Article in Spanish here/Artículo en español aquí.

How to go to Staten Island from the airport?

Many visitors arrive in New York at the most important NY airport: JFK Airport, but the ride to Staten Island -Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, or Manhattan- could be challenging for some.

Travelers have other airports as well: LaGuardia Airport or in New Jersey, Newark Airport. All, including JFK of course, have international and domestic flights, and public transportation available to Staten Island. For those who love the adrenaline and are independent travelers, we certainly recommend the ride in public transportation!!!

JFK Airport (Queens, NY)

John F. Kennedy International Airport, or simply JFK, is 40 minutes to one hour from Staten Island. Besides taxi options ($120-130 yellow cabs or $80-100 private taxi apps), you can take public transportation (around two-hour ride).

This is the summary of the trip: $8 AirTrain - $2.75 Subway A-Subway R - free Staten Island Ferry.

You will need to take the AirTrain first, which is an elevated train that connects all the terminals with the nearest subway station. The ticket fare is not valid for your subway ride, but you can pay with the same card (MetroCard). JFK has several terminals so you will probably need to wait until the last stop to get off from the AirTrain. The best subway station to get off is Howard Beach to take the Line A subway. You can also stop at Jamaica Station, but you will need more subway connections to go to Staten Island.

The next ride is the subway when you get off at Howard Beach subway station. Your last destination should be the Whitehall St-South Ferry station in Manhattan. You can take the A subway (Manhattan direction or Manhattan bound to Inwood subway stop). You will need to change subway lines at Jay St Metro Tech station (from A to R). The R train should be Forest Hills bound (going to Queens). You should get off at Whitehall St-South Ferry Station. Download the subway map to transfer and familiarize with the system!

Flickr

After you arrive at the Whitehall/South Ferry subway station, you should follow signs to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal (Whitehall Terminal). The ferry is 24 hours available so it does not matter what time you arrive and since it is free, you do not need to pay for tickets to board. The ferries usually depart every thirty minutes, so you can wait in the main hall. Enjoy the ride on the right side of the ferry for photos of the Statue of Liberty!!!

You will have a 25-minute ride from Manhattan to Staten Island. Once you arrive at the St. George Ferry Terminal, you can take public buses to any part of Staten Island. Public buses also run 24 hours and you can use your subway ride (MetroCard or using your OMNY ride) to transfer without paying again.

You can use Staten Island car services at the terminal (there are no yellow taxi cabs in Staten Island) or use a private taxi app. If you need to go to the College of Staten Island, you can also take the free bus (CSI Ferry Shuttle Bus) from the terminal to campus, with free buses every thirty minutes. 

Newark Airport (New Jersey)

Even though the Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) is the closest one to Staten Island (20 minutes by car or $70-100 taxi), public transportation will take around 1h30m to 2 hours to Staten Island!!! Unfortunately, there is no direct train, subway, or bus from Newark to Staten Island, and you would have to go through Manhattan.

NJ AirTrain - NJ.com

There are several options you can take: NJ AirTrain, NJ Train (PATH), and the NYC or Staten Island Ferry are the three ways we recommend with these routes:

• Option 1: $8-11 AirTrain to Newark Railroad Station, $11 NJ Train to Newark Penn Station, $2.75 PATH Train to the World Trade Center (Manhattan) or to NY Penn Station, $2.75 Subway W to Whitehall St - Ferry station, free Staten Island Ferry to Staten Island. See this route on Google Maps here. 
• Option 2: $8-11 AirTrain or $1.50 bus to Newark Railroad (Newark Penn Station), $2.75 PATH Train to Exchange Place station (New Jersey), $7 NJ Ferry (Paulus Hook) to Brookfield Pl/Battery Park City (Manhattan), $4 NYC Ferry (Battery Park City/Vesey St) to St. George (Staten Island). See this route on Google Maps here.
• Option 3: $18.70 Newark Airport Express bus to NY Penn Station, $2.75 Subway 1 to South Ferry, free Staten Island Ferry to Staten Island. See this route on Google Maps here. This route is highly recommended since the Newark Airport Express buses are designed for airport travelers and it goes non-stop from the NJ airport to Manhattan.

Exchange Place Alliance

LaGuardia Airport (Queens, NY)

LaGuardia Airport is the second largest airport after JFK in NYC. It has had major improvements in the past, recent years, and the public transportation connections have also increased for those traveling from this important airport. The trip to Staten Island may take one hour by car or taxi, but public transportation is also available and you will only pay $2.75 all the way to Staten Island!!!

Take the free LaGuardia Link Q70 bus to Broadway/Roosevelt St bus stop, take the $2.75 R Subway, Brooklyn bound (Bay Ridge 95 St), and get off at the Whitehall St subway stop (Manhattan). Walk outside to the street and you will find the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. Take the free ferry to Staten Island! The ride will take almost two hours and you can see the Google Maps route here.

LaGuardia Link Q70 bus - MTA

I arrived in Staten Island, now what?

If you have arrived by public transportation to the St. George Staten Island Ferry Terminal, you will have several public and private transportation options from there to any place in Staten Island.

• Staten Island Train or Railroad: There is only one line and it goes from/to the ferry terminal to the south of island (Tottenville stop) in 50 minutes. It has 20 stops along the way. The $2.75 ride can be used if you transfer to any other bus. If you took a subway in Manhattan before, you do not need to pay the SI Train ride again. You can see the SI Train ride in Google Maps here.
• Staten Island public bus: There are plenty of buses that depart from the SI Ferry Terminal, all around the island. Most of the buses offer a 24-hour service, but some lines are limited in their routes or schedules. Again, if you took a subway or bus in Manhattan, you do not need to pay the $2.75 fare again. You can see the schedule here.
• Car Service: There are no yellow taxi cabs in Staten Island. Do not wait for a taxi cab on the street because you will never see one looking for passengers around Staten Island! You may have to call for a car service. There are plenty of companies that offer this service all around Staten Island (and outside the island). You can find a directory of car service companies here.

Going to CSI campus?

You can always read the detailed directions from the CSI web site here.

• College of Staten Island (CSI) Ferry Shuttle bus: For those going to CSI, follow directions inside the ferry terminal to the ferry shuttle bus stop (near the public bus platforms). The free CSI Ferry bus usually departs every 30 minutes and it goes non-stop to the campus (last stop in 1P Building).

CSI Ferry Shuttle Bus

• Public bus: From the SI Ferry Terminal, take the $2.75 S62 bus. See Google Maps route here. From Manhattan, you can take many express buses to Staten Island and the SIM33 bus to CSI campus.

Staten Island-Manhattan Express Bus

We hope you enjoy the ride!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interested in learning English? Sign up in our English program: elistudy@csi.cuny.edu / www.csi.cuny.edu/eli at the English Language Institute at the College of Staten Island/The City University of New York (CUNY). The English Language Institute (ELI) offers an exciting and innovative academic program for students learning English as a second language. Our course of study is designed to challenge and engage students. Students are immersed in the language, culture, and the ethnicity of New York City. ELI offers semester and summer terms of 18 and 22 hours of class per week. Students can also join the groups that have already started the semester or summer term and study as many weeks as possible. Students have courses such as reading and writing, grammar, conversation, and TOEFL test preparation workshops with a final TOEFL ITP test, which lets students apply for any CUNY school degree. Students in our program are entitled to use all the facilities available on campus such as the pool, tennis, basketball, racquetball courts, and fitness center. Students can also attend any lectures or workshops they feel would enhance their own learning experience. We invite you to come and see our beautiful campus. Learn English while enjoying the rich culture New York City has to offer. Staten Island Staten Island is about four times the size of Manhattan and has a population of approximately 473,000. It is noted for its parks and recreational areas, in addition to several notable cultural sites. Manhattan and other "boroughs" of New York City are easily accessible by public transportation. The campus The College is set on a large campus with woodlands and open spaces in Staten Island. Its attractive facilities include technologically advanced laboratories, a Sports and Recreation Center and a Center for the Performing and Creative Arts. Campus location The College is twenty-five minutes by ferry from Manhattan. Our students have easy access to the rich cultural life of the City by way of a ferry shuttle ride located on the CSI campus. The ferry shuttle travels directly to the Staten Island ferry. ELI academic program The ELI offers intensive, comprehensive English language instruction and cultural orientation throughout the year. The program covers all aspects of spoken and written English, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Classes are given at three levels of proficiency, from beginner to advanced. Course content includes the proper use of English structures, fluency and accuracy of expression with acceptable pronunciation, listening and reading comprehension, and writing for personal, academic, and professional purposes. Students communicate in English from the first lesson at the beginner level. At all levels they work on integrated skills, focusing on the active, knowledgeable use of the language, rather than mere passive comprehension. ELI courses: Reading & Writing Grammar Communications (Conversation) TOEFL Workshop