The insiders’ route. Take the free Q70 four stops to Woodside–61st St, walk upstairs to the Long Island Rail Road, and you are a single quick ride from Penn Station / Moynihan Train Hall and Grand Central Madison. It is a bit pricier than the subway and the trains are less frequent, but it is the smoothest, fastest ride to the West Side and East Midtown — no crosstown crawl, no bridge, a real seat for your bags. Off-peak the CityTicket fare makes it nearly as cheap as the train.
Riding it
- 1Ride the free Q70 from the terminals to Woodside–61st St (about 12–15 minutes).
- 2Go up to the LIRR platform; check the board for the next westbound Port Washington or main-line train.
- 3Buy a CityTicket off-peak or a regular Zone 1 fare on the app or at the machine — about 10 minutes to Penn / Moynihan, or continue to Grand Central Madison.
- 4Arrive seated, with your luggage beside you, in the heart of the West or East Side.
Penn Station, Moynihan, Hudson Yards, or East Midtown via Grand Central Madison; travelers who want a guaranteed seat and the fewest stairs of any transit option.
Off the LIRR clock — trains can be 20–30 minutes apart midday, so a near-miss erases the speed advantage. Check the next departure before you leave the bus.
What it really costs
| Q70 LaGuardia Link | FREE |
| LIRR CityTicket (off-peak, within NYC) | $5.00 |
| LIRR Zone 1 peak fare | $10.75 |
| Total, LGA → Penn / GC Madison | $5–10.75 |
Service notes
- CityTicket is the trick: a flat $5.00 LIRR fare for trips that stay inside the city, valid off-peak and weekends — Woodside to Penn qualifies.
- Grand Central Madison put the LIRR under East Midtown in 2023, so this is now a real one-change option for the East Side, not just the West.
- LIRR frequency is the catch, not the speed — time your transfer to a posted departure and it is the fastest seat into Manhattan.