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A few weeks ago, I took my daughter on a special birthday trip to New York City just the 2 of us. Since we were staying in mid-town Manhattan, none of the 3 New York City airport options (JFK / LGA / EWR) were markedly better than any of the others. After searching the various options for paid and award tickets into New York, we ended up flying Delta from CVG to EWR. So, since we were going to be landing at Newark airport (adding an ‘E’ to my list of airport code arrivals), we needed to find the cheapest and best way to get from Newark airport to Manhattan. Since we did a bunch of research to find the best way from Newark to Manhattan, I thought I would share with you some of my information to help you figure out the best way to get from Newark airport to New York City.
Getting from Newark airport to Manhattan by taxi
You can absolutely take a taxi from Newark airport to Manhattan but it will be fairly expensive. Depending on where you want to go in Manhattan, a taxi from Newark to Manhattan is likely to cost anywhere from $40 to $70, exclusive of tips and tolls.
Note too that during weekday rush hours – mornings (6AM to 9AM) and afternoons (4PM to 7PM) and on weekends (Saturday and Sunday from 12PM to 8PM) – there is an additional $5 surcharge to all points in the State of New York, except Staten Island.
And obviously you will be in a car, so subject to New York City traffic, especially if you’re traveling in rush hour (which seems like every hour!)
Newark airport to Manhattan by Uber or Lyft
Uber gives an estimate of $43 – $50 to go from Newark airport to Manhattan
Lyft is similarly priced from EWR to Manhattan though both Uber and Lyft often are running promotions especially in New York City so be sure to check with them before you go
[The time my Lyft driver went the wrong way down a one-way street]
If you do sign up for Uber or Lyft, if you use my referral code you will get a bonus on your first ride.
How to get from EWR to Manhattan by bus
There are a variety of express buses that go from Newark airport to Manhattan, in the $15 to $20 (one-way) range. These are large buses designed for airport runs, so most of them should have plenty of storage underneath the seats for luggage. The Newark Liberty Airport Express is one such bus – it costs $16 one-way or $28 roundtrip, it runs every 15 minutes on the quarter hour, and you have to buy your tickets in advance. You can pick up the bus at Terminal A, B or C and it makes 3 New York City stops
- Grand Central Station 41st Street between Park and Lexington avenues
- Bryant Park 42nd Street and 5th Avenue
- Port Authority Bus Terminal 41st Street between 8th and 9th avenues
If you want to travel on a public bus from EWR to New York City, you won’t be able to do it in one trip – since different transit authorities serve New York and New Jersey. NJ Transit bus lines 28, 37, 62, 67, and 107 all serve Newark Airport.
Of course, buses also go on the road, so when going from Newark to New York City by bus, you’ll be subject to traffic during peak traffic periods.
The cheapest and best way to get from Newark airport to Manhattan
While taxi, Uber, bus and even other ride share services or limos are all options to get from Newark airport to Manhattan, the absolute best way to get from Newark airport to Manhattan is by train.
The train costs $13 which includes both the AirTrain Newark which takes you from Newark airport to Newark Liberty Airport Station as well as the NJ Transit train from Newark Liberty Airport Station to New York Penn Station. The Air Train runs every 3 minutes for most of the day.
The cost of a ticket to New York Penn Station is $13, which includes the AirTrain portion of $5.50. The Newark AirTrain is free to ride if you stay at Newark Airport but if you go to Newark Liberty Airport station, it is $5.50. The $5.50 portion is not charged for children 11 and under, AND the other portion is half price, making the child’s ticket $3.50
Adult ticket on the left; child ticket from Newark Airport to Manhattan on the right
Another advantage of taking the train from Newark to Manhattan is that you’re not on the road (duh), so you don’t have to deal with any of the famous New York City traffic. When we were there, our flight arrived at about 8:45 a.m., still in the ending stages of rush hour, so a taxi or bus in could have been over an hour. Our train from Newark airport to to Penn Station in Manhattan was about 30 minutes end to end.
Step by step instructions on how to take the train from Newark to NYC
To take the train from Newark Airport to Manhattan, once you land at Newark Airport, make your way through the terminal and follow the signs for the AirTrain. We landed at Terminal B, and it was quite clear where we needed to go. As we made our way through Newark airport towards the AirTrain, there was also a train ticket kiosk to purchase tickets AND a helpful NJ Transit employee that helped us know which tickets to buy and how to buy them. Continuing to follow the signs for the AirTrain led us to a waiting area that looked like this
Consulting the map above, you can see that we lined up on the right to go to P4 and RailLink. We actually just missed a train when we got there, so we had to wait a few minutes for the next one to arrive. We were there a little after 9 a.m. and it was quite busy – our train compartment was pretty crowded but with only one carryon, it wasn’t too bad.
A few stops later, we were at the Newark Liberty Airport train station. There you will have to scan your ticket to go through the turnstiles. Once you do, you will get to a doorway that looks like this
IMPORTANT NOTE: You need to show your ticket twice! You’ll use your ticket to scan through the turnstiles when going from Newark Airport into the Newark Liberty Airport train station and then AGAIN once you’re on your NJ Transit train, the conductor will come through the train asking to see tickets. You might think once you scan your ticket at the turnstiles that you won’t need it again but make sure to hold on to it!
Riding the NJ Transit train from Newark to Manhattan
Follow the signs to Tracks 1 / A where you will go downstairs and take the first NJ Transit train you see. Some Amtrak trains will also stop there, so make sure you’re on an NJ Transit train to get from Newark to Manhattan, or you’ll have to pay the Amtrak fare. Unless you are trying to go from Newark Airport to Manhattan in the middle of the night (and probably even then!), there will be a ton of people there – just follow the crowds :-).
You will take the train for about 3-5 stations – first is NEWARK Penn Station – that is not the same as New York Penn Station, so don’t get off there! Really the train that goes from Newark Airport to Manhattan ends at New York Penn Station (NYP), so just wait till it ends. Again, that’s where most of the people will be getting off, so again, it’s a good policy to just follow the crowds.
Once you’re at New York Penn Station, just follow the signs out to the street and you will find yourself in the middle of Manhattan – between 7th and 8th Avenues and 31st and 33rd streets, where you can take a taxi, Uber, subway or walk to your final destination.
I hope this guide has helped – what are your tips for the cheapest and best way from Newark Airport to Manhattan?
Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at 
There are cheaper ways. You can take a local bus from EWR to Newark Penn Station and then switch to the Path train. This is the cheapest but if you’re going to Midtown your way is prob the best way to get to Midtown.
Another option is Uber/Lyft to PATH stations Newport or Exchange Place in NJ (or two any other PATH stations. That cost about $19. From there ride with PATH $2.75 to any Manhattan location.
Bit of an error in this. Amtrak is significantly more expensive, around $30 or so, and they do not honor NJ TRANSIT tickets. You should make sure the train is a NJ Transit train before boarding or you will have to pay the onboard Amtrak fare.
Overall, this is an easy way to into Manhattan. If you are headed to Wall Street, then your best bet is to get off at Newark Penn Station and grab a PATH train for $2.75.
Thanks for the tips – I’ve clarified that in the post
As said above, the cheapest way is the bus to Newark Penn, then the PATH, which is a hair over five bucks total. I also personally feel that’s the best way to do it, too. I wish you’d put a line in your post letting people know that there actually is a real cheap way to do the whole trip – for the same price as the airtrain portion of your proposed route above.
It’s the way I’d recommend as cheapest. I will note that that bus limits luggage, so if you’re flying with multiple bags, you may wanna take the train (and there are options there, some involving path, others not)
Thanks for the article. My wife and I will have an 18 hour stopover at Newark soon and want to spend a few hours in Manhattan. This is perfect!
Glad it could help!
Great guide for the rookie tourist, like me. Bravo!
A slightly more expensive car service would be to use Uber Pool or Via. Both are between 25-30 before tolls (roughly 40-45 all in). You’ll be sharing the car with someone else (possible more than one other “someone else”)
Also, if going to WTC or elsewhere on the PATH line, NJT to Newark Penn is around $8.50, and then grab the PATH to wherever you want to go.
You should fly to LaGuardia next time. Take the public bus and subway. It’ll cost you 2.75 per person to get to Midtown.
Yes that is certainly an option, if your travel plans allow. Though I’ve heard currently Laguardia is a giant mess of traffic / construction right now…
Thank you for your post. This is our first time to the city. We will be there for some time. We will be traveling with 2 suitcases each, plus a bag. Will using this route to get to Manhattan be difficult? We are flying in on a weekday at 5pm. Thank You
Riding the train as I did will be difficult with 2 suitcases and a bag each. There is nowhere really to store luggage. You might want to try either an express bus or an Uber / Lyft / taxi
Thank You so much for your input. I was really worried about riding the train with that much luggage. That helps make our decision!! Happy New Year!!
Glad I could help!
Hello Dan! I’m gonna to Manhattan from Newark with 1 large/medium luggage and 1 backpack I think is good to go by train right?
Thank u
The train will not have really anywhere to put your luggage near your seats / aisles – it’s a regular train. It has places for luggage above the seats, so if it’s small enough (think rollerboard carryon) to put up there, you should be fine.
Once you are at the Newark Airport station are there different PATH trains to take? Some people have mentioned going to WTC instead of Penn Station. Once in Manhattan we are taking the subway to our hotel so if it’s significantly cheaper to go to WTC then that might be a good alternative.
Thanks for your post! I have searched all over for easy directions and yours have been the best by far.
Hi Sharon, where is your hotel approximately? You can either take PATH to WTC or Herald Square, Whole NJT will bring you to Penn Station. Let me know and I can give you some better advice 🙂
10th Ave & 41st
I take the train from EWR to Manhattan often.
Was in the middle of writting notes on how to do this for a friend.
Found your post and it was way better than my notes.
Very nice job.
I need to hire you to travel everywhere before me and give me the easy travel notes !!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you so much for this . This is very helpful & very informative .May I please have your referral code for Lyft or Uber please ? Do you happen to know when the best time in the morning to go to Woodbury outlet from Port Authority Bus station? I was thinking of getting the coach at 8am , it will be on a Wednesday .
Once again thank you for this , please continue doing this as it really helps people like us .
My uber code is http://www.pointswithacrew.com/go/uber