New York: getting there via JFK and Newark, neighbourhoods, Statue of Liberty, museums and the prices of 2026

New York suits you if you want to combine major museums, Broadway and observation platforms and get around by subway. The network has 472 stations and, according to the official tourism organisation NYC Tourism, runs around the clock. The Statue of Liberty has been on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 1984, the Guggenheim Museum as a building by Frank Lloyd Wright since 2019.

Since 4 January 2026 a journey by subway or city bus has cost $3.00 instead of $2.90, and a MetroCard has no longer been on sale since 1 January. JFK airport is under construction throughout 2026, so the operator advises rail and bus (as of September 2026).

New York is a poorer fit on a tight budget: every hotel night carries 14.75% taxes plus $3.50 per room (as of September 2026). In January and February the mean minimum is below 0 °C.

Getting there and from the airport into the city

In 2025 New York was in 14th place among foreign destinations from the main German airports: 1,101,272 passengers from Germany flew to JFK (663,274), Newark (433,708) or LaGuardia (4,290). Most departed from Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin. The strongest month was August, the weakest February (Federal Statistical Office, year 2025, provisional figures; breakdown by airport and month: own analysis).

JFK: terminal depends on the airline, construction in 2026

According to the operator Port Authority, Lufthansa, SWISS and Austrian Airlines fly from Terminal 1, Delta from Terminal 4 and Condor from Terminal 7 (as of September 2026). The allocation can change, so the operator recommends checking with the airline before departure.

JFK is being rebuilt for $19 billion, with two new terminals and new roads (as of September 2026). So throughout 2026 there are diversions and closures on parts of the airport roads, and the operator expressly advises the subway, bus or Long Island Rail Road (LIRR).

AirTrain JFK: $8.75 to Jamaica or Howard Beach

The AirTrain connects the terminals with the stations Jamaica (subway and LIRR) and Howard Beach (subway). Between the terminals it is free; to Jamaica or Howard Beach it costs $8.75, and children under 5 travel free (as of September 2026). You pay at these two stations contactless with a credit or debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or an OMNY card.

By subway or LIRR to Manhattan

With the AirTrain and subway line E you reach Penn Station in Midtown in about 50 minutes, with line A Lower Manhattan in about 60 minutes. Both cost $11.75 including the AirTrain (as of September 2026).

Faster is the LIRR from Jamaica: including the AirTrain, the journey to Penn Station or Grand Central Madison takes about 30 minutes, the train itself 20 minutes. With the AirTrain that costs $14.00, at peak time $16.00 (as of September 2026). Peak time means, on weekdays, trains that arrive there between 6:00 and 10:00 or depart there between 16:00 and 20:00. LIRR tickets are available from the machine, at the ticket office or in the TrainTime app.

Taxi from JFK: $70 fixed fare plus surcharges

A fixed fare of $70 applies for journeys between JFK and Manhattan (Taxi & Limousine Commission, as of September 2026). On top come a $0.50 MTA surcharge, a $1.00 Improvement Surcharge, $2.50 south of 96th Street and a $0.75 toll at or south of 60th Street. For pick-ups at the airport the commission gives a $2.00 Airport Access Fee; on weekdays from 16:00 to 20:00, except on public holidays, $5.00 is added. To Midtown south of 60th Street that comes to about $77, in rush hour about $82 (own calculation), plus bridge or tunnel tolls and a tip.

The screen in the taxi must show “Rate #2- JFK Airport”. Luggage, additional passengers and card payment cost nothing extra, and a taxi at the airport cannot be ordered by app (as of September 2026). If you pay by card, you enter the tip on the screen in the back. For offers of rides or luggage services from people without an official uniform, the operator urges caution: they may be operating without a licence or insurance.

Newark (EWR): by NJ Transit in 30 minutes to Penn Station

Newark is in New Jersey. Lufthansa, SWISS and Singapore Airlines use Terminal B there; United lands international flights at B or C (as of September 2026).

The AirTrain Newark usually runs every 3 to 5 minutes to the NJ Transit and Amtrak station. The ride there costs $8.75, unless the fee is already included in the rail ticket. Terminal A has no direct connection: the shuttle bus takes 5 minutes, and on foot it is about 15 minutes along a covered path. With NJ Transit you travel from the airport station to New York Penn Station in about 30 minutes, for about $17.25 (as of September 2026).

The Newark Airport Express by Coach USA runs from every terminal to Grand Central, Bryant Park and Port Authority Bus Terminal in about 50 minutes. A single costs $23.50 (as of September 2026). The taxi to Manhattan costs $60 to $80 depending on zone, $65 between W 14th and W 50th Street, $10 more in rush hour. On top come tolls, a tip, fees of $6.75 to $15.75 and up to $1 per piece of luggage.

Where to stay: the neighbourhoods compared

For the other areas the sources consulted name no drawback. For holiday flats under 30 days, registration has been mandatory since Local Law 18: platforms may not offer unregistered accommodation, enforced since 5 September 2023.

Sights: times, prices and rules in 2026

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island: $26 for the ferry

The Statue of Liberty has been on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 1984; it was dedicated in 1886. The museums on Liberty Island and Ellis Island charge no admission. But you can get across only with a ferry ticket from Statue City Cruises, the only authorised ferry operator. Adults pay $26.00, seniors aged 62 and over $23.00, children aged 4 to 12 $17.00, younger children nothing (as of 2 March 2026). Pedestal or crown cost $0.30 more each; you may go up into the crown from a height of 42 inches (1.07 m).

The ferries depart from behind Castle Clinton in Battery Park, in New Jersey from Liberty State Park. Anyone who cancels at least 24 hours beforehand gets their money back (as of September 2026). National park passes and the free days of the national parks are not valid for the ferry.

9/11 Memorial & Museum: Memorial free, Museum $24 to $36

The 9/11 Memorial on the site of the former World Trade Center costs nothing and is open daily from 8:00 to 20:00. The museum is open from 9:00 to 19:00, Wednesday to Monday and on many Tuesdays (as of September 2026). Admission costs $24 to $36; you buy tickets with a time slot in advance, up to six months ahead. Even children up to 6 years, who pay nothing, need a ticket. On Mondays there are free tickets for visits from 17:30 to 19:00, online from 7:00 New York time and in the order of requests.

Metropolitan Museum of Art: $30, closed on Wednesdays

For visitors from outside New York State, the Met at 1000 Fifth Avenue costs $30 admission, seniors aged 65 and over pay $22, students $17 (as of September 2026). Children up to 12 are free, and you do not have to book in advance. The ticket is also valid on the same day for the second site, The Met Cloisters.

It is open Sunday to Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00 to 17:00, Friday and Saturday until 21:00, and closed on Wednesdays (as of September 2026). Because of renovation, the Cantor Roof Garden and the galleries for modern and contemporary art, among others, are currently closed. Getting there: subway 4, 5 or 6 to 86th Street; from there it is about a 10-minute walk according to the museum.

MoMA and the Natural History Museum AMNH

The Museum of Modern Art on 53rd Street costs $30 for adults, and children up to 16 are free (as of September 2026). It is open daily from 10:30 to 17:30, on Fridays until 20:30. MoMA PS1 in Long Island City charges no admission for anyone.

The American Museum of Natural History on the Upper West Side opens daily from 10:00 to 17:30. According to the museum's website, visitors from outside New York State pay $37 as adults, $48 with all special exhibitions (as of September 2026). The entrance on 77th Street is currently closed.

Central Park and High Line

Central Park is 843 acres, about 341 hectares (own conversion), and open daily from 6:00 to 1:00. The High Line, a park with no admission charge, runs along a disused elevated railway line on the West Side. It is open from 1 April to 30 November from 7:00 to 22:00, from 1 December to 31 March until 20:00 (as of September 2026). Bicycles are prohibited there.

Brooklyn Bridge: on foot to Brooklyn Heights

From Lower Manhattan the Brooklyn Bridge leads to Brooklyn Heights. Construction from 1869 to 1883 produced what was then the longest suspension bridge in the world. Pedestrians use the promenade, cyclists since September 2021 a protected path in both directions. In 2024 an average of 28,845 people walked across daily.

Observation decks: from $34

The operators give the prices on their pages (as of 26 September 2026):

• Empire State Building: platform on the 86th floor (320 m) from $46, with the 102nd floor (381 m) from $81.
• Edge (Hudson Yards): from $42, from $34 if booked 14 days or more ahead, plus a $2 fee.
• One World Observatory: from $39 plus a $3.50 fee and tax, 50% cheaper after 20:00.
• Summit One Vanderbilt: glass boxes at 1,100 feet (about 335 m) above Madison Avenue, open from 8:00 to 24:00.

Broadway: tickets up to 50% cheaper at TKTS

Tickets at the TKTS booths in Times Square and at Lincoln Center are up to 50% cheaper. Seats are sold for same-day performances and for next-day matinees, plus an $8 service fee per ticket (as of September 2026). They sell at most six tickets per person. The TKTS app shows live what is available at the booths.

Best time to travel: New York's climate month by month

The values come from the New York Central Park station (39.6 m) and are 1991 to 2020 normals from the US agency NOAA, converted from °F and inches (own calculation).

May, September and October bring mean maximums of 18.1 to 24.6 °C. In July the maximum reaches at least 32.2 °C (90 °F) on 7.4 days, in August on 4.9 days. No month is dry; on average 81 to 117 mm fall every month. In January and February the minimum is below 0 °C on average; about 76 cm of snow falls a year, almost only from December to March.

Costs

The table gives prices from the operators and the city in US dollars, excluding flight and hotel.

The New York CityPASS includes five attractions of your choice out of ten and is valid for nine days; children aged 6 to 17 pay $129 (as of September 2026).

Hotel taxes: 14.75% plus $3.50 per night

Hotel rooms are subject to the city's Hotel Room Occupancy Tax of 5.875% (since 20 December 2013) and 8.875% sales tax. In addition you pay $2.00 per room and night to the city, for room prices of $40 and up, and a $1.50 Hotel Unit Fee to the state (as of September 2026). On a room price of $300 that comes to $47.75 in taxes per night (own calculation).

Sales tax and tipping

Price tags usually show the price without the 8.875% sales tax. Clothing and shoes under $110 are tax-exempt (as of September 2026). In restaurants, according to NYC Tourism, a tip of 18 to 20% is customary, and many places add 18 or 20% themselves for groups of usually six or more. In a taxi you give 15 to 20%, at the bar at least $1 per drink, and to housekeeping $3 to $5 per day.

Practical information

Subway and bus: $3 per journey, paid by tapping

According to the MTA, a journey by subway or city bus has cost $3.00 since 4 January 2026; express buses cost $7.25 (as of September 2026). To pay, you hold a smartphone, OMNY card or a contactless credit or debit card to the reader. Within two hours a transfer to or from a bus is free, and transferring within the subway costs nothing until you exit through a turnstile. Children under 44 inches (1.12 m) travel free, up to three with each paying adult.

Diversions and temporary suspensions of individual lines occur mainly at weekends and late in the evening on weekdays; the current status is available from mta.info and by phone on 511. OMNY is not valid on the LIRR, Metro-North, NJ Transit, PATH and NYC Ferry. Citi Bike costs $4.99 for 30 minutes on the classic bike, the day pass $25, and e-bikes an additional $0.41 per minute (as of September 2026).

Money, time, emergency number

You pay in US dollars. Taxis take cash and cards, and card payment there has no minimum and no fee (as of September 2026). In New York it is usually six hours earlier than in Germany. Because US daylight saving time begins earlier and ends later, in 2026 it is only five hours from 8 to 28 March and from 25 to 31 October (own calculation). You reach the emergency services on 911; the city number 311 helps around the clock with anything that is not an emergency.

The rules on entry (ESTA/visa), safety and health are set out by the German Foreign Office.

Who this is not for

• If you are travelling on a small budget: Every hotel night carries 14.75% taxes plus $3.50, and in restaurants a tip of 18 to 20% is customary.
• If you want to drive to JFK airport: Throughout 2026 there are diversions and closures there; the operator advises rail and bus.
• If you want to avoid the cold and can only travel in January or February: The minimum is then below 0 °C on average, and together about 48 cm of snow falls.
• If you want to go into the big venues spontaneously: The 9/11 Museum requires time slots bought in advance, and the CityPASS requires reservations for the Empire State Building and AMNH, for example.
• If you want to avoid crowds: NYC Tourism itself calls Midtown loud and garish, and an average of 28,845 people walked across the Brooklyn Bridge daily in 2024.
• If you are looking for a holiday flat for a few nights: Under 30 days hosts need a registration.