# Best way to JFK Airport?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-jfk-airport/328595
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [October 30, 2005, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-jfk-airport/328595 "2005-10-30T14:29:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Neptunian\_Slug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptunian_Slug)
#### Post date: [October 30, 2005, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-jfk-airport/328595/1 "2005-10-30T14:29:23Z")
Hey New Yorkers,
I am flying out of JFK shortly and wanted to get your input. I drive up from PA and normally I have never had an issue coming up the NJ Turnpike, across the Verrazano and around the Belt Parkway to the airport.
This time is different in that I have to be at the aiport at 10:00 AM and will be heading through Brooklyn and Queens at rush hour. Am I going to be in a hideous nightmare on the Belt Pkwy? Are there alternate routes in the event of a bad accident?
I was hoping to find a ferry service from Jersey City, but it doesn’t look like one exists.
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### Author:  [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)
#### Post date: [October 30, 2005, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-jfk-airport/328595/2 "2005-10-30T14:47:42Z")
NJT or Amtrak to penn station
LIRR to Jamacia
Airtrain to JFK
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [October 30, 2005, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-jfk-airport/328595/3 "2005-10-30T14:54:45Z")
Practice!
Oh, wait. That’s how you get to Carnegie Hall.
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### Author:  [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)
#### Post date: [October 30, 2005, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-jfk-airport/328595/4 "2005-10-30T21:48:00Z")
Moved to IMHO.
- **xash**
General Questions Moderator
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### Author:  [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)
#### Post date: [October 30, 2005, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-jfk-airport/328595/5 "2005-10-30T21:55:54Z")
Take Canal across lower Manhattan to the Manhattan Bridge, then straight out Flatbush to Grand Army Plaza. Eastern Parkway to Atlantic, then a right onto the Conduit. Nothin’ to it.
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### Author:  [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)
#### Post date: [October 30, 2005, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-jfk-airport/328595/6 "2005-10-30T22:46:29Z")
> [@xash](#):
>
> Moved to IMHO.
>
> - **xash**
> General Questions Moderator
Good thing I read the thread. I almost moved it to GQ.
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### Author:  [@Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Side_of_the_Floyd)
#### Post date: [October 31, 2005, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-jfk-airport/328595/7 "2005-10-31T03:47:38Z")
> [@kanicbird](#):
>
> NJT or Amtrak to penn station
> LIRR to Jamacia
> Airtrain to JFK
This one gets my vote. Either that, or go from Belt Pkwy, exit at Rockaway Blvd. and take the Van Wyck. But that’ll get you a lot of traffic.
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### Author:  [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)
#### Post date: [October 31, 2005, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-jfk-airport/328595/8 "2005-10-31T03:48:47Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#):
>
> Practice!
>
> Oh, wait. That’s how you get to Carnegie Hall.
Dammit.
That is _verbatim_ what I came in here to say.
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### Author:  [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)
#### Post date: [October 31, 2005, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-jfk-airport/328595/9 "2005-10-31T13:12:46Z")
If you’re going to JFK at 10 AM, you are going to encounter a lot of traffic, no matter which way you go. Take the Verrazano and then Belt, and leave a lot of extra time in your schedule. If you have a full tank of gas, an empty bladder, and two hours to spare, you’ll be fine.
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [October 31, 2005, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-jfk-airport/328595/10 "2005-10-31T14:08:41Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#):
>
> Practice!
>
> Oh, wait. That’s how you get to Carnegie Hall.
DAMN!
Beat me to it!
\< **Bosda** sulks \>
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### Author:  [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)
#### Post date: [October 31, 2005, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-jfk-airport/328595/11 "2005-10-31T14:28:37Z")
I too came in here to make **Johnny L.A.**'s joke. **grumble**
–Cliffy
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### Author:  [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)
#### Post date: [October 31, 2005, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-jfk-airport/328595/12 "2005-10-31T17:26:52Z")
> [@CBCD](#):
>
> If you’re going to JFK at 10 AM, you are going to encounter a lot of traffic, no matter which way you go. Take the Verrazano and then Belt, and leave a lot of extra time in your schedule. If you have a full tank of gas, an empty bladder, and two hours to spare, you’ll be fine.
Agree with this. It’s a horrible drive. SI Expressway and Belt Parkway are not meant to be navigated at those hours, though billions try. (Some might say they’re never meant to be navigated.) If you are not going public transportation, add at least an hour to your normal trip.
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### Author:  [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)
#### Post date: [October 31, 2005, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-jfk-airport/328595/13 "2005-10-31T18:10:02Z")
Drive to Philly and take a plane to JFK.
Hey, it’s not a good joke, but at least it’s different from the other joke that everyone else was all hot to tell!
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [October 31, 2005, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-jfk-airport/328595/14 "2005-10-31T18:36:40Z")
> [@Spiff](#):
>
> Drive to Philly and take a plane to JFK.
>
> Hey, it’s not a good joke, but at least it’s different from the other joke that everyone else was all hot to tell!
You’re not going to believe this; but you posted exactly what I was planning. 😃
To the Op:
If you can, take a train.
It really is terrible driving to JFK if you are not already on Long Island.
I won’t fly out of JFK anymore.
I use Newark, AC or Philly.
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### Author:  [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)
#### Post date: [October 31, 2005, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-jfk-airport/328595/15 "2005-10-31T21:38:11Z")
> [@](#):
>
> If you are not going public transportation, add at least an hour to your normal trip.
Adding an hour seems risky to get through the belly of the beast (ok the crotch of the beast). It may be enought, but traffic is very variable and you could find yourself sitting in traffic w/ a lot of anxiety. For your own piece of mind I would allow an extra 2 as you never know when a tractor trailer will wonder onto the belt.
IMHO the train is the way to go (as I stated), flying to JFK seems faster but more expensive. You may also consider a hotel near JFK and leave the night before.
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### Author:  [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2005, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-jfk-airport/328595/16 "2005-11-01T02:30:35Z")
It is indeed at the ass-end of the civilized world. ( Unless you’re from Woodmere, in which case, nyah nyah ! 😛 ).
Can you swap flights to get outa Newark or Philly? If not then I would side with the “get there the night before and sleep near the airport and take a shuttle bus over in time” plan.
You are flying Internationally? With a 10:00 am departure? My god. Allow at least 90 minutes to get through Security. Allow 30-60 minutes before THAT for standing in the check-in line for baggage check and boarding passes.
If it is not an International flight, then try like hell to swap the flight out of Philly instead.
Cartooniverse