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Renting a car at JFK

The one thing to know before you land: rental cars are not at the terminals. Every company collects and returns at Federal Circle, one AirTrain stop away, and people who do not know that lose twenty minutes standing at the wrong kerb with their bags.

Where do you pick up a rental car at JFK?

You pick up a rental car at Federal Circle Station, not at your terminal. The car rental centre sits at Federal Circle, which the AirTrain reaches from every terminal and from both the Jamaica and Howard Beach lines. Companies based off-airport also collect their customers from Federal Circle by shuttle, so it is the single destination whichever brand you booked with.

Practically: clear your terminal, follow AirTrain signage, ride to Federal Circle, and find your company's desk or shuttle stand there. Getting back out works the same way in reverse, and that is where more time gets lost.

How do you return a rental car at JFK?

You return the car to Federal Circle Station, then take the AirTrain to your departure terminal. Put "Federal Circle Station" into the satnav rather than your airline's terminal, because routing to the terminal will take you to a kerb with nowhere to leave a car.

Build the AirTrain leg into your departure timing. The return is not a kerbside drop at the terminal: it is a drop at Federal Circle plus a train ride plus the walk into the terminal, before you have even joined the check-in queue. If you are cutting it fine, check whether your flight is running to schedule first on JFK departures board.

Is renting a car at JFK actually a good idea?

Renting a car at JFK is a good idea only if you are leaving New York City, and we would rather say so than sell you a booking. If you are staying in Manhattan, the car is a liability: parking is expensive, a congestion charge applies in the zone below 60th Street, and the subway is faster than driving for most journeys. The city is one of the few places in America where not having a car is the easier option.

Where a rental earns its cost is the trip that continues past the city: Long Island, the Hudson Valley, upstate, New England. If your plan is JFK to Manhattan and back, the honest answer is getting from JFK to Manhattan by train or cab instead, which costs a fraction of a day's rental plus parking.

What to sort before you get to the desk

• Your licence, and an international permit if your licence is not in English. Requirements vary by company, so confirm with yours rather than assuming.
• Insurance you may already hold. Many credit cards and travel policies cover rental damage. Checking before the desk offers you cover is where the money is saved.
• Tolls. New York's crossings are largely cashless. Ask how the company bills tolls, because their admin fee per toll is often the real cost.
• Fuel policy and the return time, which is when the AirTrain leg above starts to matter.

Driving in rather than renting? JFK parking options and honest prices covers the lots, the real cost with taxes, and the free cell phone lot for collecting an arriving passenger.

Comparing this against every other way in and out of JFK: JFK airport transportation.