Airtrain and Subway to Times Square

Has anyone taken the airtrain and subway from Kennedy airport to times square. We are staying right by Bryant Park and someone suggested this instead of a cab. Is it safe? Can we bring a small suitcase on the Subway? Is the subway easy to master. I was told to take the E train to Times Square and then walk the few blocks. We will be arriving in the late morning in January.The benefit of this is I will save about 40.00 vs. a cab ride

Thanks

Airtrain and Subway to Times Square

Lots of people use the AirTrain/subway. The issue is can you manage your luggage up/down stairs which is what%26#39;s required if you take the subway. If you want to do this, I%26#39;d take the AirTrain to Jamaica to the E train and I%26#39;d change at Forest Hills to the F or V train which stop at Bryant Park. You%26#39;ll save more than $40. This will cost $14 for 2 vs. $60 for a cab.

Airtrain and Subway to Times Square

You actually don%26#39;t even have to worry about the suitcases on stairs issue much anymore. You will only encounter this when you arrive in Times Square.

The transfer in Jamaica has been completely modernized. An escalator, takes you to an elevator, which takes you up to a moving a sidewalk, which takes you to the AirTrain. (It also works in reverse.) So handling luggage is pretty easy.

I%26#39;m a big advocate of AirTrain, particularly if you arrive anytime near rush hour. The train zooms right past all the traffic below during those times.

If you really want to save money,you can buy a Metrocard(prepaid card for the subway and bus) at the airport,take the Q10 to Kew Gardens subwawy stop and get the subway from there to Times Square. It takes a while(about 1 1/2 hours) but it%26#39;s only $2 each. And as long as you don%26#39;t have a lot of luggage,you can manage just fine on the bus and subway.

Safe? Absolutely. Very safe. Much safer than a taxi. I have never heard of anybody getting hurt on the AirTrain but I have heard and seen a few too many taxi%26#39;s encounter other taxi%26#39;s in which there have been unfavorable results (as is the case anywhere in the world where there are taxi%26#39;s)

EASY, yes.

I travel for business and can expense a taxi or car service. I still take the AirTrain, even with two suitcases.

You can board either a JAMAICA AirTrain and take the E train to 42nd Street / 8th Avenue OR take the HOWARD BEACH AirTrain and take the A train to the same place. When you board the Air Train at the Terminal it%26#39;ll tell you wheher the train is a Jamaica train or a Howard Beach train.

If you are planning to buy an unlimited ride MetroCard for your stay in New York you can purchase this before boarding the A train or E train and the money you would have paid for the subway will be included.

The AirTrain will cost $5.00 per person / each way. EASY! SAFE! Highly recommended.

we took this when we were last there and it was great. We were in the city and into our hotel in 40 minutes. Its very easy to find your way around and people were very quick to help us when we asked a question. It was really good value too. We%26#39;re going to use it for our next trip as well

We are staying at Radio City Apartments on 142 West 49th Street? I%26#39;d really appreciate your advice on which airtrain would be best for us thanks

You want the train to Jamaica. When you board the train there are little signboards above the door that say where it%26#39;s headed. Pay attention to those. There also is a computer generated announcement before the door closes, unlike the subway; it%26#39;s completely audible. The transfer at Jamaica is clearly marked. You want the Manhattan track obviously (to the right as you come down the escalator).

Another thing; you pay AFTER the ride. I often any encounter many confused looking tourists asking..is this the AirTrain and where do you pay? So now you know if someone asks.

Oh...and your Subway is the E. Very easy..take it to 50th. Radio City Apartments are around the corner on 49th.

Thank you so much for all that info - feeling a bit more confident now! Great advice about paying afterwards - unusual but great help to know in advance - much appreciated!

THe ';paying afterward'; applies only to the air train.