New Jersey to New York: Trains, Ferries and Prices

How to get from New Jersey to New York is a very common question among travelers. A lot of people decide to stay in New Jersey when visiting New York in search of cheaper hotels.

It's true that there are cheap hotels in Hoboken or Jersey City, right across the Hudson River from Manhattan, but it's important to factor in the daily cost of getting into NYC and the travel time (around 45 minutes round trip).

Transportation from New Jersey to New York

The good news is that there are several transportation options between New Jersey and Manhattan, since it's a common commute for the thousands of people who work or study in one city and live in the other.

Once you're in Manhattan, you can get anywhere else in the city using whichever form of New York public transportation you prefer.

Now I'll walk you through how to travel from New Jersey to New York, with all the key details: ticket prices, schedules, and the best routes.

Here's a preview: there are three public transportation options between NJ and NY.

🚆 The PATH trains

⛴️ The ferries from New Jersey to New York

🚌 Intercity buses

1. Train from New Jersey to New York

PATH (Port Authority Trans Hudson) is the name of the train that connects NJ and NY, and it runs 24 hours a day.

In just a few minutes you'll cross through a tunnel under the Hudson River. Think about how much water is above your head during that ride 😮

There are two PATH train lines:

1. The New Jersey to New York train that connects Newark and Hoboken (NJ) with the WTC Transportation Hub inside the beautiful Oculus designed by Calatrava.
2. Trains connecting Hoboken and Journal Square (NJ) with 33rd Street in Midtown West Manhattan.

Where is Manhattan's WTC Transportation Hub?

The station for trains to New Jersey from Lower Manhattan is inside the World Trade Center terminal.

The WTC is very well connected to several New York subway lines, including the 2, 3, A, C, and E, so it's easy to get from the World Trade Center terminal to anywhere else in NYC.

Beyond how useful the station is, I'd recommend that the first time you arrive here, you give yourself enough time to take in the stunning architecture of the  World Trade Center Transportation Hub.

This is a monumental work by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, named the Oculus, which replaces the World Trade Center Station, the terminal that connected Manhattan with Newark and Hoboken and was tragically destroyed on September 11, 2001, along with the Twin Towers.

PATH prices

A PATH ride costs $2.75 (round trip $5.50). You can buy your ticket (PATH MetroCard) from the vending machines in the stations.

Kids under 5 ride free (if you're traveling as a family, check out everything you can do in NYC with kids).

Paying with the SmartLink Card

If you're going to travel often between New Jersey and Manhattan, it's worth buying the SmartLink, the PATH system's travel card.

There are several options, and which one you choose depends on how long you're staying and how many trips you'll take.

If you're going to make a lot of trips, you're better off getting an unlimited rides card like the SmartLink 7-day unlimited pass, which costs $36. It works just like the unlimited ride MetroCard.

You can also buy packages with a set number of rides, like the 10-trip CARD that covers 10 trips (there are also 20, 30, and 40 ride packages). With this system, each ride comes out to $2.60.

For all the details on PATH fares, visit the official site.

Paying with the MetroCard

Another way to ride the PATH is with the same MetroCard you'll use on the New York subway and New York buses.

One catch: on the PATH you can only use Pay-per-Ride MetroCards (each ride is deducted from the card's balance). The PATH does not accept the Unlimited MetroCard.

Check out the guide on how to use the NYC MetroCard for more info on prices and where to buy one.

How to pay for the PATH with TAPP

The PATH payment system is being modernized too. It's going through a process similar to the transition from the MetroCard to OMNY in New York.

What is TAPP, or Total Access PATH Payment?

It's a pilot program for a new contactless payment system.

With TAPP you can pay for the PATH right at the turnstile, using a contactless credit or debit card or a smart device linked to a payment method.

Right now there are TAPP turnstiles at every station. These turnstiles don't accept payment with the NJ SmartLink, the NY MetroCard, or New York's OMNY payment system.

To pay with the MetroCard or SmartLink, you need to use the non-TAPP turnstiles.

2. Ferry from New Jersey to New York

If you need to get from New Jersey to New York fast, the ferries are your best bet, though as you'd expect they cost more.

There are two main ferry companies running routes between Manhattan and New Jersey: NY Waterway and Seastreak.

New York Waterway

NY Waterway doesn't run 24 hours a day (most routes operate between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m.), but it offers fast, frequent service between Manhattan and several New Jersey towns including Jersey City, Weehawken, Hoboken, Fort Lee, Edgewater, and Highlands.

Ferry prices

For reference, the cheapest trip is between the NJ Transit Terminal in Hoboken and Battery Park: each ride costs $7 and takes just 5 minutes. From there prices go up depending on where you board and get off.

NY Waterway has several terminals and routes between New Jersey and Manhattan. You can look them up on the official site, where you'll also find schedules and prices, plus how to buy tickets through the official app.

The most convenient stations for reaching Manhattan's main attractions are:

1. Brookfield Place / Battery Park City terminal, formerly known as the World Financial Center terminal
2. Pier 11 on Wall Street

Kids under 5 ride the ferry free.

Seastreak ferry line

Seastreak is the other ferry company running between New Jersey and New York. The service is pretty similar to NY Waterway's, but it costs more because it's somewhat faster.

You can check prices, routes, and schedules on the official site.

Statue Cruises from New Jersey

If you're sightseeing and not in any rush, you can kill two birds with one stone: first visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island by taking the ferry from the Liberty State Park terminal in Jersey City, then at the end of your visit hop on the ferry to Battery Park in Manhattan. It costs the same as heading back to Jersey City!

You can check the Statue Cruises schedules from New Jersey on their official page.

Is there a free ferry from New Jersey to New York?

Unfortunately, there's no free ferry service between New York and New Jersey.

There are some reduced fares for kids, students and seniors, though. You can look them up on the official pages of each ferry service, which I linked above.

The only free ferry in New York is the Staten Island Ferry, which departs from Battery Park in Lower Manhattan. It's a ride that lets you see the Statue of Liberty up close without spending a cent 🤑.

3. Buses between NJ and NYC

Another cheap way to connect the two cities is by bus into the Port Authority Bus Terminal, but honestly I don't recommend it: traffic is terrible and you'll waste a lot of time. Go with the ferries or the PATH instead.

Plenty of bus companies connect Manhattan and New Jersey. A quick Google search will turn up routes, schedules and prices on their websites.

One worth mentioning is Greyhound, so you can feel like you're traveling in a movie. It's one of the most classic bus lines in the United States 🐕🚍

Bridges and tunnels between New Jersey and New York

If you're driving your own car (or a rental) between New Jersey and New York, the smartest move is to check your route on apps like Waze or Google Maps.

The apps will help you plan the shortest route with the least traffic, and they'll clearly show you what the tolls cost.

In general, get to know the bridges and tunnels between NY and NJ that you'll probably use:

George Washington Bridge

Did you know the George Washington Bridge is the busiest vehicle bridge in the world? It's also one of the most famous bridges in NYC.

This bridge over the Hudson River connects Fort Lee, New Jersey with the Washington Heights neighborhood in Manhattan. It's one of the most used routes for crossing the Hudson.

Lincoln Tunnel

The Lincoln Tunnel connects Weehawken, New Jersey with Midtown Manhattan.

This is the tunnel you see in the opening credits of HBO's «The Sopranos», when Tony drives through it on his way from New York to his house in New Jersey.

Holland Tunnel

The Holland Tunnel connects Jersey City with Lower Manhattan. It's another popular option if you're heading to the southern end of Manhattan.

Where to stay in New Jersey

Now that you know how to get from New Jersey to Manhattan, you can make an informed decision about where to stay in New Jersey near New York.