Despite the vastness of the New York City Subway (2nd largest in the world by number of stations), the city does not have a direct rail connection to LaGuardia Airport. It’s admittedly one of the more frustrating aspects of the system, but there are ways to get to Manhattan by not shelling out $50 on a taxi or rideshare.
A route I regularly take involves taking the Q70 bus (also known as LaGuardia Link) and the E train. This whole trip costs just $2.90!
Boarding the bus and transferring to the subway may sound complicated, but the whole ride is relatively simple if you know where you’re going. Take a look at these images below as a step-by-step guide.
From Terminal C
Once you arrive at LaGuarida, you’ll first board the Q70 bus.
From baggage claim, walk in the direction of carousel 5.
“Buses To City & Subway” is the sign you want to follow.
Keep walking towards the edge of the terminal building, and you’ll see door 15. Exit out of door 15.
Continue following the same signs for the buses. Walk along the wall/fence to your right.
You’ll eventually see the boarding area for the Q70. Note the left arrow.
The boarding area is marked by this sign above. LGA Link, Q70, same thing. The M60 also boards from here; make sure you don’t take that one.
The Q70 has a light blue paint, with the bus name LaGuardia Link written on it. It’s pretty easy to differentiate from the other buses running around the airport.
It’s free, and you can board from any door.
From Terminal B
Baggage claim at Terminal B is on the second level, meaning you’re going to have to go downstairs first.
You can technically take any of the escalators going down, but I recommend taking the ones by the lower carousel numbers 1, 2, and 3. This will place you closer to the boarding area for the bus.
Take an exit when you reach ground level, and take a right for the bus. The boarding area is located on the west end of the terminal building.
It’s right next to the big number 2.
To check arrival times for the bus, I recommend using the MTA website instead of screens with wait time estimates around the boarding area. Buses typically arrive within 5-10 minutes.
On the Bus, to the Subway
The bus quickly hops on the highway after departing LaGuardia. You’re going to want to get off at 74st – Roosevelt Ave (Jackson Heights) station.
The trip takes about 15 minutes, but can be longer depending on traffic. I’ve never had a long experience on it though; the amount of time spent on the highway is pretty short.
The bus does include luggage racks for larger suitcases.
Once you hop off the bus, you can head into the station building, which is right next door. The station is in front of you when you face away from the bus, and in the above photo, it’s to the right of the direction I’m facing.
I highly recommend using OMNY/Tap to Pay to get through. Tap your credit card and go through as if you’re paying for something at your local grocery store. It’s super convenient. The subway fare is $2.90 across the city.
Once you’re through, follow the signs for Manhattan trains.
I recommend taking the E train from here, since it’s an express train through Queens. You can still take the M or R train, but it’ll take longer as they’re local trains.
The F train is also an express and will work as well. For the sake of this post (and my convenience 😅), I’m going to be taking the E to Lexington Ave-53st.
This express train does go fast through Queens, topping out at about 55mph (90kmh). It’s just 3 stops to my station on Lexington Avenue.
The total trip on the subway is about 10 minutes.
Welcome to Manhattan!
Bottom Line
The entire trip typically takes around 30-45 minutes.
Finding the bus and transferring to the subway may feel intimidating for those who are visiting New York for the first time. Make sure to follow the signs, and be aware of where the boarding area for the bus is and where the station building is at Roosevelt Ave Station. If you do have a trip here and you don’t want to dish out money for a taxi (which can often take a similar amount of time with traffic), taking the Q70 and the subway for just $2.90 is a great way.
All photos taken by the author.
