JFK Parking Options

[CT Disney]

We are flying out of JFK to LAX to go to Disneyland in a few weeks. We are just starting to look at long term parking options. My DH did a little research and saw that there is a long-term lot affiliated with the airport that looks reasonable. We did have a few questions though. We can see there is a train/tram that takes you to your terminal. Do you have to pay for that? Also, is it a hassle to get all your luggage on the tram (we are a family of 4).

Alternatively, do you recommend any off-site places over the official long-term airport lot? If so...why?

We don't mind spending a little more money for convenience and security. We don't want to be driving around a dodgy / unfamiliar area looking for an offsite place. My DH also likes the idea of self-parking and holding onto our keys, rather than leaving them somewhere for the week. So, maybe the airport lot is the way to go for us?

Open to any opinions...this is our first time flying out of JFK. We usually fly out of Bradley, which is far smaller and easier to manage.

Thanks!

 

[Ismo]

You don't have to pay extra for the tram that takes you to the terminal. You only pay for the parking when you leave. You can use EZPass to pay if you have it.

It is a bit of a hassle to manage the luggage, but not unbearable. We usually travel with a suitcase and a carryon each and we've been fine. The parking lot is huge so it might be a bit worth one of your dropping everything off at the tram stop and then parking. There are escalators up to the waiting area.

I like the long term parking. It's a large, well lit parking lot, I feel safe leaving my car there.

My best advice is to make sure you leave extra time to go from the parking lot to the terminal. Last time we waited about 30 minutes before a tram came. They usually run more frequently than that, but just make sure you keep in mind that it does take some time. Also which terminal are you flying out of? That affects how long the tram journey will take as it goes to all of them.

Also, take a picture of which row you are in so you don't have a hard time finding where you parked when you get back.

We're not huge fans of JFK because it's so big but it is a nice airport and the terminals are very nice too. It's one of the airports that really makes you feel like you're going on vacation!

 

[CT Disney]

Thanks so much for the info!!

We are flying on JetBlue...I'm not sure what terminal that is though.

 

[Ismo]

That's terminal 5, it's who we normally fly with when we go to Cali too. It is one of the last stops on the tram. If you give yourself an extra 30 minutes before you want to drop your bags off you should be fine. I know for me personally I get very stressed if I'm rushing at the airport.

And I LOVE the Jet Blue terminal. It's very new and they have a bunch of shops and places to eat or grab a drink. Have a great trip!

 

[CT Disney]

You don't have to pay extra for the tram that takes you to the terminal. You only pay for the parking when you leave. You can use EZPass to pay if you have it.

It is a bit of a hassle to manage the luggage, but not unbearable. We usually travel with a suitcase and a carryon each and we've been fine. The parking lot is huge so it might be a bit worth one of your dropping everything off at the tram stop and then parking. There are escalators up to the waiting area.

I like the long term parking. It's a large, well lit parking lot, I feel safe leaving my car there.

My best advice is to make sure you leave extra time to go from the parking lot to the terminal. Last time we waited about 30 minutes before a tram came. They usually run more frequently than that, but just make sure you keep in mind that it does take some time. Also which terminal are you flying out of? That affects how long the tram journey will take as it goes to all of them.

Also, take a picture of which row you are in so you don't have a hard time finding where you parked when you get back.

We're not huge fans of JFK because it's so big but it is a nice airport and the terminals are very nice too. It's one of the airports that really makes you feel like you're going on vacation!

OK, sorry to bug you again

I have another question about the long term lot. On the airport website this is what it says about the lot:

JFK On-Airport Long-Term Lot 9/Economy Lot
(located at Lefferts Boulevard, approximately four miles from Terminals 1 through 8)

I don't see specific directions though. Do you happen to know what address to put into our GPS to find the lot?

Also, it doesn't look like you can make a reservation. We are traveling on a Saturday and we'll probably get to the airport around 8:30 am. I'm assuming the lot doesn't fill up?

Thanks again!

 

[Ismo]

I think we just put that we wanted to go to JFK airport then once we were "in" the airport there were signs everywhere for long term parking. The last turn is easy to miss though. We missed it the first time and had to drive all the way around again, so just keep an eye out!

The parking lot is very big. We flew out of JFK in June and November (week of Thanksgiving) last year and both times we didn't have any problem finding parking. So you should be fine.

You're not bugging me, I had all of the same questions the first time we flew out of JFK!

 

[CT Disney]

I think we just put that we wanted to go to JFK airport then once we were "in" the airport there were signs everywhere for long term parking. The last turn is easy to miss though. We missed it the first time and had to drive all the way around again, so just keep an eye out!

The parking lot is very big. We flew out of JFK in June and November (week of Thanksgiving) last year and both times we didn't have any problem finding parking. So you should be fine.

You're not bugging me, I had all of the same questions the first time we flew out of JFK!

Thank you SO MUCH!!

 

[jec6613]

lmso is dead on the money, JFK long term parking is a bit of a haul, but the AirTrain JFK is free, effective, and will get you to your terminal within 20-30 minutes (the longest it's taken me is 40), and has plenty of room for bags. Also, parking doesn't fill up, is well lit and well patrolled and safe, and the rate is very reasonable; I did the math and for my December trip it's by far the cheapest choice to drive and park for two of us.

One trick if you have a lot of bags (or even just a few checked bags), is to drop off somebody with the bags at the terminal, where they can check them in, then have the driver swing around to long term parking and take the airtrain with perhaps just their carry-on. This adds about 5-15 minutes total, but it can be easier overall and can help make the trip that little bit more magical.

Oh, and take the Merritt. Even if you live along I-95, head up to the parkway first, then take it down and across the Whitestone Bridge, then follow signs for JFK. Your GPS will take you on I-95 (all else equal, it's 5-10 minutes faster) but when it backs up, it tends to add 40-60+ minutes to your journey, and the Merritt will only back up for 20 minutes at those same times.

Oh yeah, and enjoy T5. In fact, if I were flying out of it, I'd bring a camera in carry-on and set aside 30-40 minutes just to explore it. That's the old TWA terminal and really is amazing ... as much as the T8 I usually go out of is more modern, it looks bland and it's just too spread out with massive gates designed for bigger future aircraft, completely different than T5.

 

[CT Disney]

lmso is dead on the money, JFK long term parking is a bit of a haul, but the AirTrain JFK is free, effective, and will get you to your terminal within 20-30 minutes (the longest it's taken me is 40), and has plenty of room for bags. Also, parking doesn't fill up, is well lit and well patrolled and safe, and the rate is very reasonable; I did the math and for my December trip it's by far the cheapest choice to drive and park for two of us.

One trick if you have a lot of bags (or even just a few checked bags), is to drop off somebody with the bags at the terminal, where they can check them in, then have the driver swing around to long term parking and take the airtrain with perhaps just their carry-on. This adds about 5-15 minutes total, but it can be easier overall and can help make the trip that little bit more magical.

Oh, and take the Merritt. Even if you live along I-95, head up to the parkway first, then take it down and across the Whitestone Bridge, then follow signs for JFK. Your GPS will take you on I-95 (all else equal, it's 5-10 minutes faster) but when it backs up, it tends to add 40-60+ minutes to your journey, and the Merritt will only back up for 20 minutes at those same times.

Oh yeah, and enjoy T5. In fact, if I were flying out of it, I'd bring a camera in carry-on and set aside 30-40 minutes just to explore it. That's the old TWA terminal and really is amazing ... as much as the T8 I usually go out of is more modern, it looks bland and it's just too spread out with massive gates designed for bigger future aircraft, completely different than T5.

Thanks so much for all this info! I think we will definitely use the long-term lot

And, the Merritt sounds like the way to go. We are just south of Hartford in central CT so that's the way we usually head down to NYC.

I told my DH the fastest way to get good reliable info was the DIS!

 

[jec6613]

From South of Hartford, take I-91 to exit 17 (Wilbur Cross Parkway), then follow the Wilbur Cross across the Sikorsky Bridge to the Merritt, then across the state line to the Hutchinson River Parkway: they're all route number 15 and the same road. Follow signs for the Whitestone Bridge (at the end of the highway) then follow signs for JFK Airport. The entire drive should take 2.5-3 hours to the parking lot, I'd leave 4.5-5-ish hours before the flight to ensure that you make it on time.

I live down in Fairfield county, but have driven back from UConn more than a few times.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I have JFK flights coming up this summer too. I have not used JFK in years. I think I will use a private lot with shuttle in august, because I will be leaving and returning at 4-5 am...... I have used one of the the Parking Spots at Newark many times, and it was fine. (at PHL we use Winner). I prefer the shuttles when the lots are somewhat deserted.

 

[jec6613]

I have JFK flights coming up this summer too. I have not used JFK in years. I think I will use a private lot with shuttle in august, because I will be leaving and returning at 4-5 am...... I have used one of the the Parking Spots at Newark many times, and it was fine. (at PHL we use Winner). I prefer the shuttles when the lots are somewhat deserted.

That's actually a pretty busy time at the parking lots. A bunch of flights leave in the 6-8 AM bracket, and land at midnight - the "Slow time," at JFK is actually late morning through early/mid afternoon because the major European hubs are closed overnight; Heathrow in particular can't have any departures to it from about noon to 6 PM. However, private lots don't always run shuttles frequently during the overnight hours (labor costs in NYC), where the AirTrain JFK runs automated all night.

It's up to you obviously, but I've never heard anybody have a good experience with a private lot at JFK since the AirTrain opened, their only advantage seems to be that they're somewhat cheaper.

 

[CT Disney]

Have any of you ever hired a limo / shuttle service to pick you up at your house and drive you to the airport? The only reason I ask is that my MIL visited us yesterday and she mentioned that she did that once when flying out of JFK to London.

She made it sound like a pretty relaxing way to get to the airport. I wonder if that's super expensive. Again, we're from central CT so a good 2-3 hour trip to airport.

 

[MrsNick]

At JFK we always use Park Plus. Very close to the airport (maybe closer than JFK long term). Pull up, get a claim ticket, they help load your bags onto the shuttle , which is usually y waiting when we arrive. Maybe had to wait two minutes once. They bring you right to the front of the terminal and help with your bags again.

Coming home, call them as soon as you have your bags and they pick you up right in front of the terminal at ground level. They show up in about five or ten minutes. Help you with your bags, bring you back to the lot and your car is waiting. Very convenient.

Honestly, we wouldn't park in JFK long term parking because we prefer the efficiency, speed and convenience of the off site lots which aren't further away, and may actually be closer. That's just us, though.

 

[jec6613]

You'd have to get a quote from a local limo company, but yes I have. The local van shuttles are around $100pp round trip from Fairfield County, so you'll want to get a quote for your own vehicle (I believe they charge us $200 OW for an SUV). It's very relaxing, although pricey. For our week coming up, it's less than half the cost to park versus taking an airport van, so we're parking (plus it's December, so coming back to a Subaru is useful).

Another choice is to take Metro North into Grand Central, or Amtrak into Penn Station (or LIRR/NJT/etc for those non-CTers), and take the NYCAirporter shuttle from there. It avoids parking and the long drive, although you do have to handle your luggage on a train. Still, it's not too bad provided you keep it to one checked bag per person or less.

 

[PatMcDuck]

Good information here...... we parked once at long term parking at JFK, and arrived back at 11 pm or so. This was way back, we took a bus to our area. It was sort of scary, because it was completely deserted. I did not like that one bit, and I am from NJ and ok with NYC in general. But put me in a crowd vs a deserted area. It was ok, I was with DH and our 4 kids, but if I was alone I would have been nervous.

I always use the offsite at Newark and PHL; parking lot G at Newark seems like it is in another county, lol.

I will look at all my options though, maybe I will use that train.

 

[jec6613]

Yeah, the AirTrain has been operational since 2003, so that was a while ago. Back then I wouldn't have used JFK long term either, but things do change.

 

[Finbar127]

We don't mind spending a little more money for convenience and security. We don't want to be driving around a dodgy / unfamiliar area looking for an offsite place. My DH also likes the idea of self-parking and holding onto our keys, rather than leaving them somewhere for the week. So, maybe the airport lot is the way to go for us?

The entrance to the long-term lots is on Lefferts Blvd just south of South Conduit Avenue. If you make the left onto South Conduit instead of going straight down Lefferts into the lots you will see a few of the off site parking companies (Smart Park, Parking Plus, The Spot, etc...) about a half a block east. Impossible to miss. I found them to be cheaper, quicker and more convenient than using the long term lots/Airtrain.

Here is a link to Google maps which shows where they are. FYI the place marked "JFK Long Term Parking Inc" is an off site company. The JFK long term parking is below them to the left.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/S...0x0000000000000000:0x8f20226a7baaf003!6m1!1e1

 

[CT Disney]

Just thought I'd report back as we flew out of jfk today. In fact I'm still in the air and on the dis courtesy of JetBlue wifi.

We ended up using the official long term parking lot at jfk and it was a breeze. Signage as we approached the airport was very clear.

The air train was simple enough. It was very crowded though. Also both air train tracks went out of service for a bit so we were stranded for a while at the long term lot station. It took just about 20 minutes to get one of the tracks back up and running. So I'm glad we had extra time built into our schedule.

We also found a coupon online for an extra $2 off per day.

Thanks to everyone for all the good advice!!

 

[aboveH20]

I had the same question. Since this thread is a bit old, any recent experiences?