Atlantic City Airport Transfer Options
Atlantic City airport transfer options, compared honestly. Real distances, drive times, and prices from Newark Liberty (EWR), Philadelphia International (PHL), and Atlantic City International (ACY), plus when a private car beats the bus, the train, and rideshare for the trip into AC.
Newark to AC is the long one · PHL is closer at ~55 miles · ACY is closest but has fewer flights
Newark Airport (EWR) to Atlantic City
The longest drive, the most flights, the widest set of transfer options
Distance, drive time, and what to expect on the road
Newark Liberty is the busiest airport for an Atlantic City trip because it has the most flights and the deepest international network. The drive is 125 miles south on the New Jersey Turnpike to Exit 7A, then onto the Atlantic City Expressway from Exit 38B, all the way to Exit 2 for the casinos. By private car the trip takes 90 minutes in light traffic and 120 minutes on a typical weekday afternoon. Sunday evenings in summer, when day-trippers head home from the shore, add 25 to 40 minutes on the Turnpike.
The return trip from Atlantic City to Newark Airport is the same distance and the same drive time math, just in reverse, and our fixed rates apply in either direction. If a Turnpike accident closes lanes near Cranbury, our chauffeurs detour onto the Garden State Parkway and pick the Expressway back up at Exit 36, which usually adds 15 minutes rather than the hour a stopped Turnpike costs.
Transfer choices from EWR
Four practical options leave from Newark Liberty for AC. A private car service is the only single-vehicle, door-to-casino option, and the one we operate. Rideshare from EWR to Borgata exists but pricing surges hard on a Friday evening and most drivers will not accept the trip because they do not want the deadhead back. The casino bus departs from Port Authority in Manhattan, not from the airport, so you would first need to get from Newark to Midtown before catching it. NJ Transit has no direct service to AC; the train trip requires a transfer through Philadelphia 30th Street and ends up taking three hours or more.
Cost comparison from Newark to AC
Our fixed-rate car service from EWR to AC starts from $499.82 for a business class sedan, from $650.74 for an SUV, and from $1098.93 for a Sprinter van. Every quote includes the Turnpike and Expressway tolls (about $11 each way for a sedan and $18 for a Sprinter under the axle classification), gratuity, and 60-minute complimentary wait time from your actual landing.
By comparison, an Uber from EWR to Borgata typically prices in the $200 to $300 range on a calm weekday afternoon, but the upcharge for a Friday evening or a Saturday morning can push it past $400 once surge kicks in, with no flight tracking and no guarantee the driver will accept the long trip. Casino buses from Port Authority list one-way fares in the $30 to $50 range with comp credit at the casino, but you still need to get from Newark to Midtown first. NJ Transit’s all-train option, transferring at Philadelphia, lists fares around $30 each way but a three-hour itinerary.
For the full breakdown and to book directly, see our Newark to Atlantic City car service page, which is the dedicated money page for this trip. For our full pricing across all destinations, the complete EWR rate sheet covers every vehicle and every pickup zone.
Philadelphia Airport (PHL) to Atlantic City
The shortest mainland trip, with NJ Transit as a real second option
Distance and drive time from PHL
Philadelphia International sits roughly 55 miles west of Atlantic City and is the closest major airport to AC. The drive uses I-76 East to the Walt Whitman Bridge, then the Atlantic City Expressway all the way to Exit 2 for the boardwalk hotels or Exit 7 for Borgata at the marina district. Private car covers it in 60 to 75 minutes on a normal weekday, 75 to 90 minutes during Friday evening Bridge backups or summer Saturday morning beach traffic. Shoulder-season weekday afternoons land closer to the 60-minute mark.
PHL has a wider domestic network than ACY and broader international service than ACY but fewer total flights than EWR. For travelers flying American Airlines, which uses PHL as a hub, this can be the most direct way to reach AC. Spirit Airlines and Frontier also operate from Philadelphia, so budget itineraries often land here.
Transfer choices from Philadelphia
From PHL the practical options narrow to three. A private car service is the single-vehicle, door-to-casino option. NJ Transit’s Atlantic City Line operates from Philadelphia 30th Street to the Atlantic City Rail Terminal, which sits a short walk from the boardwalk and a free jitney ride from Borgata; a SEPTA Airport Line ride from PHL to 30th Street adds about 25 minutes and a transfer. Rideshare from PHL to AC is available but the same long-trip economics apply, and many drivers decline the fare.
Cost notes for PHL transfers
NJ Transit’s Atlantic City Line lists one-way fares around $11 plus the SEPTA segment from PHL to 30th Street at about $7, so a transit itinerary from Philadelphia Airport to Atlantic City lands near $18 to $20 one way. Travel time is 90 to 120 minutes door to terminal once you add the SEPTA transfer and the jitney to your final hotel. A private car keeps the time at 60 to 90 minutes door to porte cochere with bags handled, a meaningful difference for a family with luggage or a couple arriving late at night when transit frequency drops.
Because EWR Car Service operates from Newark Liberty as our home airport, our pricing for PHL pickups is quoted on request rather than listed as a fixed rate on this page. Call dispatch for a PHL-to-AC quote; the drive is closer than EWR to AC, so the rate is lower than the listed Newark numbers.
Atlantic City Airport (ACY) direct options
The closest airport, the smallest flight schedule, the simplest ground trip
ACY at a glance
Atlantic City International Airport (ACY) sits in Pomona, New Jersey, about 13 miles northwest of the boardwalk. The trip from ACY to a Boardwalk hotel or Borgata is 20 to 30 minutes by car, the shortest ground transfer of any AC option. The airport is small, fewer than 10 commercial gates, and the schedule is limited. Spirit Airlines is the dominant carrier; service from a handful of cities including Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa, and a small set of seasonal destinations. Frontier and other carriers add limited service depending on the season.
Ground transfer choices from ACY
ACY has a small ground transportation island outside the terminal. Taxis and rideshare are both available. Local taxi fares to Boardwalk casinos generally land in the $30 to $45 range. Rideshare pricing varies but typically sits in that same band on a non-surge day. There is no direct rail service from ACY; NJ Transit’s Atlantic City Line stops at Absecon, the next town over, which is a short rideshare hop from the airport.
For groups or VIP arrivals at ACY, a pre-arranged private car keeps the porte-cochere greeting consistent with what an EWR or PHL arrival would expect. Borgata’s hotel does not operate a free shuttle from ACY; the hotel directs ACY arrivals to taxis or rideshare. If you fly into ACY and want pre-booked ground for groups of four or more, call dispatch for a quote on an ACY-to-casino sedan or SUV.
When ACY actually wins
ACY wins on time and simplicity when the flight schedule fits your itinerary. If you can find a Spirit nonstop from your home city to ACY at a price that beats the EWR or PHL alternative once you factor in the longer ground transfer, ACY is the cleanest play. The trade-off is flexibility: limited daily flight counts mean a cancellation or a weather event leaves you with fewer rebooking options than Newark or Philadelphia would offer. Business travelers who depend on schedule density usually still pick EWR for that reason, even with the longer drive into AC.
Comparison table: which airport is best for Atlantic City
Distance, drive time, ground cost, and flight schedule strength side by side
| Airport | Distance to AC | Drive time | Private car service | Transit option | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EWR (Newark Liberty) | ~125 mi | 90 to 120 min | from $499.82 sedan | No direct; casino bus from Port Authority Manhattan only | Most flights, most flexibility |
| PHL (Philadelphia) | ~55 mi | 60 to 90 min | Quote on request | NJ Transit AC Line via 30th Street, ~$18 to $20, 90 to 120 min | American Airlines flyers, budget itineraries |
| ACY (Atlantic City) | ~13 mi | 20 to 30 min | Quote on request | Taxi or rideshare from terminal, ~$30 to $45 | Spirit flyers, shortest ground hop |
Effective May 2026. Drive times reflect typical weekday traffic; Friday evening and summer weekend traffic adds 20 to 40 minutes on EWR and PHL trips. Private car pricing for EWR pickups is fixed; PHL and ACY rates are quoted on request. Transit fares change periodically; verify on njtransit.com and septa.org before relying on the listed estimate.
So which airport should you actually pick?
Fly into EWR if schedule flexibility matters more than ground time. Newark’s flight network is the deepest, the United Airlines hub gives you global options, and our fixed-rate car service handles the 125-mile drive starting from $499.82 for a sedan with no surge surprises. Most of our AC traffic books a Newark to Atlantic City car service for exactly this reason.
Fly into PHL if you have an American Airlines award, a Spirit budget fare into Philadelphia, or you simply want the shorter drive. The transit option from PHL is also more realistic than from EWR because NJ Transit operates a direct AC Line from 30th Street.
Fly into ACY only if you can find a Spirit nonstop that beats the alternatives and you have backup flexibility for a cancellation. ACY is the simplest ground trip but the thinnest flight schedule, and a missed connection there is harder to rebook than at EWR or PHL.
For a group of four or more flying into Newark together, a Sprinter van keeps the trip in one vehicle and one bill starting from $1098.93, which usually beats two SUVs once you account for separate gratuities and tolls. For a couple landing late on a Friday and not wanting rideshare surge math, the EWR sedan from $499.82 is the simplest call. For early-morning casino arrivals where the bag handling and the porte-cochere drop matter, a pre-booked car beats every other option. Our Sprinter van service page covers group capacity for AC trips, and the Newark Airport limo service page covers premium options for special occasions.
EWR to Atlantic City fixed rates by vehicle
Pricing for our most-booked atlantic city airport transfer pairing, Newark to AC
Business Class Sedan
From $499.82
Up to 3 passengers, 2 bags. The standard pick for a couple landing at EWR and heading down to Borgata or a Boardwalk hotel.
Business Class SUV
From $650.74
Up to 5 passengers, 5 bags. Most popular for AC. Families and small groups with checked luggage from an inbound flight.
Sprinter Van
From $1098.93
Up to 12 passengers, 12 bags. The one-vehicle answer for bachelor parties, golf trips, corporate offsites, and casino host groups.
Rates above apply in either direction, EWR to AC or AC back to Newark Airport. Every starting from price includes tolls (the New Jersey Turnpike and the Atlantic City Expressway combined), gratuity, flight tracking, and 60-minute complimentary wait time from your actual landing. For the full transactional page on this trip, see our Newark to Atlantic City car service page.
More on the EWR to AC trip
For a deeper look at the drive itself, including the exit-by-exit detail on the New Jersey Turnpike and Atlantic City Expressway, our Boardwalk drive time from EWR blog walks through the full timing math. For everything on casino-specific transportation arrangements, the casino transportation from Newark Airport guide covers porte-cochere greetings, valet protocols, and group arrivals at every major AC property. If your trip is for an early morning departure, the same Turnpike timing applies in reverse from AC back to EWR.
If you are weighing whether to fly into Newark at all or to look at alternatives, the comparison sections above and the FAQ below cover the practical differences. Once you have decided EWR is the right call, the booking widget at the top of this page handles direct reservations, and our homepage covers the rest of our New Jersey and New York service area.
Atlantic city airport transfer: frequently asked questions
The cheapest way to get from Newark Airport to Borgata is a transit chain via Manhattan, taking NJ Transit or the AirTrain plus PATH to Port Authority, then a casino bus from Midtown to Borgata, typically priced in the $30 to $50 range one way with comp credit at the casino. It is also the longest option at four to five hours door to porte cochere. The fastest budget option from EWR is rideshare, which lands in the $200 to $300 range on a calm day but can surge much higher and many drivers decline the trip. Our fixed-rate sedan from EWR to Borgata starts from $499.82 and is the only single-vehicle, door-to-casino choice with flight tracking and tolls included.
No, Borgata does not operate a free hotel shuttle from any airport. Borgata’s published guest transportation directs ACY arrivals to taxis or rideshare from the terminal, EWR and PHL arrivals to private car or rideshare, and Manhattan-based travelers to the casino bus from Port Authority. The casino does operate a free jitney service between Borgata and other AC properties for casino guests, but that works locally within Atlantic City, not as an airport pickup. For a door-to-porte-cochere arrival at Borgata from EWR, a pre-booked car service starts from $499.82 and is the most reliable option.
Atlantic City International Airport (ACY) in Pomona, New Jersey is the closest commercial airport to the Atlantic City casinos, sitting about 13 miles northwest of the boardwalk. The ground transfer takes 20 to 30 minutes by car. ACY is a small airport with a limited commercial schedule dominated by Spirit Airlines. Philadelphia International (PHL) is the next closest at about 55 miles and 60 to 90 minutes by car. Newark Liberty (EWR) is the farthest of the three at about 125 miles and 90 to 120 minutes by private car, but it has the deepest flight schedule and the most international service.
An Uber from EWR to Borgata typically lands in the $200 to $300 range on a calm weekday afternoon when surge is not active. Friday evening, Saturday morning, and any holiday weekend can push the fare past $400, sometimes higher, because rideshare drivers are reluctant to take a 125-mile trip with a long unpaid deadhead back to Newark. Many drivers will decline the request, leaving travelers re-requesting at the curb. By contrast, our fixed-rate sedan from EWR to Borgata starts from $499.82 with no surge, flight tracking included, and a chauffeur dispatched specifically for the trip.
For most Atlantic City travelers, Newark is the better pick when flight schedule and flexibility matter, and Philadelphia is the better pick when ground time matters more than airline choice. EWR is 125 miles from AC with a 90 to 120 minute private car drive, and it has the deepest domestic and international flight network with United Airlines as the hub carrier. PHL is 55 miles from AC with a 60 to 90 minute drive, and it has American Airlines as the hub plus a usable NJ Transit AC Line for budget travelers. Most of our AC traffic flies into EWR for the schedule density, then takes a fixed-rate car service from $499.82 to absorb the longer drive.
Atlantic city airport transfer: ready to book the right option
Once you have decided how you are getting into Atlantic City, the booking widget at the top of this page handles direct reservations from Newark Liberty. Our fixed-rate Newark to Atlantic City car service is the most-booked pairing on this site and the only single-vehicle, door-to-porte-cochere option from EWR. Dispatch is open 24/7 for quotes on any AC trip, including PHL pickups, ACY pickups, and group transfers.
Same-day booking available.
See our complete EWR rate sheet for all destinations and vehicle options.
Service availability depends on date, time, and vehicle selection. This atlantic city airport transfer comparison covers the three major airports serving the AC market: Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), and Atlantic City International Airport (ACY). EWR-to-AC transfers are part of our broader Newark Airport car service, which covers transfers across New Jersey and New York City. For more information about Newark Liberty, visit Newark Liberty International Airport. For Atlantic City visitor information, see Visit Atlantic City. For airport-specific guidance on EWR and the regional Port Authority airports, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey publishes current ground transportation information.