Getting to LaGuardia Airport-5 Best Options from Manhattan & Suburbs

Climbing stairs, cramming into elevators, dragging luggage through long tunnels, standing in the elements. New York City’s public transportation is cheap, but not always comfortable or ideal.

Go Airlink NYC is best known for their shared shuttle van service, but also provides sedans, SUVs and large buses for groups.

Their shared shuttle vans will pick you up at your doorstep, transportation hub or hotel. This choice balances comfort, price and safety.

To avoid headaches, factor in extra time when using this option. New York’s traffic and weather can cause unexpected delays.

Go Airlink NYC offers:

• 4 a.m.-midnight service
• Savings when you book online
• Several vehicle types
• Door-to-door service
• Service from NYC hotels, public transportation hubs & cruise terminals

Fees when using Uber/Lyft vary according to:

• Trip length/duration
• Delays (accidents, traffic, weather)
• Number of passengers
• Time of day
• Vehicle type
• Current service demand (i.e., “surge pricing”)
• Tolls (if applicable)
• Tip (15%-20% is standard and recommended)

Terminal A: Uber/Lyft pickup zone

• Exit Terminal A
• Cross the street in front of Terminal A
• Enter designated Uber/Lyft pickup area

Terminal B: Uber/Lyft pickup zone

• From Terminal B’s baggage claim area, follow signs to “Car Services”
• Follow passageway to Terminal B’s parking garage (Level 2)
• Locate numbered area indicated in app

Terminal C: Uber/Lyft pickup zone

• At Terminal C, follow signs to “Car Services”
• Designated pickup areas are outside Terminal C’s ground level
• Look for hired vehicles on the inner lane of the arrivals island

We found three companies with excellent track records.

On Google Reviews, these companies have:

• At least 4.8/5 stars
• At least 100 customer reviews

These companies are:

• King And Queen Limousine Service
• M & V Limousines
• Executive Ground Transportation

Taxis charge the metered rate between Manhattan and LaGuardia Airport.

• Total taxi cost = metered rate + toll + tip
• Estimated taxi fares are show in table at top
• Some routes require a toll, some do not
• A 15%-20% tip is standard and recommended

Subway from Manhattan to LaGuardia

• Take the 7, E, F, M or R subway lines toward Queens
• 7 Train riders: exit at the “74th St.-Broadway” stop
• E, F, M & R Train riders: exit at “Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Ave.” stop
• Both stops are in Queens (in the same building)
• Exit subway station & look for bus stop
• For LaGuardia’s Terminal A: transfer to Q47 bus
• For Terminal B/Terminal C: transfer to Q70 bus
• Info on how to pay for public transportation
• Maps & helpful resources

LIRR from Manhattan to LaGuardia

Use this section if your trip starts in Manhattan. If you are starting on Long Island, see next section.

• Long Island Railroad = LIRR
• Board LIRR at either Penn Station or Grand Central
• Subway lines to Penn Station: A, C, E, 1, 2 3
• Subway lines to Grand Central: 4, 5, 6, 7, S
• Take LIRR to the “Woodside” station in Queens
• Exit Woodside station & look for Q70 bus stop
• Take Q70 bus to either Terminal B or Terminal C
• Q70 bus does not go to Terminal A* (see next paragraph)
• Info on how to pay for public transportation
• Maps & helpful resources

*Terminal A passengers should:

• Take Q70 bus to Terminal B
• At Terminal B, transfer to LaGuardia’s free intra-airport shuttle bus
• Take free shuttle from Terminal B to Terminal A

LIRR from Long Island to LaGuardia

If you are starting on Long Island:

• Long Island Railroad = LIRR
• Take LIRR to the “Woodside” station in Queens
• Exit Woodside station and look for the Q70 bus stop
• Take Q70 bus to either Terminal B or Terminal C
• Q70 bus does not go to Terminal A* (see next paragraph)
• Info on how to pay for public transportation
• Maps & helpful resources

*Terminal A passengers should:

• Take Q70 bus to Terminal B
• At Terminal B, transfer to LaGuardia’s free intra-airport shuttle bus
• Take free shuttle from Terminal B to Terminal A

Metro-North Railroad to LaGuardia

You have three options when taking Metro-North Railroad from Westchester/Putnam/Dutchess Counties or Connecticut.

Option 1: Metro-North to subway to bus

• Take Metro-North to Grand Central Terminal
• At Grand Central, transfer to the 7 subway line
• Take 7 Train to “74th-St.-Broadway” stop in Queens
• Exit subway station & look for bus stop
• For LaGuardia’s Terminal A: take Q47 bus
• For Terminal B/Terminal C: take Q70 bus
• Info on how to pay for public transportation
• Maps & helpful resources

Option 2: Metro-North to Long Island Railroad to bus

• Take Metro-North to Grand Central Terminal
• At Grand Central, transfer to Long Island Railroad (LIRR)
• Take LIRR to “Woodside” station in Queens
• Exit Woodside station; look for Q70 bus stop
• Take Q70 bus to Terminal B or Terminal C
• Q70 bus does not go to Terminal A* (see next paragraph)
• Info on how to pay for public transportation
• Maps & helpful resources

*For Terminal A:

• Take Q70 bus to Terminal B
• At Terminal B, transfer to LaGuardia’s free intra-airport shuttle bus
• Take shuttle from Terminal B to Terminal A
• Intra-airport shuttle runs 24 hours-per-day

Option 3: Metro-North to M60 bus (fastest option)

• Take Metro-North to the “Harlem-125th St.” station
• “Harlem-125th St” is one stop before Grand Central Terminal
• Exit “Harlem-125th St.” station
• Look for M60 bus stop on south side of 125th St.
• South side of 125th St. = the side closest to 124th St.
• Info on how to pay for public transportation
• Maps & helpful resources

Transfers

• Transfers between subways/buses are free
• Transfers must be completed within two hours
• Free transfers do not apply to either Metro-North or Long Island Railroad

Payment options

MetroCard

• Buy MetroCards in subway/train stations
• Use same MetroCard when transferring between subways/buses

OMNY

• OMNY = a contactless payment system
• Uses tap-to-pay feature* on credit cards/digital wallets
• OMNY payment scanners are aboard buses and in subway stations
• OMNY payment includes free transfer
• OMNY = One Metro New York

*To use OMNY, simply hold your credit card or your digital wallet up to the OMNY payment scanner. Credit cards must have the tap-to-pay feature on the front.

Coins

• Pay bus fare using any coins except pennies
• Ask bus driver for a transfer (if needed)
• Bus driver will hand you a paper MetroCard
• Use paper MetroCard for free transfer

Metro-North & Long Island Railroad

3 ways to buy train tickets:

• Ticket agent at station
• Ticket machine at station
• Using the MTA Train Time app (available on App Store/Google Play)
• With app, buy ticket on mobile device, activate upon boarding
• Tickets cost more during peak hours
• Never buy tickets aboard train; it costs a lot more

Metro-North/LIRR: Peak & non-Peak hours

• Peak hours = Monday-Friday, 5 a.m.-10 a.m. (excluding holidays)
• Peak hours = Monday-Friday, 4 p.m.-8 p.m. (excluding holidays)
• Off-peak hours = all other times

Q70 bus

• Q70 bus is free at all times
• Operates 24/7/365
• Q70 bus goes to Terminal B & Terminal C
• Q70 bus DOES NOT stop at Terminal A
• Official name = LaGuardia Link Q70 SBS

Q47 & M60 buses

• The Q47 and M60 buses are not free
• Both operate 24/7/365
• M60 bus goes to all LaGuardia terminals
• Q47 bus only goes to LaGuardia’s Terminal A
• See bus fare in table at top of post

LaGuardia Airport

The LaGuardia Airport map linked below mentions a 24-hour shuttle bus. This free shuttle bus runs a continuous loop between all three LaGuardia terminals: A, B and C. This shuttle never leaves the airport.

LaGuardia Airport map

Buses

M60 bus route

For Q47 and Q70 bus routes, see this subway map. Bus routes are shown as dashed lines. On the map, LaGuardia appears as a black plane symbol inside a yellow circle close to the center.

Q70 bus

• Q70 bus is free at all times
• Operates 24/7/365
• Q70 bus goes to Terminal B & Terminal C
• Q70 bus DOES NOT stop at Terminal A
• Official name = LaGuardia Link Q70 SBS

Q47 & M60 buses

• The Q47 and M60 buses are not free
• Both operate 24/7/365
• M60 bus goes to all LaGuardia terminals
• Q47 bus only goes to LaGuardia’s Terminal A
• See bus fare in table at top of post

Metro-North

The Metro-North map does not specify LaGuardia Airport’s location. To find LaGuardia, look for the words “Harlem-125th St.” near the bottom-center of the map. To the right of “Harlem-125th St.” there is a wheelchair symbol. The light-colored area under the wheelchair symbol is LaGuardia Airport.

• Metro-North map
• Metro-North schedules/fares
• To see fares, use trip planner or MTA Train Time app
• MTA Train Time app available on App Store/Google Play

Long Island Railroad (LIRR)

To find LaGuardia on the LIRR map, find the word “Queens” toward the left. Above the word “Queens,” look for a black airplane symbol inside a yellow circle.

• LIRR map
• LIRR schedules/fares
• To see fares, use trip planner or app
• MTA Train Time app available on App Store/Google Play

Subway maps

On subway maps, you’ll find LaGuardia Airport toward top-center. It is represented by a black plane inside a yellow circle.

• Subway map: Regular edition
• Subway map: Large print edition
• Subway map: Wheelchair-accessible stations*
• Subway map: Late-Night Service edition

*Note: Wheelchair-accessible stations are highlighted in white.