New Jersey Transit in New York

New Jersey Transit in New York is the public transportation network of the state of New Jersey, with connections to Manhattan and Philadelphia. The network allows you to travel to Newark Airport and Atlantic City, among others. NJ Transit offers bus and train connections that run from early morning until late at night. The extensive network makes NJ Transit the third largest provider of bus and rail travel in the United States.

Eric's Index

1 Taking New Jersey Transit trains in New York
2 New Jersey Transit tickets
3 NJ Transit train routes

Taking New Jersey Transit trains in New York

Six train lines of NJ Transit depart from Penn Station toward New Jersey. The first stop from Penn Station is Secaucus Junction. The lines split at this stop. If you want to use one of the other three lines, you can easily transfer here.

New Jersey Transit tickets

Tickets for NJ Transit trains can be purchased at the in-house ticket offices, ticket machines at the station or via the NJ Transit App. The ticket offices at Penn Station are open from 06:00 to 23:00 during the week and from 07:00 AM to 23:00 on weekends. The ticket machines are always available. The price of your ticket depends on the destination. When you travel with children between the ages of 5 and 11, you pay 50% of the ticket price for them. Children aged 4 or under travel for free.

NJ Transit train routes

New Jersey Transit trains are regular trains that stop at every stop. In total, NJ Transit operates nine lines. The Main Line, Bergen County Line, and Pascack Valley Line cross the border into New York State in northern New Jersey. As a result, these three lines are also part of Metro-North Railroad.

With NJ Transit to Newark Airport

During your trip to New York, you can arrive at and/or depart from Newark International Airport (EWR). With the Northeast Corridor Line or the North Jersey Coast Line, you can travel from the airport to Manhattan or vice versa. From the terminal at the airport, take the AirTrain to Newark Liberty International Airport Station where you take the NJ Transit train to Manhattan. The entire journey takes about 30 minutes.

Eric’s Tip: “New Jersey Transit is a cheap and fast way to get from Newark to Manhattan. This is a good option if you are staying near Penn Station, where the train arrives. If you’re staying in a different part of New York, it’s better to travel from Newark Airport to Manhattan another way.”

Day trip to Philadelphia

If you want to take a day trip during your stay in New York, Philadelphia is an accessible option. It takes about three hours by train to get to this city when you take the Northeast Corridor Line and the Atlantic City Line. However, you then have to switch twice, which is not very practical. With an organized, guided bus tour, you can also take a day trip to Philadelphia and the Amish. You can see more by bus and it’s faster than by train. Do you want to take a gamble, shop and enjoy the beach? Then Atlantic City is the right destination. You can also go here by train, but the journey takes a few hours and you have to change trains a few times. The New York to Atlantic City Day Trip makes it easy to travel to this New Jersey city.

New Jersey Transit bus routes

In addition to train routes, NJ Transit also has more than 200 bus routes. These buses run throughout New Jersey and also to and from New York. The main bus stop in Manhattan is Port Authority Bus Terminal. Here you can board on different lines. When you stay in New Jersey during your trip to New York, these buses are very nice. The many connections ensure that there is almost always a bus stop near your accommodation.

Eric’s Tip: “If you need to take the bus from Port Authority Bus Terminal, don’t hesitate to ask people around you if this is the correct bus. Finding the right one can be very confusing, even for a New Yorker.”

NJ Transit bys tickets

You can buy a ticket at Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan (PABT) or through the NJ Transit App. At PABT you can use the ticket machines, which are always available or go to one of the counters. These are open from 6 AM to 0:30 AM and accept cash, debit and credit cards. When travelling from PABT, it is not possible to buy your ticket on the bus. At the other bus stops, you can buy your ticket on the bus itself. You can tell the bus driver where you want to go, after which you pay in cash. Keep in mind that not all drivers have change, so make sure you have enough change with you. The price of the ticket depends on your destination.

Bus from Manhattan to North Bergen

New Jersey Transit buses can take you to North Bergen. Buses 154 and 320, among others, can take you to this part of New Jersey.

Bus from Manhattan to Hoboken

With New Jersey Transit you can be in Hoboken within half an hour. Line 126 takes you from Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York to the centre of Hoboken.

Bus from Manhattan to Hasbrouck Heights

During your trip, you can choose a hotel in New Jersey, such as Holiday Inn Hasbrouck Heights-Meadowlands. If you choose this option, you can use the bus connections 163 and 164, which will take you from Manhattan to your hotel.

Eric’s Tip: “You can choose a hotel in New Jersey when you go to New York. I don’t recommend this, but I often see and hear that people do this because of the low prices of the hotels. However, you will spend a lot of time and money travelling to and from your hotel in New Jersey. If you would like help finding a hotel in New York within your budget, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.”

Bus from Manhattan to The Mills at Jersey Gardens

If you’re planning to go shopping, The Mills at Jersey Gardens indoor shopping centre is a nice option. You can take bus 111 or 115 to get to the Jersey Gardens Mall.

How much does a New Jersey Transit ticket cost?

The price of a New Jersey Transit ticket depends on the destination you need to travel to. Read more here.

Where can I buy a New Jersey Transit ticket?

You can buy a ticket for New Jersey Transit at a ticket office, a ticket machine, via the NJ Transit App or on the bus you are travelling on. Read more information here.

Where can I get on the New Jersey Transit buses or trains?

From New York, get on at Penn Station to catch the New Jersey Transit train. For the bus you can go to Port Authority Bus Terminal.