LaGuardia to Brooklyn

Step 1: Find the Q70 outside Terminal B or C. The Q70 serves Terminals B and C only. Follow the bus signs after baggage claim. Coming from Terminal A? Take the free All Terminals Shuttle (24/7, every 15–20 minutes) to Terminal B, or ride the Q33 from Terminal A straight to Jackson Heights (see below).

Step 2: Board free. There is no fare on the Q70 — just get on. From Terminal C the bus stops at Terminal B first, then heads for Jackson Heights. Buses come every 6–10 minutes on weekday daytimes, every 10 minutes on weekend daytimes, and every 20 minutes overnight.

Step 3: Get off at Jackson Heights (74 St–Roosevelt Av). This is the big transfer hub: E, F, M, R, and 7 trains. The next and final stop, Woodside (61 St), has only the 7 and the LIRR — neither goes to Brooklyn — so for Brooklyn, Jackson Heights is your stop. The timetable schedules Terminal C to the Woodside end of the line at 17–36 minutes, depending on day and traffic; Jackson Heights comes just before it.

Step 4: Tap into the subway ($3.00). This is the only fare you pay. Tap a contactless card, phone, or OMNY card at the turnstile. Transfers between subway lines (E to G, and so on) are free inside the system.

E → G (North Brooklyn): Take the E toward Manhattan two stops to Court Sq–23 St (about 6 minutes), then transfer to the G toward Church Av. From Court Sq, the G reaches Nassau Av in about 5 minutes, Bedford–Nostrand Avs in about 13, Hoyt–Schermerhorn in about 19, and 4 Av–9 St in about 27. The E stops at Court Sq at all hours; the F does too on weekdays, except late nights.

F (Downtown Brooklyn, Carroll Gardens, Park Slope): One seat from Jackson Heights. Scheduled at about 35 minutes to Jay St–MetroTech and about 43 minutes to 4 Av–9 St in Park Slope, continuing to Church Av and Coney Island.

R (Brooklyn Heights, Barclays Center, Sunset Park, Bay Ridge): One seat, but it's a local through Queens and Manhattan. Scheduled at about 52 minutes to DeKalb Av, 55 minutes to Atlantic Av–Barclays Ctr, 64 minutes to 36 St (Sunset Park), and 75 minutes to 86 St (Bay Ridge).

M (Williamsburg, Bushwick — weekdays only): One seat from Jackson Heights over the Williamsburg Bridge. Scheduled at about 42 minutes to Marcy Av and 48 minutes to Myrtle Av. Slower than the E → G for most of Williamsburg, but no transfer.

Surcharges (TLC): On top of the metered fare ($3.00 start, then 70¢ per 1/5 mile or per minute in slow traffic): a $5.00 LaGuardia surcharge, a $2.00 airport access fee on pickups, the $0.50 MTA surcharge and $1.00 improvement surcharge, plus $2.50 on weekdays 4–8 PM or $1.00 overnight 8 PM–6 AM. Tip is extra. No charge for extra passengers or bags.

Taxi stands: Curbside in the arrivals area — Level 1 at Terminal A, Level 2 at Terminal B, Level 1 at Terminal C. A dispatcher assigns the next cab; no reservation needed. You can't e-hail a taxi (Curb, Arro) for pickup at the airport — use the stand.

Uber / Lyft pickup: Follow the "Ride App Pick Up" signs. Terminal A: directly across the street from the terminal. Terminal B: Level 2 of the Terminal B parking garage. Terminal C: the arrivals inner lane. Prices vary by time of day and demand — compare in the app against the taxi estimate.

Ignore anyone offering rides inside the terminal. Only use the official taxi stand or the marked ride-app pickup area, and check the plate matches your app before getting in.

The G is the underrated airport line. Most visitors assume every route to Brooklyn goes through Manhattan. For Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Bed-Stuy, and Fort Greene, the E-to-G change at Court Sq cuts out Manhattan entirely and is usually the fastest transit option.

One card, one fare. Use the same contactless card or phone for every tap — the Q70 is free, and subway-to-subway transfers are free, so you pay $3.00 once. Seven-day OMNY fare capping kicks in at $35, so you won't need a weekly pass if you're staying a while.

Know your day of the week. The M to Williamsburg and the F's stop at Court Sq are weekday-only. On weekends, default to the E → G for North Brooklyn and the F for Downtown and Park Slope.

Late nights: The Q70 keeps running all night (every 20 minutes), and the E, F, and G run 24/7. The R doesn't run in Queens late at night, so Sunset Park and Bay Ridge become two-transfer trips — take a taxi if you have bags.

Group of 3–4? Price the taxi. One taxi fare covers everyone going to the same place (up to 4 passengers, 5 in a minivan). For Downtown Brooklyn, a Port Authority estimate of $28–50 split four ways can beat four $3 fares plus an hour-plus of transfers.

Budget extra time for the bus. The Q70 shares the road with airport traffic. The MTA schedules it longer in the weekday afternoon than on weekends — leave slack if you're heading to a dinner reservation or check-in window.