Edit: I just bought a plane ticket from Portland to LGA for the same price as a plane/train ticket with 1/8th the amount of time traveling. Err, Amy? Can I park at your house? (In exchange, we shall have a Portland-Boston train trip for an Old Women’s Day, on account of being all 30 and shit.)
Arriving LGA @3pm, leaving LGA @ 8pm. I figure that gives me time to get into the city, and off of LI, safely and easily, no? Oh well, I’m coming! (With good theater shoes, too. 🙂 )
I’m having a dilemma, and am spamming you in case anyone is online just now.
Hotwire has a ‘clearance fare’ from BGR to LGA (I remember Kate’s
advice of "Always LaGuardia") that is way cheaper than even JUST the
train fare without bus fare…. and taking the bus/train combo is an 8
hour trip at best. I like it, but for this much (165!) I’m really
tempted to just buy it.
My only fear is that it will be super late arrival or departure.. . .
what I need to know is: Is there good (affordable & safe)
transportation from the City and/or LI to LGA at weird hours? ie:
after 9:30 or before ahem, 6 am.
If anyone out there has any advice in the next 24 hours, it would be great! 🙂
— sent to my NYC contacts (with a really embarrassing typo that was overlooked in my haste, and corrected here) and x-posted here in case anyone has any advice. I’m totally torn. I love the train, but I can take it from PWM to BOS anytime I want for much less…. Help!
Oy, it’s been a while since I flew anywhere, I’m a little rusty.
There should pretty much always be cabs available, I don’t think (someone correct me if I’m wrong!) that the time of day should be an issue. But I don’t know if you’ll consider them affordable. Years ago cabfare to Manhattan used to be something like $30-35 plus tolls and tip. I think it might be even higher now.
The other methods that I seem to remember are
(1) a cheap bus which leaves like once an hour to Port Authority, but I don’t know if it runs at all at those hours (and maybe it was only from JFK?)
(2) somewhat less cheap shuttles/vans, which could leave a little more often depending on how fast they fill up, but also make stops for each passenger so they might take even longer
(3) arranging a private shuttle/van to pick you up. This should be doable at any hour, I think, you have to call and book it in advance anyway so they would tell you if they can’t do it. But it will probably be at least $20, and it will also make stops for other people, and at that point you might want to think about whether the tradeoff is worth it as opposed to just taking the cab. You know?
I can try to get contact info for any of these if you want! The private one we sometimes use is called SuperShuttle.
the official transportation options from the laguardia website. http://www.panynj.gov/aviation/lgtsmain.HTM
I took the bus when I went to LGA because it’s the cheapest, but it’s kind of nerve-wracking. Also, it was good from where I live (way uptown) but probably not anywhere you’re going.
This is funny because yesterday I was looking into how to get from here to portland, b/c I have to go to a friend’s wedding in august. If you have any insight for me, I’d love to hear it.
Ooh, look! I’m not nearly as rusty as I thought I was.
This sounds a lot better, Gresch, I was having visions of you getting into Port Authority at 11:30 PM. Not pretty.
I always take the N train to the M60 bus when I go to LGA, though I’ve done it once coming back to the city, and just stayed on the bus and got off at 116th st. and took the 1/9 from there. E-mail me (or IM) if you want more details — I didn’t get an e-mail with the question in it, are you using the regular address?
There is a bus that also drops off at Grand Central — right in midtown (which will take you to the 4-5-6 train and about a thousand buses). My office is right near there and we could meet up then (and maybe Herms can as well) for drinks…oooh! maybe the rink bar in rock center!
did you already buy the tickets? i’m cornfused…. i live 20 minutes from JFK and 30 mins from LGA. Could you work out your trip so that i could drive you or pick you up? I’m quite used to being up late.
You could also take a bus to the LIRR (maybe look at the MTA website) and get out here from LGA. I flew to LGA and took a bus to Harlem where I got on the subway. It was a breeze, but it was midday, and I knew the area a little before hand.
oh, and I totally thought of you when i got an american airline email with cheap flights from bangor to nyc yesturday!