Travel to New York State

Flying to New York State

International flights to New York land at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) or New Jersey's Liberty International Airport (EWR). Domestic flights land at JFK, LaGuardia (LGA), or EWR.

New York is a popular year-round destination. Flights tend to be highest for winter holidays and around New Year's, and lower in the height of summer. But most major airlines do hold regular fare sales.

International carriers offer regular, if not daily, flights to and from New York City. British Airways (www.britishairways.com) and Virgin Atlantic (www.virgin-atlantic.com) are the two UK-based airlines with most frequent service to New York.

For air travel within the state, low-cost carriers like JetBlue (www.jetblue.com) provide affordable, regular service, often with multiple flights per day, between the state's major cities.

Major airports are: New York LaGuardia Airport, Long Island MacArthur Airport, New York John F Kennedy International Airport, Westchester County Airport and Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

Notes

Though all three of the area's airports are among the nation's busiest, there are no current plans to add any new airports in the New York City area. There are capital development projects, however, to improve upon and expand existing infrastructure at all three airports. All three airports are easily accessible by public transportation.

Airport Guides

Flight times

From London to New York City is approximately 7 hours.

Air passes

Star Alliance member airlines (Air Canada, Continental Airlines, United and US Airways) offer a Star Alliance North America Airpass (www.staralliance.com/en/fares/regional-fares/north-america-airpass) for travel on the continent.

Departure tax

None.

Travelling to New York State by Rail

New York City's Pennsylvania Station (“Penn Station”) serves the Long Island Railroad, with routes to Long Island; NJ Transit, with routes to New Jersey; and Amtrak, with service to other stations in New York state and nationwide (tel: 1 800 872 7245, in the USA only; www.amtrak.com).

New York City's Grand Central Station is the terminus for services to upstate New York (via Metro North rail services) and Connecticut. There are daily trains to Montréal and Toronto in Canada as well.

From New York on the 'Maple Leaf' to Niagara Falls is 9 hours; on the 'Silver Meteor' to Orlando (Disney World) is 21 hours; and on the 'Crescent' to Atlanta is 16 hours. There are frequent shuttles to Washington D.C. and Boston, taking 3 hours 15 minutes and 4 hours 30 minutes respectively.

Rail passes

Amtrak (www.amtrak.com) offers USA rail passes in 15-, 30-, and 45 day increments. Prices vary.

Driving to New York State

The major interstates within New York State are I-78, I-84, I-87, I-90, and I-95. Parts of these interstates may have tolls.

Driving note

In general, roads in New York State are safe, well-maintained and efficient.

Getting to New York State by boat

New York is located on the northeastern coast of the United States and so is easily accessible by water. New York City is a port city, as is Buffalo in the upstate; however, Buffalo is solely a cargo port.

Cruise ships

Most major lines dock in New York City. Carnival, Crystal Cruises, Holland America, and Norwegian all list New York City as a port of call. The major cruise line providing service to and from the UK is Cunard's Queen Mary 2.

Ferry operators

In New York City, the Staten Island Ferry, departing from Battery Park, operates between lower Manhattan and Staten Island.

Being the only authorised official tour operator to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, only Statue Cruise Line provides access to the Statue of Liberty Crown and Pedestal.

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises (tel: (212) 563 3200) provide guided tours around the island of Manhattan and along the Hudson River, departing from Pier 83, West 42nd Street. Frequent ferry services also run from Manhattan to Brooklyn, New Jersey and Queens. Operators include NY Waterway and SeaStreak.

New York Water Taxi offers several sightseeing cruises and hop-on-and-hop-off trips around Manhatten Island and has many iconic attractions on its itineraries, including the skyline of NCY, the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge.

In upstate New York, Lake Champlain Ferries (tel: (802) 864 9804) provide several crossings on Lake Champlain, between New York State and Vermont. Routes include: Plattsburg, NY-Grande Isle, VT; Port Kent, NY-Burlington, VT and Essex, NY-Charlotte, VT.

Wolfe Island, Ontario, is connected to Cape Vincent in New York by a ferry service which operates daily during the summer. A service from Wolfe Island to Kingston, Ontario, operates daily throughout the year.