Getting around New York with kids
The subway is fast and runs all night, but many stations are stairs only, so check for lifts before you set off with a stroller. Buses are slower and easier with small children. Everything is paid by tapping a contactless card or phone.
- Subway and bus fare
- $3 a ride, tap a card or phone
- Weekly fare cap
- $35 in 7 days on the same card or device
- Children on transit
- Under 44 in ride free, up to 3 per paying adult
- Strollers on buses
- Open in the marked area, otherwise folded
- AirTrain JFK
- $8.75, free for children under 5
- JFK by subway
- $11.75 per adult with AirTrain
- Car seats in taxis
- You may bring and use your own
- Staten Island Ferry
- Free, about 25 minutes each way
Fares and how to pay
A subway or local bus ride costs $3. Tap a contactless card, phone or OMNY Card at the turnstile or on the bus reader. If you use the same card or device, you never pay more than $35 in a 7-day period. MetroCards can no longer be bought or refilled.
Children ride free by height
Up to three children under 44 inches (112 cm) tall ride free with a fare-paying adult on the subway and on local and Select Bus Service buses. The rule goes by height, not age. Taller children pay the full $3.
Strollers on buses
Buses with a stroller symbol near the front door have one marked area by the rear door for a single open stroller. If that space is taken, or your stroller does not fit, you have to fold it. Apply the brakes and keep hold of the stroller while the bus moves.
Subway lifts
Only some stations are accessible, and the MTA publishes the list along with a live elevator status page. A typical example: 81 St-Museum of Natural History is stairs only, and the museum sends stroller and wheelchair users to 72 St on the 1, 2 and 3. Check before every trip.
From JFK airport
AirTrain JFK links the terminals to the subway at Jamaica and Howard Beach for $8.75, paid by contactless tap, and children under 5 ride free. With the subway the total is $11.75 per adult. A group of up to five tapping one card pays $8.75 for the first rider and $4.50 for each extra one.
Taxis and car seats
The city's taxi regulator (TLC) says passengers may bring and use their own car seats in any licensed taxi or for-hire vehicle. Do not expect a cab to have one, so carry a travel seat if you plan to use taxis with a small child.
Checked against the operators' official pages: Oct 5, 2026