How do I get to New York?

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Destination of choice for many Quebeckers, New York can be won in several ways. Between the air, the rails and the road, your heart swings? Guide for those who want to get to the heart of the Big Apple.

BY PLANE

Time is money, the saying goes, which could apply to a round trip by plane to New York. Between the tarmac at Montréal-Trudeau airport and that of LaGuardia, for example, you will take 1 hour 25 minutes to connect the two metropolises. This is the “in-flight” part only, plus the time to get to the airport, the wait before the flight, then the trip between New York Airport and downtown. . All in all, hard to get by in less than four hours!

> Price: United Airlines sometimes offers price reductions to make the round trip under $ 300, but if your dates are fixed, plan twice for the same trip, regardless of the carrier.

For example, a return ticket on Air Canada – direct flight Montreal (Trudeau) / New York (Newark) – was detailed $ 780 for a departure last Saturday and a return next Saturday.

Porter Airlines offers good prices if you buy tickets in advance, but you will have to go through Toronto first, which considerably increases the journey time.

(+) Once the plane has taken off, we can almost consider ourselves as arrived!

(-) The high cost of flights and the countless security checks to go through.

BY CAR

If eight-lane freeways and honking taxi drivers all the time don’t scare you, driving into the heart of New York City may be a good idea.

To reach Manhattan, several paths are available to you from Montreal and each of them has its followers. Some people swear by the George Washington Bridge, which would be less congested than the Lincoln Tunnel, which has the advantage of leading directly into the heart of Manhattan. The toll for the two access roads is $ 13 (you pay one way only).

To avoid getting lost on the way, you can also follow Highway 87 from the US border to New York. You will only have to take the Tappan Zee Bridge ($ 5 toll), then to Manhattan by one of the bridges leading into the Harlem district. No matter which route you choose, avoid rush hour if you can and be prepared: New York City is heavily trafficked.

> Price: predict the cost of gasoline, toll roads and the price of parking in New York. This is where the bill is likely to climb: in the heart of Manhattan, it is not uncommon to have to pay $ 50 a day to park your car. Hopefully, on-street parking in the neighborhood where you choose to stay (or leave the car) may be free. It is better then to leave your car parked and travel by public transport.

(+) Flexible departure and arrival times.

(-) The stress of driving in New York.

BY TRAIN

Do you have time? The Amtrak-operated Adirondack train runs from Montreal to New York, but bring some reading and be patient. It will take you almost 11 hours to reach the Big Apple of Montreal, but those who have already made the way on rails are unanimous: the landscape is superb. We have plenty of time to contemplate it!

> Price: count between 130 and 144 US $ for the round trip, depending on the day of the week chosen. Amtrak sometimes offers substantial deals.

Info: francais.amtrak.com