Getting from New York Newark Liberty Airport
We traveled to Newark Airport from New York several times and tried all available modes of transportation.
Aside from taxis and ride-sharing apps, the most convenient way is the CoachUSA buses, which stop right outside all terminals and take you to 3 locations in Manhattan for 22,50 usd. However, queues are frequent and can double the travel time.
Therefore, NJ Transit trains are the safest way to get there, but you must first take the airport's automated "AirTrain" from all terminals.
The cheapest option is to take the local 62 bus to Newark, where you transfer to the Manhattan-bound train.
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Regular New York City subway tickets do not apply on any of the buses or trains listed.
| Price | Travel time | Transfers | |
| Coach USA - Buses | 22,50 usd | 50-120 minutes | 0 |
| NJ Transit + AirTrain - trains | 16,80 usd | 40-50 minutes | 1 |
| Bus 62 + PATH train | 4,80 usd | 45-80 minutes | 1 |
Public transport
How exactly do I buy tickets and what are the realistic journey times?
CoachUSA direct buses
These modern, air-conditioned buses stop in front of Terminals A, B, C and are a 2-minute walk from the arrivals hall to the bus stop.
CoachUSA buses stop in downtown New York at 3 locations:
- Port Authority - the main bus station adjacent to Times Square.
- stop on the map (located on W 41 Street below the bus station)
- Grand Central Station - near Grand Central Terminal and the Chrysler Building
- stop on map (41 Street between Lexington Ave and Park Ave)
- Bryant Park - near the New York Public Library and 5th Avenue
- stop on map (42 Street near the intersection with 5th Ave)
Ticket prices
The cheapest way to buy a ticket is online for 22,50 usd through the official coachusa.com website. You must fill out personal information when purchasing your ticket, so we recommend not leaving your purchase to the last minute.
The online ticket is valid 365 from the time of purchase for any connection.
The ticket costs 25 usd and can only be paid in cash from the driver!
Timetable and journey times
The official driving time between Newark Airport and Port Authority is 50 minutes, but in practice (especially between about 7:30am and 7pm) you can drive well over 2 hours.
The timetable is irregular - buses run at intervals of between 10 and 30 minutes.
- Last bus from the airport - 22:45
- First bus from Port Authority - 4:30
- Tip for a hotel near the Port Authority terminal: Four Points by Sheraton Midtown ****
Train to New York City
At the station Newark Airport Railraod two railroad companies stop at the station. However, you must first take the automated "AirTrain" train from the terminals to this station, which runs 24 hours a day at 4-15 minute intervals.
It takes about 30 minutes to get to the train station from Terminal A (long walk to the AirTrain + about 10 minutes of driving), or 7 minutes from Terminal B and 5 minutes from Terminal C.
NJ Transit
Trains run at irregular intervals 3-5 times per hour through Newark to Central New York's Penn Station near the Empire State Building.
At Newark Penn Station, you can transfer to PATH trains running to lower Manhattan to the "World Trade Center" station.
A ticket for 16,80 usd can be purchased from a machine at the AirTrain station near the terminal for a price that includes AirTrain and the train to New York.
Alternatively, tickets can also be purchased on the NJ Transit mobile app.
- Travel time - 40 minutes from the terminal to Penn Station
- Price - 16,80 usd
- Frequency - 10-25 minutes
- Last train from the airport - 1:33
- First train from NYC - 4:13 (5:10 on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays)
- Find connections and schedules: njtransit.com (for direct train to Penn Station) and panynj.gov (for trains from downtown Newark to lower Manhattan)
- Tip for a hotel near New York Penn Station: DoubleTree by Hilton New York Times Square South ****
AMTRAK
Long-distance AMTRAK trains can also be used to travel from the airport to Penn Station in New York City, but this is only a supplemental service and is not cost-effective.
It is not possible to buy a joint ticket for AMTRAK and AirTrain, and a single ticket for the trains from the airport to New York City costs from 19 usd to 63 usd. The trains are primarily for long-distance service to other destinations.
Official website: amtrak.com
Our tip: the cheapest transportation
You can save money by taking the #62 bus from all terminals to Newark Penn Station, where both NJ Transit and PATH trains to New York run.
Bus 62 runs every 10 to 15 minutes and the ticket costs 1,80 usd. You can pay at the driver with a contactless card or exact cash, or through the NJ Transit mobile app.
From Newark Penn Station, you can take two different train lines:
- NJ Transit to New York Penn Station for 6 usd
- PATH to New York World Trade Station for 3 usd
Our public transportation map
View a map of all subway, bus, and train lines serving Newark EWR.
AirTrain
An automated train „Newark Liberty Airport Railroad“ connects the terminals with the nearby train station „Air Train“, which stops at all terminals and parking lots.
You can then continue on NJ Transit or Amtrak trains to Newark, New York or Philadelphia.
Official information can be found at: newarkairport.com/air-train.
Tickets
One ride from all terminals to the train station costs 8,50 usd. Multi-day tickets are not valid on AirTrain for travel in New York City. You can buy one combination ticket for AirTrain and NJ Transit trains to New York City.
You can pay contactlessly with your own card/cell phone/watch or buy a traditional paper ticket from a machine.
If you are only transferring between terminals or to parking lots or hotel shuttle stops, the fare is free.
Times
AirTrain runs 24/7. Frequency between connections is 8-12 minutes during the day and 15-20 minutes at night.
From the train station, it takes 5 minutes to get to Terminal C, while it takes about 12 minutes to get to Terminal A.
Taxi/Uber/Lyft to New York City
Taxi fares to Manhattan are fixed and the city is divided into 4 zones. Tolls and special airport surcharges are not included.
In general, count on the total price when traveling to Manhattan between 60 usd and 80 usd. You can always pay with a card and cash.
For complete taxi fares to all destinations, visit the airport's website: newarkairport.com//taxi.
Taxi stands are always located directly outside all terminals.
There are also taxi stands marked Ride App Pick Up for Uber and Lyft directly outside the terminals.
Prices may be lower or higher than for regular taxis - prices are determined by current demand. So we always recommend comparing fixed taxi prices with the current prices on the Uber or Lyft apps.
Rent a car
If you're only travelling to New York City, make sure to use public transportation, which works great in the city. We describe our experience in our New York City subway article. A car would only be a burden.
However, if you want to go somewhere other than New York from Newark Airport, renting a car is already a very viable option. Long-distance passenger transport in the US does not work very well and is very expensive.
Weekly rental rates start at 270 usd.
Newark Airport car rental prices
All rental car locations are in the parking garage across from Terminal A.
From the other terminals, you can get here for free on the "AirTrain", an automated train that runs 24 hours a day.
Transportation to Newark
If you are heading to the nearby city of Newark, which can serve as a cheaper alternative for accommodation when visiting New York, use the trains or local buses.
Train
NJ Transit trains do not stop directly at the terminal, but at the station Newark Airport Railraod, which can be reached from all terminals by the automated AirTrain.
A combination AirTrain + train ticket can be purchased for 14,50 usd at a vending machine at an AirTrain station or on the NJ Transit mobile app.
The total travel time from the terminals to Newark Penn Station is 10-15 minutes. Find connections and schedules: njtransit.com.
Bus
Cheaper, but longer, transportation is provided by local bus routes. Unlike the train, however, they stop directly at all terminals.
You can buy a 1-zone ticket for 1,80 usd the driver (cash and your own contactless card) or the NJ Transit mobile app.
It takes about 25 minutes to get to downtown Newark on the 62 line. Frequency of service is about 10-20 minutes.
Trains to Philadelphia, Washington D.C.
AMTRAK trains offer direct long-distance service from Newark Airport Railraod, which can be reached from all terminals by the automated AirTrain.
Search for connections and book tickets online at amtrak.com.
- Philadelphia - 10 times daily, 70 minutes, prices from 15 usd
- Washington D.C. - 9 times daily, journey time 3 hours 10 minutes, price from 39 usd
- Baltimore - 9x daily, journey time 2.5 hours, price from 36 usd
- Boston - 4 times a day, journey time 5 hours, price from 39 usd
To New York JFK Airport
It takes approximately 2 hours to transfer from Newark Airport to JFK Airport in New York.
Take the AirTrain to „Newark Liberty Airport Railroad“, where you can take the train to the Penn Station terminus.
From Pennsylvania Station, the E subway runs to Sutphin Blvd / Archer Av, where you will transfer to the AirTrain again.
- Newark Airport (AirTrain) - Newark Airport Railroad - 10 minutes
- Newark Airport Railroad - Penn Station (NJ Transit train) - 25 minutes for 16,80 usd (combined AirTrain + NJ Transit train)
- Penn Station - Sutphin Blvd / Archer Av (Metro E) - 40 minutes and 2,90 usd
- Jamaica - JFK (Air Train) - 20 minutes and 8,50 usd
- Total approx. 2 hours and 28,20 usd
Taxi between airports will take about an hour and a half and cost around 125 usd.
To La Guardia Airport
The transfer between Newark and La Guardia airports will also take approximately 2 hours if you take the following route.
- Newark Airport (AirTrain) - Newark Airport Railroad - 10 minutes
- Newark Airport Railroad - Penn Station (NJ Transit Train) - 25 minutes for 16,80 usd (combined AirTrain + NJ Transit train)
- Penn Station - Jackson Hts / Roosvelt Av (Metro E) - 25 minutes and 2,90 usd
- Roosvelt Av - La Guardia Airport (Bus Q47 or Q70) - 40 minutes and 2,90 usd
- Total approx. 2 hours and 22,60 usd
Taxi between the airports will take about an hour and a half and cost around 125 usd.
New Jersey Regional Trains
NJ Transit direct trains also run south from Newark Airport Railraod to destinations such as Trenton, New Brunswick, Princeton, Bay Head, Bradley Beach, Long Branch and more.
Find connections and schedules: njtransit.com.
Purchase a combination AirTrain + train ticket from a vending machine at an AirTrain station or the NJ Transit mobile app.
Any questions left?
If you have any questions or comments about the article...
If anyone is looking for a more affordable way to get from the airport to NYC, a combination of the 62 bus ($1.8/tickets can be purchased through the NJ Transit app) and the PATH train to WTC or 33rd St ($3) can do it.
So $4.8 total with travel time under an hour (20 min BUS, 20 min PATH + transfers - counting and this is off-peak)
The app can also find the departure of the nearest bus from the airport and track its location on a map. The stops at the airport are fairly well marked (just go to Ground Transportation) and then at the bus stops find the ones for NJ Transit, which also have schedules- just be careful that the 62 stops at the same stop in both directions- so don't get on the one towards ELIZABETH, but the one towards NEWARK.
Thanks, this is exactly the option I wanted to try in May when I leave EWR. I'll incorporate that into the text somehow.
Last year you could pay on the bus with cash and surprisingly also with a card.
It's possible, I suspect that some passengers paid with cash, I don't know, but I think I saw a card terminal there - but I won't put my hand on it