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LGA to Manhattan 6 adults and 1 baby...car service? van?


ylojerseygirl
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I saw the below on a different thread, and am going to share here. cross posting always helps me hopefully someone else too! I think we are going to go the taxi route, due to the baby and not wanting to take a bus to a separate lot for the van pick up.

 

 

Originally posted by mking8288

NYC Airporter buses that I've seen often on nearby highways/parkways, living near LGA, are typically like customized mid-size buses on heavy duty Mack-truck chasis ... and ADA compliant for NYC codes, as I recall. Arriving in the middle of a winter, mid-week morning rush hour ... OP will be joining commuters heading to work in Manhattan, expect the usual rush hour traffic congestion ... yellow taxi will be on a metered fare + tolls, probably about $40 to $45, could be higher if idling or gridlocked to a near standstill, and, add tipping for the driver. Taxi is good for 3 pax + 3 large pc. of luggage, maybe more if you can get a taxi-van, no extra charge or fees, etc. - curbside in front of airline terminal to hotel's un/loading zone.

 

Carmel, Dial 7 and all other FHV (For Hired Vehicle) require a free & quick shuttle bus ride (Green Route) from terminal's curbside to the nearby designated parking lot to meet the car/driver for the trip to hotel/destination.

 

NYC Airporter offers free dropoff to midtown hotels via multiple shuttle routes, once you are in Manhattan, either near/by Grand Central Terminal on East Side/Bryant Park-Park Ave. South; or, Port Authority Bus Terminal on west side of town. You will need to transfer from the larger bus into these shuttles, mostly full-sized vans i.e. Ford - for that last 1/2 or 1 or 2 mile, as listed on their route schedules. The wait can be anywhere from none to short, or long if the shuttle just left.

 

Early January in NYC and be bitterly cold, occassionally (unlikely, but) with possible near-blizzard, stormy conditions and strong north wind blowing ... not fun to be standing or waiting 15 or 30 minutes for free hotel shuttle transfer. For a solo traveler, it's a money saver ... but with 2 or more, I would spend a little more and take Carmel or Dial 7; and, if mobility is an issue - getting to the remote parking lot with the airport shuttle, can be a pain - get into the taxi queue line and go direct, curbside to curbside.

 

Waze and/or other real-time traffic/navigation App will show the best route & likely ETA from airport to hotel ... 45 minutes or less in travel time would be good to excellent, as we used to commute daily.

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Depending on your total # pc. of luggage, you might be able to split 6 adults, 1 child, and stroller, etc. into 2 taxi-van, no surcharges ... avoiding the shuttle transfer to the "remote" lot. What is your travel/arrival date - weekday morning or afternoon ??

 

Or, put 2 adults and the child, some luggage & stroller into a taxi (a van would be nicer) and the rest of you take the shuttle to meet the car service's mini-van ... which is usually good for up to 5 adults + luggage. Carmel's rate should be about $60 to $65 including toll to the hotel per minivan. The taxi would be a metered fare but unless traffic is exceptionally bad - like this week due to heavy holiday travel & airport congestion ... should be less or about the same as the car service. A taxi dispatcher should be on duty at the terminal - and possibly get you into 2 taxi-van ... might have to wait a little, and have one party go first & catch up at the hotel, not a big deal.

 

P.S. When flying back to ORD (Chicago) post-cruise, car service will drop you off directly at the airline terminal - no shuttle via the parking lot.

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Midday at LGA - traffic congestion aside - there will be dozens & dozens of yellow taxi in the holding/staging area, waiting ... not hundreds but plentiful, with a good choice of suv, minivan (Toyota Sienna), hybrid Ford Escape, and the newest, Nissan NV200 - that's very roomy & comfortable to ride in, plenty of space for 2 to 3 adults plus the child, and reasonable # of luggage in the back/trunk area.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XYwwNOmfsWs/maxresdefault.jpg

 

Of course, there are smaller ones like the Toyota Prius and Ford Transit minivan - that's what the taxi dispatcher on duty at the airport are there for.

 

Split up to 2 vehicles for the ride into Manhattan, at those hours - shouldn't take more than an hour to reach the hotel ... taxi drivers don't like to sit in traffic not moving and upset passengers in the back paying for the meter to run while at a standstill.

 

Your are your own best judge in how much luggage will fit into 2 vs. 3 minivan or taxi-sedan vs. SUV. Those Nissan NV200 will fit easily 3 of the 25" rollerboard vertically, plus another big duffle bag on top (a 4th one might or might not fit) and backpacks can go inside the cab/pax compartment.

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