JFK -> Penn Station -> Boston.... Have I left enough time

otispunkmeyer

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Just a quick question for anyone that might be able to help

Flying to NY on the 13th of september and the flight arrives about 4:40pm at JFK airport.

I have booked a train ticket from Penn station (manhattan) for 7pm. Thats 2 hours 20 minutes to get out the airport and get to the station. I thought that was fine, then remembered what a pig JFK can be. Google maps then says JFK to the station is a good 30 minutes... but whether thats with traffic or not I dont know.

Am I boned? do i need to alter the train tickets or will I be able to make it?
 
Take the AirTrain to Jamaica and then the LIRR to Penna. That way there's no traffic to get stuck in. You should be fine if nothing goes wrong and takes up loads of your time.

LIRR_sched.png
 
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I guess one important question is - will you be checking any bags? Because if you are, it can easily take a half hour for you to get your bags off of the carousel. If not, you should have enough time. But I would ask Prizrak or maybe Emarline just to be sure - I don't have much personal experience with JFK since 1974.
 
Just a tip for people travelling to NY and it may fit in with their travel plans.

Go from Shannon, you clear immigration in Ireland so all that crap is out of the way and you come into the US as an 'internal flight' - just a service provided to only one airport outside the US in the world (I understand) - special relationship you see.
 
Roughly 2.5 hours from JFK to Penn Station in NY rush hour traffic? Possible but difficult, for the most part you will be traveling on Van Wyck (usually busy) to LIE (VERY busy) through the tunnel into the city, once you get to the city you are stuck on streets. Streets tend to be pretty clogged in all directions even off peak. Then you also have to worry about getting your luggage/going through customs/catching a cab and so on.

You might be better off catching the AirTrain to the blue line (ACE trains) and taking it to Penn Station (you will come out inside the station itself) or the LIRR as posted above (the former is a bit under and hour latter is around 40 mins but more $$).

Why not just fly to Boston directly?
 
Should be fine, as long as you pass immigration quickly. Take the subway from Jamaica and you will be at Penn Station in less than 30 minutes.
 
I'll second the Airtrain. Got from JFK to Penn Station in about half an hour/45 minutes. Depending on how long it takes you to get off the flight,

By the way, Amtrak can push back your train times if there's another one scheduled. Worst comes to worst, see if you can cancel your ticket (if you haven't given them your credit card info) and take the Fung Wah bus to South Station, Boston?it gets a bad rep but I've taken it countless times and I haven't died yet. It's $15 one way, takes 5 hours, and if you're lucky, the driver will stop at a Burger King on the way. Real luxury travel there. ;) Just keep in mind that the last bus is at 10pm, and not 11, something I learned the hard way once.
 
Since this year you can also fly from Dublin I think. Clearing immigration will cost you a lot of time anyway, but like this it is before departure.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_border_preclearance#Ireland

Shannon is way better than any NY airport, I do not think Dublin has the US immigration facility that Shannon has - correct me Irish/American people. NY airports are a by word over here of how not to do it - and we know how not to do things.
 
Roughly 2.5 hours from JFK to Penn Station in NY rush hour traffic? Possible but difficult, for the most part you will be traveling on Van Wyck (usually busy) to LIE (VERY busy) through the tunnel into the city, once you get to the city you are stuck on streets. Streets tend to be pretty clogged in all directions even off peak. Then you also have to worry about getting your luggage/going through customs/catching a cab and so on.

You might be better off catching the AirTrain to the blue line (ACE trains) and taking it to Penn Station (you will come out inside the station itself) or the LIRR as posted above (the former is a bit under and hour latter is around 40 mins but more $$).

Why not just fly to Boston directly?

ah well you see this is our spectacular male planning... randomly book flights first, sort out where you wanna go second. We were gonna just kip for a night in NYC, but decided finding a place to stay for one night that was cheap and was too difficult. Most stated min stay of 2 nights as well and we wanted to be on the island. So I had the idea of going straight to boston on the train. Wonky planning but heh, its not fun if everythings perfect.

So I shall check out the AirTrain. Unfortunately we will have bags checked in the aircraft hold so will be at the mercy of the luggage carousel
 
Do something to your bags to make them stand out so you can easily spot them from some distance. Silver gaffer tape them say.
 
Do something to your bags to make them stand out so you can easily spot them from some distance. Silver gaffer tape them say.

...which should be crammed with suitcases by the time you've cleared immigration. :(

Well I'll only have a small case, tho its a size too large to go in the overhead lockers. On the upside, its my girlfriends case (no use to her because its too small) and its bright red with pink ribbons :cry:
 
Take the AirTrain to Jamaica and then the LIRR to Penna. That way there's no traffic to get stuck in. You should be fine if nothing goes wrong and takes up loads of your time.

View attachment 4993

Calvin where do you find these train times?
 
Well I'll only have a small case, tho its a size too large to go in the overhead lockers. On the upside, its my girlfriends case (no use to her because its too small) and its bright red with pink ribbons :cry:
I think the nicest thing I can say is that you will certainly recognise it straight away... ;)

Calvin where do you find these train times?
via http://lirr42.mta.info/

I don't recall how long the trip on the AirTrain to Jamaica Station took, but it cannot have been more than ten minutes. Just make sure you have a means of paying the $5 exit fare and that you get on the right train, i.e. not one to Howard Beach. The ticket for the LIRR was another $6.25, IIRC, but it is much faster than the $2.25 subway and more comfortable.
 
For all those who mentioned it before, Fung Wah must take a back seat to Megabus(yes like in Ukania) or Boltbus. both leave from near Penn and are cleaner, roomier and have wifi and plugs. $20 or so for standby.

EDIT The MTA trip planner is saying that you'll make in in less than an hour using the air train and the LIRR. I vote for that. It's gotta be better than the late-night trip I took from Jamaica to the Upper West Side using the J, A, Franklin Ave. Shuttle and 2 train a few months ago. That was frankly scary.
 
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I think the nicest thing I can say is that you will certainly recognise it straight away... ;)


via http://lirr42.mta.info/

I don't recall how long the trip on the AirTrain to Jamaica Station took, but it cannot have been more than ten minutes. Just make sure you have a means of paying the $5 exit fare and that you get on the right train, i.e. not one to Howard Beach. The ticket for the LIRR was another $6.25, IIRC, but it is much faster than the $2.25 subway and more comfortable.

Thanks for this dude

Think we'll go for this, sounds like it'll be ok providing we are out the otherside of JFK by 6pm. More expensive, but cheaper than a taxi (thats $55 flat rate right? or something like that?)... well <$20 isnt expensive when you are used to UK train prices.
 
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