The subway (472 stations, 24/7) is the backbone; local buses fill gaps crosstown and in the outer boroughs. Commuter rail (LIRR, Metro-North) and PATH (to New Jersey) use separate fares. Walking is the best way to see Manhattan below Central Park; the street grid above 14th St makes navigation simple (avenues run north-south, streets east-west). Yellow cabs, Uber and Lyft are widely available but slow in Midtown traffic.
Paying: OMNY (tap-to-pay)
How to buy
Tap any contactless bank card, phone or watch on the OMNY reader at subway turnstiles and bus fareboxes; no card to buy. A physical OMNY card can be bought at retailers and station vending machines (fee rising from $1 to $2 by mid-2026). MetroCard is being phased out and unlimited MetroCard passes were discontinued.
Fares
Subway and local bus: $3.00 per ride from 4 Jan 2026; express bus $7.25. Free transfer subway-bus or bus-bus within 2 hours when you tap with the same card/device. Seven-day fare cap: after $35 of rides (about 12 rides) in any rolling 7 days on the same card or device, the rest of that week is free; $67 cap if express buses are included. Each person needs their own card or device for the cap to work (MTA, 2026).
Lines and services
- MetroNYC Subway
24/7 service on most lines, with fewer trains and route changes late nights and weekends; check the MTA app for planned work. Express trains skip stops; check the train letter/number and whether the station is marked local or express. Uptown/Downtown platforms often have separate entrances.
- BusMTA local and Select Bus Service
Same $3.00 OMNY fare as the subway, with free transfers. Select Bus Service (SBS) routes like M15, M60 and the Q70 LaGuardia Link have all-door boarding; tap before boarding at stops where readers are on the curb. Coins are being phased out on buses in 2026.
- TrainLong Island Rail Road (LIRR)
From Penn Station and Grand Central Madison to Queens, Brooklyn (Atlantic Terminal) and Long Island. Useful within the city for Jamaica (JFK AirTrain) and Woodside. CityTicket gives a cheaper flat fare for trips inside NYC (about $5.25 off-peak and $7.25 peak per MTA's LaGuardia guide). From 2026 one-way tickets are valid until 4am the next day, and children 5-17 ride for $1 with a paying adult.
- TrainMetro-North Railroad
From Grand Central to the Bronx (Riverdale for Wave Hill), Westchester and Connecticut; the Hudson Line along the river is scenic. CityTicket fares also apply for trips within the city.
- TrainPATH
Port Authority trains between Manhattan (World Trade Center, and 33rd St via 6th Ave) and Hoboken, Jersey City and Newark Penn Station. Fare $3.25 (2026), payable by tap-to-pay (TAPP) or SmartLink; not covered by the OMNY cap.
- FerryNYC Ferry
Routes along the East River (Wall St Pier 11, DUMBO, Williamsburg, Long Island City, Astoria), to Rockaway and to St. George. Fare $4.50 (per Wikipedia fares page, 2026); a cheap harbor cruise with skyline views. Buy via the NYC Ferry app or terminal machines; OMNY does not apply.
- FerryStaten Island Ferry
Free 25-minute ride from Whitehall Terminal (South Ferry) to St. George, passing the Statue of Liberty; ride on the right side (starboard) going to Staten Island for the best statue view.
- FunicularRoosevelt Island Tramway
Aerial tram from 59th St & 2nd Ave to Roosevelt Island with East River and Queensboro Bridge views; $3.00 with OMNY and counts toward the fare cap.
- BikeCiti Bike
Bike share with docks across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. Single ride $4.99 for 30 minutes on a classic bike, day pass $25 (unlimited 30-min classic rides), e-bikes $0.41/min for non-members (citibikenyc.com, 2026). Use protected lanes such as the Hudson River Greenway.
- TaxiYellow and green taxis
Metered fares plus surcharges: $1.00 improvement surcharge, $0.50 MTA surcharge, $2.50 NY State congestion surcharge in Manhattan below 96th St, $0.75 congestion pricing toll inside the Congestion Relief Zone, $5 rush-hour surcharge on the JFK flat fare (NYC TLC). Tip 15-20%. Hail yellow cabs with the roof light on, or use the Curb app.
- Ride-hailingUber / Lyft
Widely available; prices include state congestion surcharges and the congestion relief zone charge. Often slower than the subway in Midtown at rush hour.
Common trips
Times SquareStatue of Liberty ferry (Battery Park)30 min
1 train downtown to South Ferry (about 25 min), then walk 5 min to Castle Clinton for Statue City Cruises
- R/W to Whitehall St-South Ferry
- Free Staten Island Ferry from Whitehall for a view without landing
Times SquareBrooklyn Bridge (Manhattan side)25 min
4/5 express from Grand Central (7 or S shuttle from Times Sq) to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall
- N/Q/R/W to City Hall or Canal St
- Taxi about 20-30 min
Midtown (Grand Central)The Met / Museum Mile20 min
4/5/6 uptown to 86 St, walk 3 avenues west (about 10 min)
- M1/M2/M3/M4 bus up Madison Ave, walk to 5th Ave
- Q train to 86 St-2 Av, then walk west
- Walk through Central Park from 59th St (about 35 min)
MidtownAmerican Museum of Natural History15 min
B/C to 81 St-Museum of Natural History (station has a museum entrance)
- 1 train to 79 St and walk 2 blocks east
- M79 SBS crosstown bus from the East Side
Lower Manhattan (Fulton St)DUMBO, Brooklyn40 min
Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge (about 35-45 min including photos)
- NYC Ferry East River route from Wall St/Pier 11 to DUMBO
- A/C to High St or F to York St
Chelsea (High Line/Chelsea Market)Williamsburg, Brooklyn20 min
L train from 8 Av or 14 St to Bedford Av (about 15 min)
- NYC Ferry from East 34th St to North Williamsburg
- Citi Bike across the Williamsburg Bridge
MidtownFlushing, Queens40 min
7 express from Grand Central or Times Sq to Flushing-Main St (about 35 min)
- LIRR Port Washington Branch from Penn/Grand Central Madison to Flushing-Main St (about 20 min, higher fare)
MidtownJackson Heights, Queens25 min
E/F express from Midtown to Jackson Hts-Roosevelt Av (about 20 min)
- 7 train to 74 St-Broadway or 82 St
- LIRR to Woodside then 7
MidtownConey Island55 min
D/F/N/Q to Coney Island-Stillwell Av, the terminal for all four (about 50-60 min)
- Q train from Union Sq or Times Sq along the Brighton line
- Ferry is not available; driving is slow in summer
MidtownArthur Avenue / Bronx Zoo35 min
Metro-North Harlem Line from Grand Central to Fordham (about 20 min), then Bx12 SBS or 15-minute walk
- B/D to Fordham Rd then Bx12 SBS east
- 2/5 to Pelham Pkwy for the Bronx Zoo
MidtownThe Met Cloisters40 min
A express to 190 St, then elevator and a 10-minute walk through Fort Tryon Park
- M4 bus up Madison/Broadway directly to the Cloisters (slow, about 75 min, but scenic)
- 1 train to 191 St and walk
Lower Manhattan (Whitehall)Staten Island (St. George)30 min
Free Staten Island Ferry, 25 minutes
- NYC Ferry St. George route from Midtown West/Battery Park City ($4.50)
MidtownYankee Stadium25 min
4 or B/D to 161 St-Yankee Stadium (about 25 min)
- Metro-North Hudson Line to Yankees-E 153 St on game days
MidtownLong Island City (Gantry Plaza, MoMA PS1)10 min
7 train one stop from Grand Central to Vernon Blvd-Jackson Av (about 5 min)
- E/M to Court Sq-23 St for MoMA PS1
- NYC Ferry East River route to Hunters Point South
To and from the airport
JFK
- Train · 60 minAirTrain $8.75 (paid on exit at Jamaica or Howard Beach) plus $3.00 subway = $11.75 (2026). OMNY 30-day AirTrain cap $43.50; group fare up to 5 riders $26.75 max.
AirTrain to Jamaica, then E train to Midtown (or J/Z to Lower Manhattan); or AirTrain to Howard Beach for the A train downtown. Cheapest option and reliable in traffic.
- Train · 45 minAirTrain $8.75 plus LIRR CityTicket or peak fare (about $5-11 depending on time; check MTA TrainTime)
AirTrain to Jamaica, then LIRR to Penn Station or Grand Central Madison in about 20 minutes. Fastest public option to Midtown.
- Taxi · 60 minFlat fare $70 to/from Manhattan plus $1.00 improvement, $0.50 MTA, $2.50 state congestion surcharge, $0.75 congestion pricing toll, $5 weekday 4-8pm surcharge, tolls and tip; realistically about $90-110 (NYC TLC)
Use the official taxi stand only; ignore people offering rides inside the terminal. Can take 90+ minutes at rush hour.
- Ride-hailing · 60 minVaries with demand; often similar to or above the taxi total at peak
Pickups are at designated areas; follow airport signs.
LGA
- Bus · 45 minQ70 LaGuardia Link bus is free; then $3.00 subway (2026)
Q70 runs nonstop from Terminals B and C to Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av (E/F/M/R/7) every 8-10 minutes, about 15 minutes; then subway to Manhattan (about 30 min).
- Train · 40 minQ70 free; LIRR CityTicket about $5.25 off-peak / $7.25 peak (MTA)
Q70 to Woodside, then LIRR to Penn Station or Grand Central Madison.
- Bus · 50 min$3.00 with OMNY, free transfer to subway (2026)
M60 SBS from all terminals across the Triborough (RFK) Bridge to 125th St in Harlem (connections to 4/5/6, 2/3, A/B/C/D, 1) and along 125th to Broadway.
- Taxi · 35 minMetered fare plus $5 LGA surcharge and other surcharges, tolls and tip; commonly about $45-70 to Midtown (NYC TLC; estimate depends on traffic)
Fastest door-to-door off-peak.
EWR
- Train · 45 minNJ Transit to New York Penn Station about $17.25 including the $8.75 AirTrain access fee (Newark Airport website, 2026)
AirTrain Newark to Newark Liberty International Airport Station, then NJ Transit or Amtrak to New York Penn Station (about 30 min). From 14 Sep to 13 Nov 2026, on most weekdays 5am-3pm the AirTrain is replaced by a Port Authority shuttle bus to the station; allow an extra 15-25 minutes.
- Bus · 50 minNewark Airport Express $23.50 one way / $39.50 round trip (Newark Airport website)
Coach USA bus to Port Authority Bus Terminal, Bryant Park and Grand Central; slower in traffic.
- Train · 60 minAbout $11.75 total via NJ Transit to Newark Penn plus PATH (Newark Airport website)
Cheapest rail route to Lower Manhattan (World Trade Center) via PATH from Newark Penn Station.
- Taxi · 60 minNYC yellow cab: metered fare plus $20 Newark surcharge, tolls and tip (NYC TLC); commonly $110-160 total (nycexplored.com, 2026)
Newark taxi stand also offers flat-rate zones to Manhattan; rideshare typically $65-100 off-surge.
Good to know
- Tap the same card or phone every ride so the $35 seven-day cap applies; each traveler needs their own card or device
- Check whether a train runs local or express before boarding, especially on the 1/2/3, 4/5/6 and A/C/E
- Weekend and late-night service changes are common; read the paper notices at station entrances or check the MTA app
- The Staten Island Ferry is free and passes the Statue of Liberty
- At JFK, LGA and EWR use only official taxi stands; decline anyone offering rides inside the terminal
- Walking is often faster than a cab between Midtown points during rush hour (4-7pm)
- Congestion pricing affects drivers only; transit fares are unchanged by it
Useful apps
- MTA app (official subway/bus trip planner and service alerts)
- OMNY (online account to track taps and fare cap)
- MTA TrainTime (LIRR and Metro-North tickets and times)
- Google Maps or Citymapper (multi-mode routing)
- NYC Ferry app
- Citi Bike app
- Curb (yellow taxi e-hail)
- Uber / Lyft