The Long Island Rail Road is the fastest and cheapest way from NYC to Long Island: trains leave Penn Station and Grand Central Madison for Nassau and Suffolk, with one-way fares from $10.00 off-peak to Mineola up to $24.50 off-peak to Montauk. A taxi or a pre-booked car service covers the same trip door to door, but a taxi’s meter doubles past the city limit into Nassau and Suffolk trips are a negotiated flat fare, so the train wins on price and the car wins on convenience.
Picture a family in Midtown on a Saturday morning, heading to a wedding in Huntington with garment bags and a toddler, or a couple catching a Friday train to a beach house near Montauk. The choice they face is the same either way: pay the train fare and walk to the station, or pay more for a car that picks them up at the door and drops them at the address. This page lays out both, with the MTA’s own fares and the Taxi and Limousine Commission’s meter rules, so the decision is made on numbers rather than habit.
Written by Emily Davis · Fact-checked by Alex Freeman, Editor-in-Chief · Last verified November 2026
The LIRR: the fastest way east
Long Island Rail Road trains run from Penn Station and Grand Central Madison in Manhattan, and from Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn, out to Mineola, Hicksville, Babylon, Ronkonkoma, Huntington, Port Jefferson, Long Beach, and Montauk, with Jamaica as the main transfer hub where most branches meet. Fares are zone-based and peak fares apply on weekday rush-hour trains — trains arriving at Manhattan terminals between 6 AM and 10 AM, and trains leaving Manhattan between 4 PM and 8 PM — while every weekend and holiday train is off-peak. Buy your ticket before you board, in the TrainTime app or at a station machine: buying on board costs more, with an on-board peak one-way to Hicksville at $23.00 instead of $15.25, and to Ronkonkoma at $30.00 instead of $21.50. The ride takes about 45 to 50 minutes from Penn Station to Hicksville and about 1 hour 20 minutes to Ronkonkoma on the published timetables. For a weekend trip east, read how long the train journey is from NYC to the Hamptons before you pick a departure, and if your trip starts at an airport, transfer from JFK to New York first and catch the train from Penn Station or Grand Central Madison.
- Mineola, Zone 4: $10.00 off-peak, $13.50 peak
- Hicksville, Zone 7: $11.25 off-peak, $15.25 peak
- Babylon, Zone 9: $13.50 off-peak, $18.25 peak
- Ronkonkoma, Zone 10: $16.00 off-peak, $21.50 peak
- Montauk, Zone 14: $24.50 off-peak, $33.00 peak
One-way fares from Penn Station and Grand Central Madison, per the MTA fare chart effective January 4, 2026. Trips entirely within New York City, such as Penn Station to Jamaica, use the CityTicket fare of $5.25 off-peak or $7.25 peak. The same public-transit arithmetic applies on other New York trips, as how long it takes to reach Manhattan from LaGuardia using public transportation and how long it typically takes to travel from JFK to Port Authority Bus Station both show.
Ready to Book Your JetBlack Car Service?
Taxi: how the meter works past the city line
A yellow taxi from NYC to Long Island starts on the standard meter, Rate #01, at $3.00 plus $0.70 per fifth of a mile — and the meter changes once the cab leaves the city. On an outbound trip to Nassau or Westchester, the meter doubles from the city limit under Rate #04, so the second half of the ride costs twice the city rate. For Suffolk County and other points outside the city, there is no meter at all: the fare is a flat rate negotiated with the driver before the trip begins under Rate #05, and the driver may decline the trip. A $0.50 MTA surcharge also applies to trips ending in New York City, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Dutchess, Orange, or Putnam. On top of that come a $1.00 improvement surcharge, any tolls, and a tip. No verified flat taxi fare from NYC to Long Island exists, so do not accept a number quoted without the rate explained — ask whether the trip is Rate #04 or Rate #05 before you get in. Taxi pricing elsewhere in the city follows the same rules, as how much a taxi fare from NYC to LaGuardia Airport typically costs and what the average cost of a taxi ride from LaGuardia Airport to JFK Airport is both show, and you can pay for your taxi ride in NYC by card at no extra charge.
Car service: door to door with a fixed quote
A pre-booked car service is the straightforward answer when the train does not fit the trip: JetBlack confirms a fixed quote in writing before you travel, the car comes to your address, and it drops you at the address on Long Island instead of a station. Hourly service in an Economy Sedan is $45 an hour with a 3-hour minimum, and longer point-to-point trips are quoted in writing before the car moves. You can schedule a car service in advance and book a cab with the service as soon as your plans are set. Child seats cost about $35 per seat, confirmed at booking, and are never free, and wheelchair-accessible vehicles are provided on request. Cancellation is free before your booking is confirmed; after confirmation it costs $31 in total: $25 plus $5 in fees plus a $1 technology fee. A 20% tip is suggested and not included. For trips starting in Queens, the JFK to Fresh Meadows car service and the guide to how long it takes to get from JFK to Throgs Neck by car service show how the same door-to-door service works on shorter runs.
Driving yourself, and the last miles by bus
Driving east means the Long Island Expressway, the Northern State Parkway, or the Southern State Parkway, and no honest drive time can be printed here because the same road runs freely at dawn and crawls on a Friday afternoon — check live traffic before you leave and add a buffer for the bridges and the Queens approach. Once you are on Long Island, local buses run from LIRR stations onward, with Nassau Inter-County Express in Nassau County and Suffolk County Transit in Suffolk County; check their schedules for the last miles, since no bus fare was verified for this page. If the train and the bus together do not reach your address, that is the trip to book as a car service instead.
Questions travelers ask
What is the fastest way to get from NYC to Long Island?
The Long Island Rail Road, from Penn Station or Grand Central Madison. The ride takes about 45 to 50 minutes to Hicksville and about 1 hour 20 minutes to Ronkonkoma, and the train skips the traffic that slows every road option out of the city.
How much does the LIRR cost from NYC to Long Island?
One-way fares from Penn Station and Grand Central Madison, per the MTA chart effective January 4, 2026: Mineola $10.00 off-peak and $13.50 peak, Hicksville $11.25 and $15.25, Babylon $13.50 and $18.25, Ronkonkoma $16.00 and $21.50, and Montauk $24.50 and $33.00. Buy before you board — on-board fares are higher.
Is there a direct train from Manhattan to the Hamptons or Montauk?
Montauk Branch trains run from Manhattan to Montauk, but not every departure runs through: many require a change at Babylon or Jamaica. Check the timetable for your exact departure in the MTA TrainTime app before you travel, rather than assuming a direct train.
Can I take a taxi from NYC to Long Island, and how is it charged?
Yes, but the meter changes past the city limit. To Nassau, the meter doubles from the city limit under Rate #04. To Suffolk County, the fare is a flat rate negotiated with the driver before the trip under Rate #05, and the driver may decline. A $0.50 MTA surcharge applies to trips ending in Nassau or Suffolk, plus a $1.00 improvement surcharge, tolls, and tip.
Should I book a car service instead of the train to Long Island?
Book a car service when you have heavy luggage, small children, a late arrival, or an address far from any LIRR station: JetBlack confirms a fixed quote in writing before you travel, child seats cost about $35 per seat for a fee, and cancellation is free before confirmation. Take the train when you are traveling light and your destination is near a station — it is faster and far cheaper.
Sources
- MTA — Long Island Rail Road Station Fares, effective January 4, 2026: one-way peak and off-peak fares from Penn Station and Grand Central Madison by zone, on-board fares, CityTicket $5.25 off-peak and $7.25 peak, accessed 2026-11-10
- NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission — Taxi Fare: standard metered fare, Rate #04 doubling from the city limit to Nassau or Westchester, Rate #05 negotiated flat fare for other points outside the city, $0.50 MTA State Surcharge counties, $1.00 improvement surcharge, accessed 2026-11-10
- InfoForNYC — LIRR Penn Station, 2026: peak hours on trains arriving at Manhattan terminals 6 AM to 10 AM and departing 4 PM to 8 PM, zone fares, accessed 2026-11-10
- Long Island — Penn Station LIRR schedules: Penn Station to Hicksville about 49 minutes, Penn Station to Ronkonkoma about 1 hour 26 minutes on published timetables, accessed 2026-11-10
- JetBlack Transportation — owner-confirmed service facts (fixed quote agreed in writing before travel, Economy Sedan $45 an hour with 3-hour minimum, child seats about $35 per seat for a fee, wheelchair-accessible vehicles provided, free cancellation before confirmation, $31 cancellation total after confirmation, 20% suggested tip), confirmed 2026-10-26, accessed 2026-11-10
JetBlack Transportation · 34 W 34th St, New York, NY 10001 · +1-646-214-4828 · Prices verified November 2026 and subject to change — confirm your fixed quote in writing before you travel
