This week, we're launching Gothamist's travel content, Gothamist Getaways. Four times a year, we'll have a week of posts featuring looks at travel, food, products and tips, near and far, for making your trips more pleasurable. So enjoy and let us know if you have any hints for us—email [email protected].

It’s the Thursday before Christmas, and I’m in the Midtown tunnel, somewhere between Manhattan and Queens, in the back of a comfortable Uber SUV giving my complimentary bottle of Poland Spring the death grip. My driver speaks English like a native, and my phone is charging by my feet. This would be an extremely pleasant ride to the airport, if not for the fact that we’ve been in traffic for an hour and are still miles from JFK. As I watch each minute tick away, I silently curse myself for believing that a car was going to be quicker than mass transit.

As with culture, restaurants, entertainment, and shopping, New York is blessed with an unusual amount of diversity in transportation to our airports. But with choice comes direction, and just as you don’t show up to Roberta’s on a Friday night and expect to be seated right away, the best choice depends on timing, budget, convenience, and personal taste. Here are four scenarios, and the best ways to travel to the city’s three major airports for each.

FOR THE TYPE-A TRAVELER EN ROUTE TO NEWARK OR JFK: Splurging on a cab or a car service can be faster than mass transit at certain times of day, but it does not guarantee that you’ll get to the airport in a specified amount of time. If you are someone who breaks out in hives if you don’t arrive exactly two hours before your flight, AirTrain is for you. AirTrains run to both Newark and JFK, and make stops at each terminal. To get to the AirTrain, take NJ Transit or LIRR.

NJ Transit has six trains an hour to the Newark Liberty Airport Station, and the trip takes 25 minutes from Penn Station. To get to the JFK AirTain, take any LIRR train that stops at Jamaica Station, a reliable 20-minute trip from Manhattan or Brooklyn (Atlantic Ave). AirTrains run frequently, and add 10-20 minutes to the journey, depending on which terminal you are flying out of.

Cost: To Newark, $18 ($12.50 for NJ Transit and $5.50 for AirTrain). To JFK, $12- $14.50, depending on what time of day you are leaving. ($7-$9.50 for LIRR and $5 for AirTrain.)

Pro Tip: Don’t forget to factor in your travel time to Penn Station (or Atlantic Avenue) when you are making your schedule calculations, and to avoid traffic, consider taking the subway if you’re traveling during the day.

IF YOU'VE BLOWN YOUR SAVINGS ON YOUR TRIP: The cheapest airport journey in the city is the M60 bus to LaGuardia, which you can catch in Manhattan by the 116th Street 1 station, along 125th Street, and by the Astoria Boulevard N/Q station. This year, the city will be improving Select Bus service on this line; nevertheless, leave plenty of time (at least an hour from Manhattan) for this journey.

If you’re flying out of JFK, you can also take the A train to Howard Beach, and hop on the A train. As with the bus, it’s at least an hour from Manhattan.

Cost: $2.50 (or one Metrocard swipe), plus $5 for the AirTrain if you’re flying out of JFK.

Pro Tip: If you have an unlimited MetroCard, the bus and subway are covered, but not the AirTrain.

IF YOU REALLY HAVE THINGS DOWN TO THE WIRE BUT ARE ALGORITHM-AVERSE: On-demand car service has been a revelation for those needing last-minute airport transit. Uber https://www.uber.com backlash may be coming down from its December surge-debacle heights, but they still adhere strictly to the murky “surge pricing” algorithm.

A better option? Gett, an on-demand car service with plenty of rides and fixed pricing. Like Uber, you can request a car through the app and track it to your door, but Gett will give you the fare before you order, so you know exactly what your ride will cost before you confirm. It’s a bit pricier than a regular taxi, but less expensive than what the airline will charge if you miss your flight. (For those with more forethought, Gett also allows you to pre-book airport rides.)

Cost: From Manhattan, $48 to LaGuardia, $70 to JFK, $67 to Newark, plus tolls and gratuity. (There can be a $15-$20 surcharge on holidays or during bad weather.)

Pro tip: Once you’re in the car, find a smarter route with Waze. Acquired by Google in 2013, this navigation app improves on basic GPS services by incorporating real-time updates from users on traffic jams and accidents.

FOR THE LOCAL WITH WHEELS: If you have your own car, the cost-benefit calculation shifts, since you have to factor in what you’ll pay to park your car in the city during the trip. Long-term parking at the airports is no bargain, and between finding a space and getting yourself to the terminal, the minutes add up. Enter airportparkingreservations.com, an Airbnb-like booking site for parking. Fill in your dates and airport, and it will show daily parking rates at nearby garages with shuttle service. From there, you can filter by price, garage type (indoor or outdoor; valet or self-park), and customer reviews. Garage profiles give distance to the airport and frequency of shuttle service, and many offer free cancellation if your travel plans change.

Cost: Varies by garage type and trip details, but about $7 per day at Newark; $15 per days at JFK; $20 at LaGuardia.

Pro Tip: Make sure you print out your confirmation receipt. This is stated on the website, and individual garages can refuse to honor the quoted rate if they do not receive it on paper.

Caitlin Leffel is a writer, editor, and author of two books about New York. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @CLO_NYC.