Car Rental at New York International Airport Kennedy

Airport travel guide

A capital of culture, entertainment, fashion, and cuisine, New York is truly unlike any other place. Its landmarks are iconic, its neighborhoods diverse, and its residents have come up with countless cultural gems that are famous all over the world. Here are just three suggestions for your visit:

• Central Park. One of the main symbols of the Big Apple, Central Park should be visited at least once during your visit. Taking up a big portion of Manhattan, Central Park is naturally great for walks and picnics, but is also home to a plethora of landmarks, not least the Central Park Zoo, Belvedere Castle, and Conservatory Garden, as well as several lakes and ponds. During the warmer months of the year, many concerts and other events take place in the park – you can look up the upcoming ones here.
• Metropolitan Museum of Art. Also located in Central Park – more specifically, its central-east corner – but deserving a special mention is The Met, perhaps the most famous art museum in the United States. With a collection of about two million artworks, the gems in its collection are too numerous to mention – you can see them for yourself at the museum’s official website.
• Theater District. Located in Midtown Manhattan is the Theater District, home to the famous performance venues of Broadway. Even if you’re not into theater, the area is worth visiting just for its electric energy and many landmarks that also include Times Square, the Rockefeller Center, the Museum of Modern Art (or MoMA), and Madame Tussauds’. In Hells’ Kitchen, the former working class neighborhood that’s now turned into a creative hub, you’ll find 9th Avenue which has perhaps the most diversity of ethnic restaurants anywhere on the planet – it even hosts its own International Food Festival every month.

Top international routes

• London
• Dominican Republic
• Puerto Rico
• Toronto
• Paris
• Mexico
• Jamaica
• Milan

Main airlines

American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta Airlines, JetBlue, Aeromexico British Airways, Avianca, and Copa

Terminals

The five passenger terminals currently in use are T1, T4, T5, T7, and T8. You can move between any two of them with the AirTrain, a free shuttle.

Location

New York-JFK Airport is located in the New York City borough of Queens, about 16 mi (25.7 km) from central Manhattan. Motorways I-678 and I-495, and 37th Street are the main roads connecting the airport to Manhattan. Each of them has tolls.

Most popular types of rental car

• Small cars - from $74 per day
• Medium cars - from $49 per day
• Large cars - from $50 per day
• SUVs - from $78 per day
• Vans - from $215 per day
• Premium cars - from $196 per day

Car rental desks

You can find most rental desks in the baggage claim of all the terminals. If they aren't there, you will find a phone to call the rental company. You must make your way on the AirTrain to Federal Circle Station to pick up your rental cars. You'll also have to return your car there.

Services and facilities

You’ll find countless bars, steakhouses, fast food outlets, coffee shops, and full-service restaurants. There are plenty and all kinds of shops, including duty-free outlets in most terminals. You’ll also find ATMs, many currency exchanges, baby changing facilities, an airport medical center, luggage wrapping services, a spa, a chapel, and a Traveler’s Aid office (Traveler’s Aid is an organization that helps travelers in difficult situations). There are luggage storage facilities in the arrivals halls of Terminals 1, 4, 5, and 8 open daily from 7:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. New York-JFK Airport is well equipped for travelers with reduced mobility.

Nearest gas station

There is a Sunoco station in the JFK Travel Plaza just to the east of the rental car center. When coming from New York City, you must pass the rental car center to reach it.

Popular one-way rentals

• Boston (215 mi / 346 km)
• Arlington (245 mi / 394 km)
• Philadelphia (109 mi / 175 km)
• Washington (238 mi / 383 km)
• Buffalo (395 mi / 636 km)
• Ottawa (462 mi / 743 km)