How to get from Newark Airport (EWR) to Manhattan

Train: follow the AirTrain signs from any terminal to Newark Liberty International Airport Station (7–20 minutes depending on the terminal), then board an NJ Transit Northeast Corridor or North Jersey Coast Line train, or Amtrak, toward New York. Your NJ Transit or Amtrak ticket covers the AirTrain; without one the AirTrain costs $8.75. During the weekday AirTrain outage (5 a.m.–3 p.m. through November 13, 2026) follow the “AirTrain Construction Partial Outage” signs to the shuttle buses.

Bus: the Newark Airport Express stops at Terminals A, B and C and runs to Port Authority Bus Terminal (41st St between 8th and 9th Avenues), Bryant Park (42nd St and 5th Ave) and Grand Central (41st St between Lexington and Park). A ticket is valid on any scheduled departure.

Taxi and app rides: the official taxi stands are outside arrivals (Level 1) at each terminal — only use them, and never a driver who approaches you inside. Uber and Lyft pick up on the arrivals level across the street at Terminal A, on the terminal frontage at Terminal B and on floor 3 of the Terminal C garage.

The tunnels set the schedule. Newark taxis add a $10 rush-hour surcharge on New York trips weekdays 6–10 a.m. and 3–8 p.m. and weekends noon–9 p.m., and the Port Authority's tunnel toll is higher at peak too: $16.79 versus $14.79 with E-ZPass for a car in 2026, charged only entering New York. Trips ending below 60th Street also pay the MTA's Congestion Relief Zone toll, which taxis and app rides pass on to the passenger.

In those hours the NJ Transit train is usually faster than any car — about 30 minutes from the airport station to Penn Station, with no toll and no surge. If you must ride at rush hour, a fixed-price private car at least removes the surprise, because tolls are built into the quote.

NJ Transit fares are the same all day and the AirTrain fee does not change by time; the only “peak” effect on the train is a fuller carriage.

NJ Transit trains have room for bags and Penn Station has elevators, but you carry your luggage through the AirTrain transfer and, on weekday mornings until November 2026, onto a shuttle bus. With one suitcase each it is fine; with a family's worth of luggage it is a workout.

Newark taxis charge $1 per bag including carry-ons and take up to four passengers (five in a minivan), so a family of five may need two cabs. A private SUV takes 6 people and 6 bags on one fixed fare, with child seats on request ($25).

The express bus stows luggage in the hold and drops you in Midtown, which works well for two adults with big suitcases heading to a hotel near Grand Central or Port Authority.

NJ Transit trains do not run all night and late Amtrak departures are sparse, so check the NJ Transit app for the last train from the airport station before you rely on it. Overnight (11 p.m.–5 a.m.) the AirTrain serves Terminals B and C every 15 minutes, with a shuttle covering Terminal A.

Taxis run from the stands day and night; the only time-based extra on the published rate card is the rush-hour surcharge, which on weekends runs until 9 p.m. App fares are often lowest after midnight but can spike when a bank of delayed flights lands together.

For a late landing with family, a pre-booked car is the low-stress option: the chauffeur is following your arrival, the price is already set with tolls included, and you skip the stand.