Taking Metro-North to Westchester airport
Maybe you’re looking to get away from the city a bit… so you look for some cheap flights online. And surprise! You see something at Westchester airport (HPN). Last year I noticed just that. I would have assumed a flight from a bigger airport would be cheaper, but heading to Florida from Westchester airport was actually about $30 cheaper. The problem was then, how do I get to the airport? Is taking public transportation difficult?
The answer is no, it is not difficult to get to the airport. Unfortunately it is a little harder than it once was. There used to be a bus that went directly from White Plains train station to the airport, but in February 2010 this bus was cancelled. You may still see information about this bus, it was called Airlink. The train station still stocked Airlink brochures, and nobody has updated the airport’s website. This bus does not run any more! But that doesn’t mean you can’t get to the airport from the train station!
What it does mean is you will have to walk across the street to get an alternate bus. Right across from the train station is the White Plains bus center, and from there you can board a bus which will take you right to the airport. You will need to have exact change in quarters ($2.25), or a MetroCard. If you’d prefer the MetroCard route you can purchase them from Waxman’s News in the lower level of the train station.
Sometimes there are express buses, and other times you may need to make a transfer. You can use the online trip planner to see what bus you need to take for your date and time. For the origin put Railroad Station: White Plains Railroad Station and for the destination Airport: Westchester County Airport.
Entering your date and time should be self explanatory. Once you’ve done that, click Get Trip Plan, and it will list the bus or buses you will need to take, how long it will take, and what the fare will be.
Thank you for your posting. It is very helpful to know ahead of time that the Airlink bus is cancelled instead of finding out when I am there. Save a lot of time and anxiety. Thank you so much.
Is it easy to catch a cab from the train station to the airport?
Yes, very. There is a taxi stand right outside White Plains station, and it is always full with many taxis.
What is the price range on a cab from the White Plains MetroNorth station to the Westchester County Airport? And how long is the trip?
When I took the Airlink bus, back when it existed, it was direct and took about fifteen minutes. So I figure that is how long it would still take today. Unfortunately, I do not know how much a taxi would charge you for the trip. White Plains station always has many taxis waiting for passengers, so I guess you could probably ask one before committing to anything.
The Taxi ride cost $20 – $22.00 about 15 min
Thank you so much for this information–this will make vacation planning that much easier for me!
The link for the travel planner didn’t work for me but this one did (sort of):
http://www.511ny.org/tripplanner/default.aspx?area=1
Fifteen minutes from White Plains to HPN? You’d need a Pakistani driver to make that time! Rush hour? Fuggedaboudit!
I used the planner on the MTA website and it gave me all the corrtect times fom my line, but next to travel time it is saying transfer at White Plains. Does that mean i have to get off and find another train leaving around the same time to the same place? Im traveling on a sunday, do any MTA rules change?
From where to where are you trying to travel from? To the airport? Somewhere else from the airport?
Im trying to get from bronxville to goldensbridge.
Not sure why you would be posting on the Westchester airport page, but yes, you would have to transfer to another train at White Plains. Except for the final train leaving Grand Central at like 2AM, there aren’t any trains that stop at both Bronxville and Goldens Bridge.