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The Window Seat

How to Get to MetLife Stadium: Train, Bus, Parking and the Trip Home

by Wanderu

A capacity crowd in yellow fills the stands at MetLife Stadium during a soccer match

If you’re picturing a train straight from Penn Station to the stadium, that isn’t how it works. The line to MetLife only runs on event days, and it starts at Secaucus Junction, twelve minutes out of Penn. You change there, ride about ten more minutes, and come out on a platform right by the gates. That’s the route whether you start in Brooklyn or Boston.

Heading to MetLife Stadium from out of town?

My event starts
Getting thereBe at Penn Station or Port Authority two hours before the startAbout 4h 45m by bus to Midtown. For a 7pm show, leave Boston by about 12:15pm.from $13
Getting homeOvernight bus or train homeAmtrak’s last evening train leaves around 8pm (7pm Saturdays, 9pm Sundays). After the event it’s a bus around 1am or Amtrak’s overnight train (3:41am Friday and Saturday nights, 5:44am otherwise).Buses home

Off a train at Penn Station: Any NJ Transit train to Secaucus Junction, then the stadium train, about 30 minutes in all.Off a bus at Port Authority: The 351 Meadowlands Express, about 20 minutes.Off a bus at the Hudson Yards or 34th St curbside: Walk to Penn Station, about 10 minutes, for the train.Off a bus in Chinatown: Subway B or D to 34th St-Herald Sq, two blocks from Penn Station, then the train.

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How do you get to MetLife Stadium?

The train is the best way to MetLife Stadium: Penn Station to your seat is about 30 minutes with one change, $13.20 round trip, and the 351 bus from Port Authority is direct, $18 round trip and about 20 minutes when the tunnel is clear.

  • Train via Secaucus

    Time
    About 30 min
    Round trip
    $13.20 a person
    The catch
    One change, and a line on the platform afterward.

  • 351 bus from Port Authority

    Time
    About 20 min
    Round trip
    $18 a person
    The catch
    Traffic, mainly. Also, the boarding spot moves from event to event.

  • Driving

    Time
    20 min on a good day
    Round trip
    $50 a car for concerts, $65 for the off-site football lot, plus tolls home
    The catch
    Football needs a prepaid permit for the stadium lots.

  • Rideshare

    Time
    20 min in
    Round trip
    Surge pricing both ways
    The catch
    The stadium says the wait to get out can pass two hours.

What train line goes to MetLife Stadium?

The Meadowlands Rail Line runs from Secaucus Junction to MetLife Stadium only on event days, including every Giants and Jets home game and any concert or event expected to draw more than 50,000 people.

The round trip from Penn is $13.20, and kids 5 to 11, seniors 62 and up, and travelers with disabilities pay $5.80. Buy the round trip to Meadowlands Station before you board, since on the train it costs $5 more. The easiest ticket is the event ticket in the NJ Transit app: pick the game or show and it’s good for that date only, with no activation step.

  1. Take any NJ Transit train that stops at Secaucus Junction. Look for SEC on the departure board. It’s the first stop out of Penn. The first stadium-bound train leaves Secaucus a few hours before the event (4:26pm for a 7pm concert, 9:41am for a 1pm game). Exact times are in NJ Transit’s event advisory.
  2. Show your ticket, get a wristband, go down a level. Staff at Secaucus give you a free wristband when you show a Meadowlands ticket, and you need one to board in either direction. The stadium trains leave from the lower level.
  3. Ride about 10 minutes to Meadowlands Station. The platform is right outside the stadium.

Inside Penn Station, NJ Transit is on the 7th Avenue side, one floor up from the Long Island Rail Road, with ticket machines along the concourse.

Starting somewhere other than Penn?

  • Penn Station

    First move
    Any train to Secaucus
    Change at
    Secaucus
    Time
    About 30 min
    Round trip
    $13.20

  • Times Square or Herald Square

    First move
    Subway to Penn (1, 2, 3 or A, C, E to 34th St)
    Change at
    Secaucus
    Time
    About 45 min
    Round trip
    $13.20 plus subway

  • Brooklyn or Queens

    First move
    Subway to Penn (2, 3, A, C or E to 34th St)
    Change at
    Secaucus
    Time
    About 60 to 75 min
    Round trip
    $13.20 plus subway

  • Hoboken

    First move
    Some event trains run direct from Hoboken, usually the first ones in and the last ones back. The rest change at Secaucus. The event schedule shows which.
    Change at
    Secaucus, unless direct
    Time
    About 25 min
    Round trip
    $7.30

  • Jersey City

    First move
    PATH to Hoboken, then as above. Or PATH to 33rd St and walk to Penn. PATH doesn't stop at Secaucus.
    Change at
    Secaucus
    Time
    About 45 min
    Round trip
    $7.30 plus PATH

  • Newark Penn

    First move
    Any train toward New York
    Change at
    Secaucus
    Time
    About 30 min
    Round trip
    NJ Transit's Newark-to-Secaucus fare, plus $5.30 for the stadium leg

  • Secaucus Junction

    First move
    Go down a level to the stadium train.
    Change at
    None
    Time
    About 10 min
    Round trip
    $5.30 ($2.40 reduced)

Oct 11 to Nov 14, 2026: fewer NJ Transit trains run while the Portal North Bridge opens, weekdays most of all, so add half an hour whether you start at Penn or Newark.

What bus goes to MetLife Stadium?

The Coach USA 351 Meadowlands Express runs from Port Authority Bus Terminal straight to the stadium, about 20 minutes, $18 round trip.

Buses start three hours before the event and keep going until about half an hour before it starts.

Where you board depends on the event. Some days it’s Gates 411 to 414 inside the terminal, some days it’s street level on 41st Street between 8th and 9th. Check the 351 event page that morning. Buy online, since online tickets board first. From upper Manhattan or the Bronx, there’s also a pickup at the George Washington Bridge Bus Station.

Is there a train from MetLife Stadium to NYC after the game?

Trains leave MetLife Stadium’s Meadowlands Station for Secaucus, Penn Station and Hoboken as they fill, at least every 15 minutes, for about two hours after the event.

A 1pm game usually ends a little after 4pm, so trains run until about 6pm. For a late show they run later, until at least 1:00am after a recent 7pm concert.

  • The 351 bus: runs back to Port Authority for about an hour after the event, from the bus stop by Lot K outside the stadium.
  • Rideshare: picks up at Lot E, outside the Verizon Gate, and the stadium says the wait can pass two hours.

The platform is busiest right after the final whistle or the last encore, when 82,500 people head for the same station, so sitting tight while the first wave clears gets you a shorter line. From Penn Station or Port Authority, the subway runs all night, and from Hoboken so does PATH.

How to get to MetLife Stadium from Boston, DC, Philadelphia and beyond

Every bus and train from Boston, DC, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Albany lands at Penn Station, Port Authority or a curbside stop about 10 minutes’ walk from Penn, and only the Chinatown drops need the subway.

  • Boston

    Bus or train
    Bus
    Time
    ~4h 45m
    Fares from
    Busesfrom $13Trainsfrom $22
    Lands at
    Port Authority, or curbside near Hudson Yards. Some drop in Chinatown.
    Then take
    The train or the 351

  • Washington, DC

    Bus or train
    Bus
    Time
    ~5h
    Fares from
    Busesfrom $12Trainsfrom $22
    Lands at
    Port Authority, or 34th St curbside. Some drop in Chinatown.
    Then take
    The train or the 351

  • Philadelphia

    Bus or train
    Bus
    Time
    ~2h 40m
    Fares from
    Busesfrom $8
    Lands at
    31st and 8th, across from Penn. Or Port Authority.
    Then take
    The train

  • Philadelphia

    Bus or train
    Train
    Time
    ~1h 25m
    Fares from
    Trainsfrom $11
    Lands at
    Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station
    Then take
    The train from the same building

  • Baltimore

    Bus or train
    Bus
    Time
    ~4h 15m
    Fares from
    Busesfrom $15Trainsfrom $17
    Lands at
    Port Authority, or Hudson Yards curbside
    Then take
    The train or the 351

  • Albany

    Bus or train
    Bus
    Time
    ~3h 15m
    Fares from
    Busesfrom $15Trains from Albany-Rensselaerfrom $41
    Lands at
    Port Authority, or 31st and 8th
    Then take
    The train or the 351

Bags inside the stadium have to be clear and small (12 by 6 by 12 inches), and the bag check outside the gates (free at Giants and Jets games, $5 at everything else) is meant for backpacks, so leave the suitcase at a hotel near Penn Station or Port Authority.

Which airport is closest to MetLife Stadium?

Newark (EWR) is the closest airport to MetLife Stadium, about an hour door to door, and no airport has a direct connection: Newark routes through Secaucus, and JFK and LaGuardia go through Penn Station and take about an hour and a half to an hour and three quarters.

  • Newark (EWR)

    The chain
    AirTrain to the NJ Transit station, any train toward New York as far as Secaucus, then the stadium train
    Time
    About 1h
    Cost from the terminal
    $17.25 to Penn with the AirTrain included, and Secaucus on the way costs less, plus $5.30 for the stadium leg.
    Getting back after
    For a Manhattan hotel, take the New York train. Back to Newark, ride the stadium train to Secaucus, then a train toward Trenton to Newark Airport; the last one after a night event leaves Secaucus earlier than the New York trains, and the event advisory gives the time.

  • JFK

    The chain
    AirTrain to Jamaica, Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to Penn, then the train
    Time
    About 1h 30m
    Cost from the terminal
    AirTrain $8.75, LIRR from $5.25 off-peak, plus the stadium round trip from Penn
    Getting back after
    The LIRR runs overnight from Penn on a thinner schedule.

  • LaGuardia (LGA)

    The chain
    Q70 bus from Terminals B and C to Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Ave, the E train to 34th St-Penn Station, then the train
    Time
    About 1h 45m
    Cost from the terminal
    Q70 is free. Subway $3, plus the stadium round trip from Penn
    Getting back after
    The Q70 runs all night, every 20 minutes.

Flying in the day before, Newark to Penn Station is about 30 minutes and $17.25, and flying out the next morning is the same train in reverse. Terminal A has no direct AirTrain link, so add 20 minutes there.

Landing the same day with a bag, go to the hotel first: buy the NJ Transit ticket at the airport station or in the app, and give yourself about three hours from baggage claim to your seat, hotel stop included. The one-hour version assumes no suitcase.

How much is parking at MetLife Stadium?

For 2026 football games, MetLife Stadium’s lots need a prepaid permit, and without one the off-site lot is $65 a car; concerts are $50 a car.

  • Permits: every car entering the stadium lots on a game day needs one, sold game by game on the Ticketmaster NFL Ticket Exchange (pick your game, then Show Parking Tickets). Without one, the $65 lot at 20 Murray Hill Parkway takes cash or card at the gate and runs a shuttle to the stadium.
  • Concerts: parking is prepaid online through ParkWhiz or paid at the entrance.
  • Lots open and close: five hours before and two hours after the event, and it takes most of those two hours to get out.
  • Tailgating: fine in your own space and the strip directly in front of or behind your car. Grills are allowed, but not deep fryers or saving spaces.
  • Tolls: you pay the Lincoln Tunnel toll once, on the way home into New York. E-ZPass is $14.79 off-peak and $16.79 at peak, which includes Sunday afternoons. Tolls by Mail is $23.30. Heading back below 60th Street adds the congestion toll: $6 with E-ZPass before 9pm (after the tunnel credit), $2.25 after.

What the evening costs from Manhattan

Driving from Manhattan is about $92 for one car whatever the group size: the $65 space, the peak tunnel toll home, the $6 congestion toll below 60th Street and about $4 of gas for the 18-mile round trip. For a concert, take about $20 off for the cheaper lot and night tolls. From New Jersey, skip the tunnel and congestion tolls: it’s the $65 lot and gas.

  • 2 people

    Train
    $26.40
    Bus
    $36

  • 3 people

    Train
    $39.60
    Bus
    $54

  • 4 people

    Train
    $52.80
    Bus
    $72

Each column is the whole group’s round trip. The train stays cheaper than driving for any group under seven (under six for a concert), so driving makes sense for the tailgate rather than the savings.

Driving in from Philadelphia: three people pay the $65 lot plus gas and New Jersey Turnpike tolls each way, against about $145 for three bus round trips or about $155 by Amtrak at Wanderu’s median fares (October 2026), plus $13.20 each for the stadium train. After a night show the 12:20am Amtrak and the buses around 1am and 3am get you home without a 90-mile drive after midnight.

What’s on at MetLife Stadium in 2026

MetLife Stadium hosts Giants and Jets home games most Sundays through Jan 10, 2027, plus Usher and Chris Brown on Oct 15 and the Army-Navy Game on Dec 12.

  • Sun, Oct 11Jets vs. Browns, 1:00pmFirst day of the Portal North window.
  • Thu, Oct 15Usher and Chris Brown, 7:30pmWeeknight inside the Portal North window: fewer trains from Penn, plus the evening rush.
  • Sun, Oct 18Giants vs. Saints, 1:00pmFrom Penn, close to a normal Sunday. Times may shift up to 30 min.
  • Sun, Oct 25Jets vs. Dolphins, 1:00pmFrom Penn, close to a normal Sunday. Times may shift up to 30 min.
  • Sun, Nov 1Jets vs. Raiders, 1:00pmFrom Penn, close to a normal Sunday. Times may shift up to 30 min.
  • Thu, Nov 12Giants vs. Commanders, 8:15pmWeeknight inside the Portal North window, late finish. Check the advisory.
  • Sun, Nov 15Jets vs. Bills, 1:00pmFirst game after the Portal North window closes.
  • Sun, Nov 22Giants vs. Jaguars, 1:00pm
  • Sun, Dec 6Giants vs. 49ers, 1:00pm
  • Sat, Dec 12Army-Navy Game, 3:00pmNot an NFL game: parking is sold through ParkWhiz. Buy ahead.
  • Through Jan 10More Giants and Jets home gamesWeek 18 dates may move.
Heads up for October 11 through November 14. NJ Transit is moving trains onto the new Portal North Bridge between Newark and Secaucus. For those five weeks, trains on that stretch share one track. Fewer trains run, especially on weekdays. Five home games and one concert fall inside the window. Weekday trains from Penn take the bigger cut, and Sundays run closer to normal, though times may shift up to 30 minutes. From Newark or the airport, every train crosses the single-track stretch. Check the advisory the day before and add half an hour.

Following a team across the country? Here’s how to get to the Rose Bowl, how to get to Soldier Field, how to get to Lumen Field, how to get to Levi’s Stadium, how to get to Camping World Stadium, how to get to Reliant Stadium, how to get to Lincoln Financial Field and how to get to State Farm Stadium.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the train from Secaucus to MetLife?

The train from Secaucus to MetLife is $5.30 round trip for adults and $2.40 for kids 5 to 11, seniors 62 and up, and travelers with disabilities.

Should I drive to MetLife Stadium?

Driving to MetLife Stadium for football needs a prepaid permit, and without one you can’t get into the stadium lots; the train is cheaper for any group under seven (under six for a concert).

Can I use OMNY or a MetroCard on the train to MetLife?

OMNY and MetroCard don’t work on the train to MetLife, since they cover the subway and city buses. The train to the stadium is NJ Transit, and the simplest ticket is the event ticket in its app.

What if I miss the last 351 bus back?

If you miss the last 351 bus from MetLife, the train keeps going for about two hours after the event. With no train ticket, buy a wristband at the tents next to Meadowlands Station, which covers the ride to Secaucus, then a regular NJ Transit ticket from Secaucus to Penn or Hoboken. Rideshare from Lot E is the last resort.

“From” fares refresh from Wanderu’s route data and show the cheapest fare recently available on that route. Stadium train, 351 bus, parking and toll figures are published prices checked September 2026.

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About the author

Wanderu

Wanderu

We’re the conductors of content, engineers of engagement, and the ticket to your next great read here at Wanderu. From crafting express guides to deep-dive studies, we’re all aboard the storytelling train. Fueled by coffee, memes, and a one-way ticket to inspiration, we’re here to keep your wanderlust rolling. Hop on – we’re making every stop worth your time!