Getting to New York State
Most visitors arrive through the three big downstate airports or by train into the city, but upstate has its own regional airports and the Thruway ties the state together. How you arrive depends on whether you are headed for the city, the Hudson Valley, the Adirondacks, the Finger Lakes, or Niagara.
Airports
The three major downstate gateways are run by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey: John F. Kennedy (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA), and Newark Liberty (EWR) in neighboring New Jersey. Compare flights together with the onward journey to your first overnight base, especially when your destination is outside New York City.
Upstate has its own regional airports that are far closer to inland destinations: Albany (ALB) for the Capital Region, Buffalo Niagara (BUF) for Niagara and the west, Syracuse (SYR) for central New York and the Finger Lakes, and Rochester (ROC). Flying into the nearest regional airport often beats landing in the city and driving for hours.
Arriving by train
Amtrak's Empire Service runs up the Hudson from New York City's Penn Station to Albany, then west toward Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, and Niagara Falls; the Adirondack and Ethan Allen routes branch north toward the mountains and Vermont. It is a scenic, car-free way to reach the Hudson Valley and the upstate cities.
Metro-North serves the lower Hudson Valley and Connecticut from Grand Central Terminal. The Long Island Rail Road serves Long Island, with many trains using Penn Station or Grand Central Madison and others using Brooklyn or Queens terminals. These are distinct rail networks: check the terminal, line, current schedule and fare for your particular journey on the official MTA site.
Driving in
The New York State Thruway mainline follows I-87 between New York City and Albany, then I-90 west toward Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo. I-87 also provides the route north from Albany toward the Adirondacks, but that northern stretch should not be confused with the Thruway mainline. The Thruway uses cashless tolls, so check your transponder or rental-car toll arrangements before a long drive.
A car is the most flexible way to reach the Adirondacks, the Catskills, the Finger Lakes, and small towns that rail does not serve. In and immediately around New York City, though, a car is usually a liability rather than a help. Check current road conditions on the state's 511NY service when timing a drive.
Reviewed source trail
- Port Authority of NY & NJ — JFK, LaGuardia, Newark airports — checked 2026-09-12
- Amtrak — Empire Service and New York routes — checked 2026-09-12
- MTA — Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road — checked 2026-09-12
- New York State Thruway Authority — checked 2026-09-12
- 511NY — New York State travel information — checked 2026-09-12
- MTA — Metro-North Railroad lines and service — checked 2026-09-12
- MTA — Long Island Rail Road terminals and service — checked 2026-09-12
- Grand Central — Metro-North and Grand Central Madison — checked 2026-09-12
- New York State Thruway Authority — system overview — checked 2026-09-12