How to Get From LaGuardia to Lower Manhattan: The Q70 and the E, for $3

The route we give guests

Q70 to Roosevelt Avenue, then the E. Two legs, one fare, no AirTrain to buy.

1. Find the Q70 at the airport: it stops at Terminals C and B. If you land at Terminal A, take the airport shuttle bus from Terminal B. The LaGuardia Link Q70 is free, so there's nothing to tap.
2. Ride it to Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue: that's the subway connection you want heading downtown. (The other end of the Q70 line, 74 St-Broadway, is the same complex and puts you on the 7.)
3. Take a Manhattan-bound E: the fare is $3 for most riders, and transfers between subway and bus are free for two hours.
4. Ride to the last stop: World Trade Center is the southern end of the E line, so you can't miss it.

The MTA's own advice is to allow plenty of time: depending on traffic, an hour or more is realistic. We'd rather you knew that than found out at the gate.

Why there's no train to LaGuardia

There isn't one, and that surprises people who've flown into JFK before. LaGuardia has no AirTrain and no subway station of its own, so every public transit route starts with a bus. The Q70 is the fast one and it's free. The alternative is the M60 Select Bus, $3, but it runs to uptown Manhattan, with useful stops at 106th, 116th and 120th Streets on Broadway and several along 125th Street. If you're staying uptown it's excellent. Coming to us downtown, it's the long way round.

The LIRR option

There's a third route: a Long Island Rail Road train to Woodside, then the Q70 from Roosevelt Avenue. Within New York City the LIRR fare is $5.25 off-peak or $7.25 at peak, and the bus is still free. Not every LIRR train stops at Woodside, so check the timetable or the TrainTime app first. Heading out to the airport it can save time; coming into Lower Manhattan it lands you at Penn Station or Grand Central, which is the wrong end of Manhattan for us.

Arriving at our end

World Trade Center is a short walk from our building at 17 John Street, and Fulton Street station, which several lines run through, is about three minutes away on foot. Once you're in, our studios and suites have fully equipped kitchens, so a late landing doesn't have to mean a late restaurant. The Laundry Room downstairs is free for guests, washers, dryers and detergent included.

If you're landing after a long day with kids and bags, take the taxi and don't feel bad about it. The Q70 is for the trips where you've got a free hour and would rather keep the money.