D I am sure folks will help you out, but my opinion is that location location location is everything. You might have to increase your budget a bit. Priceline or Hotwire are two places to look. "Times Square", "Madison Square Garden" are two areas that folks have had success. Don't choose anything less than 3 stars. These two areas will allow you to walk to many tourist sights, pick up the HoHo bus, and be close to public transportation. I also use Kayak when I choose hotels for myself because I don't like surprises and I want the option to cancel if necessary. If you search there you will get an idea of the price range for your dates. Any questions check back here before you book for opinions.

The 2 of us are coming in for a cruise. Coming in on the 27th, cruise is on the 29th reurning on the 2nd. Just gonna go straight to the airport after the cruise. Cruise is out of the Manhattan terminal. I know all hotels are gonna be pricey, we estimated $150-200 per night. If we can find 'em cheaper, that's great too. Would like to take a ferry ride around the harbor, see the empire state building or top of the rock. See the brooklyn bridge & possibly go to greenwich village. Also, of course, times square is a must see on my list.

[trish1c]

Check out all 3 APs to see who has the cheapest flight. Since you are staying in Manhatten, if EWR is not at least $50 lower than the other 2, don't pick it. From EWR the cheapest way to NYC will be a bus. From the other 2 you can just hop a cab.

If you plan to fly home the day your cruise returns do not book before 1 pm. NYC traffic can be brutal so you have to budget a lot of time to get to the AP, just in case. Imagine the worst traffic you ever saw in Georgia; that's our daily normal traffic situation.

$150 -- $200 per night as a hotel budget is too low. Average daily room rate is $325. You should be able to get something in your price range if you bid on Priceline. As others have suggested, familiarize yourself with bidding using sites like betterbidding & biddingfortravel before you bid.

Also understand NYC hotel rooms are barely bigger than your cruise cabin. :)

[njhorseman]

For the OP's dates (which during are the week before Labor Day...a relatively quiet time of the year in Manhattan) Hotwire is showing at least a dozen 3 star or higher hotels in various areas of Manhattan, including Midtown, for under $200 per night. The OP can easily find a room within budget for that time...her budget is not too low.

[sjcruiser]

Try Priceline for a good deal on a centrally located hotel. Your price range should get you a decent hotel close to the pier, and maybe even the Times Square area.

[Wandering Writer]

We chose the airport by finding the best airfare usually, keeping in mind that we will have the expense of a cab to our hotel. We have found reasonable rates at some of the sites mentioned by others. We look for something close to a subway if we're not staying in the heart of where we want to explore.

 

As for things to see and do--lots to chose from. My blog has pictures and stories of what we did on our several trips to NYC if that would be of help to you.

 

Enjoy! NYC is a unique city.