NY Penn to JFK ~ Subway or LIRR?

[user 6862]

PVD, checked for games for the end of March, there's one on the 29th and one on the 31st, we are there on the 30th !

On arriving at NYP we'll leave our checked bags at the station, check in another one and take a 2 or 3 hours stroll around Manhattan during the afternoon. Eat close to the station in the early evening waiting for the 8pm deadline to get on the LIRR. Hope to manage to buy a combined LIRR and AirTrain ticket from a green machine or window, thanks for all the help.

 

[doodaa]

Hi

Im from the UK, usually visit the US every 2 years or so, I always flight into JFK, and get the air train and LIRR to Penn Station and stay in a hotel around there The New Yorker Last time, I'm usually getting Amtrak in the next day or so, and the same on return, Amtrak in to New York, and then LIRR and Air train to JFK.
On return Ive usually got 2 cases to deal with only had trouble at Penn Station once where the lifts and escalators were both broken to the platform I wanted. At Jamaca the lifts are at the far end of the platforms, so aim for the front of the train, once up its all level until your JFK terminal.

As for food around Penn station Ive eaten at Track raw bar in the station it self on the lower level near the LIRR tickets, The Tick tock dinner, which is part of the New Yorker Hotel on the corner of W34th and 8th, and the Skylight Dinner another block down W34th

Steve

 

[tp49]

At Jamaca the lifts are at the far end of the platforms, so aim for the front of the train, once up its all level until your JFK terminal.

This is a great point and apologies to the OP for me not thinking of it. The access to the Airtrain is at the east end of Jamaica station. Now for the unindoctrinated the "front" of an eastbound LIRR train is always at the 7th Avenue end of Penn Station (the area where all the manned LIRR ticket windows and the 1,2,3 Subway are) with the rear at the 8th Avenue (A, C, E Subway) end.