LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia transfers, the short run that people still get wrong
Nine miles from Midtown and the only one of the three with no rail line onto the airport, which is exactly why the car booking matters more here than anywhere else.
01The drive
Roughly 9 miles from Midtown Manhattan, on the north shore of Queens. Off peak it is a 25 to 35 minute run. In a bad hour it is an hour, because the approaches are a small number of parkways and there is no way around them.
The distance flatters it. LaGuardia is close enough that people leave late, and close enough that a single incident on the approach turns a 25 minute run into a 55 minute one with no warning at all.
02The airport
Rebuilt in recent years and considerably easier to move around than it used to be. Terminals sit close together, arrivals and departures are clearly separated, and the kerbs work the way you expect them to.
The thing to know is what it does not have. There is no rail line onto this airport. Buses connect it to the subway and they are fine, and if you are travelling with luggage or on a schedule you will be in a car, which is why the ground booking here is not really optional.
03Where a car can actually meet you
- Kerbside pickup. The normal choice here. The arrivals kerbs are straightforward, the walk is short and the driver comes round once you have your bags in hand.
- Meet at terminal. Available, costs more, and adds the time it takes to park and walk in at both ends. Worth it with children or a lot of luggage. Less necessary here than at JFK, because the walk from the hall to the kerb is genuinely short.
04How much time to allow
| Situation | What we suggest |
|---|---|
| Domestic departure, off peak | Be at the terminal 2 hours before |
| Weekday evening departure | Add 25 minutes to the drive |
| Arrival, cabin bag only | Allow 20 to 30 minutes from wheels down |
| Arrival with checked bags | Allow 35 to 45 minutes from wheels down |
| Any run in heavy weather | Add 30 minutes and book a class up if you are carrying much |
05The mistake people make here
Treating a short drive as a small risk. A LaGuardia run has less slack in it than a JFK run, not more: if the approach jams, there is no alternative road worth taking and no rail to fall back on. Leaving 20 minutes earlier costs nothing and removes the only real failure mode this airport has.
The second mistake is booking a sedan because the drive is short. The drive length has nothing to do with how many cases fit in a boot. Count the bags, then pick the class from the vehicles page.
06What an LGA run starts at
Starting prices between Manhattan and LaGuardia are on the pricing page: from $75 in an executive sedan, from $110 in an executive SUV and from $165 in a sprinter van, one way, before tolls and the charges named there. It is the lowest of the three starting prices and by a clear margin.
07Book a LaGuardia transfer
Send it through for a free quote with available dates, or call +1 (646) 559-3082 and speak to a specialist. Monday to Friday 6:30 am to 8:30 pm, Saturday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, Eastern Time.