John F. Kennedy Airport, or JFK Airport, located in Queens only 15 miles from Manhattan, is the largest airport in the New York City area.  This makes JFK Airport one of the busiest airports in the world with thousands of business and tourist travelers each day. 

There are many options for getting to and from the airport.  Here are some tips to keep in mind to help you choose your means of transportation.

By Car

JFK Airport is just off the Belt/Southern State Parkway and the Van Wyck Expressway.  You can simply type in JFK Airport with Google Maps to find directions.  If you are looking for an address for a mapping source or a GPS, the best to use is:

Van Wyck and JFK Expressway
Jamaica, NY 11430

If you are parking your car at JFK airport, there are a number of parking options on-site and off-site.  A quick and easy way to find the best parking option is utilizing an airport parking search engine where you can find the parking available organized by price and distance to the airport.

Public Transit

AirTrain is the low cost, public transit option for traveling to and from JFK Airport.  With a $7 fair, you can travel between JFK and Manhattan in under an hour.  Though, getting to Manhattan will require a transfer, and depending on what you packed, you might be lugging around some heavy luggage.  This is good for the savy business traveler who knows his way around the city and only has briefcase and maybe a small carry-on or a budget traveler who would like to experience the city and its public transportation.

Taxi

Taxi cabs are one of the easiest ways to travel to and from JFK Airport (and around Manhattan for that matter).  To catch a taxi from anywhere in the city, you simply wave one down on the street; cabs in Manhattan cannot be prearranged, but you will surely find one very easy.  To catch a cab from JFK Airport, simply step outside of any terminal and you will find a taxi stand which usually has a line.  With service between JFK and any destination in Manhattan, there is a flat rate of $45, plus any tolls and tip.  A taxi will provide you a no-hassle travel to your destination, but depending on traffic, could take more than an hour, so if you catching a flight, make sure to leave plenty of time to get to the airport.

Private Shuttle

There are many shuttle companies that offer shuttles to and from Manhattan, including Airlink Shuttle, New York Airport Service Express Bus, and Super Shuttle.  The fair ranges from $15 to $20 per person and includes drop you off at your hotel or destination.  Finding the shuttle at JFK is simple and there are no reservations required from the airport, but you will need to make reservations for your return trip back to the airport.  Often there are discounts for buying round trip.  Check each shuttles website for more information about fairs and instructions.  Like with a taxi, you will want to make sure you leave yourself plenty of time for your return trip to JFK as there might be traffic and the shuttle might have to make other stops on his route to the airport.

Car Service

If you can afford this option and you plan ahead, this is the easiest and most comfortable way to travel between JFK Airport and your destination.  With the cost ranging from $35 to $50 each way, this option is often cheaper or around the same price as taxi cab service.  You will need to prearrange and prepay for your pick-up.  As with a taxi, you may run into traffic delays, but you will be riding in a comfortable and clean car for your door-to-door service.

Overall, there are many options to choose from when planning your travels to and from JFK Airport.  Just be sure to think safe and ignore any offers of transportation from solicitors in the terminal; instead, go to transportation information counters, shuttle stations, or taxi stands for help seeking out transportation.