You’ve got tickets to see the Mets. Your group is ready. Now comes the question: what’s the best way to get to Citi Field from Manhattan?

The answer depends on your group size, budget, and what kind of experience you want. The 7 train, LIRR, driving, and group transportation each have real trade-offs worth knowing before game day.

Riding the 7 Train to Mets-Willets Point

The 7 train runs from Times Square straight to Mets-Willets Point station. Walk off the platform and you’re at the stadium. It costs $2.90 per person (going up to $3 in January 2026) and takes about 45 minutes from Midtown.

Trains run every 5-10 minutes, so you won’t wait long. On game days, the subway becomes part of the experience. Fans fill the cars, everyone in orange and blue, talking about the lineup and debating the bullpen. You’ll roll through Jackson Heights, Woodside, and Flushing, picking up more passengers at each stop.

After the game, things get packed. Lines form quickly, and you’re standing shoulder-to-shoulder with thousands of other fans. If you have young kids or anyone who doesn’t do well in crowds, that postgame ride can be rough. Plan on standing the whole way back.

Is the LIRR to Citi Field Worth the Extra Cost?

The Long Island Rail Road gets you to Citi Field in 19 minutes from either Penn Station or Grand Central Madison. That’s less than half the subway time, and you get a seat with air conditioning.

Tickets run $4-8 depending on when you travel and if CityTicket is available (weekends only). Trains don’t run as often as the subway, so check the schedule before you leave. After games, the LIRR will hold trains at the platform to let more passengers board.

Here’s how the two compare:

Transit Option	Travel Time	Cost	Comfort	Frequency
7 Train	~45 min	$2.90	Crowded	Every 5-10 min
LIRR	~19 min	$4-8	Seats	Hourly

For two or three people who don’t mind spending extra, the LIRR is a good call. For bigger groups, those fares add up fast.

The Reality of Game Day Traffic and Parking Fees

The Grand Central Parkway on game day turns a 30-minute drive from Midtown into an hour or more. Parking at Citi Field costs $40 per car for regular season games, $60 for postseason.

Stadium lots open three hours before first pitch if you want to tailgate. But when the game ends, you’ll spend 20-30 minutes just getting out of the parking lot as thousands of cars leave at once. And your designated driver can’t drink during the game.

If someone’s flying into JFK and meeting you at the stadium, coordinating airport pickups with stadium traffic gets messy.

What’s the Move When 20 People Need to Get to Citi Field?

Nobody thinks about ground transportation until they’re standing on a subway platform with ten people trying to figure out if everyone made it. Then someone mentions their coworker rented a sprinter van for a Citi Field game, and suddenly it doesn’t sound ridiculous.

The whole group leaves from the same place. If someone’s flying in, the driver can time the pickup. And tailgating actually becomes possible and you’re not hauling coolers and a folding table through turnstiles.

You just claim your spot in the lot and set up. The same deal works for concerts, just swap baseball fans for whoever’s performing that night.

Choosing Your Best Route to Citi Field

Method	Best For	Skip If
7 Train	Solo fans, tight budgets, want the full game day atmosphere	Big groups, don’t like crowds, have mobility concerns
LIRR	Smaller groups, value speed, can spend more	Tight budget, traveling on weekends
Driving	Need to tailgate, coming from outside NYC	Starting in Manhattan, want to drink at the game
Group Transport	6+ people, tailgating, want convenience	Cost matters more than comfort

Going solo or with one friend? The 7 train gives you that authentic fan experience for cheap. Three or four people with some flexibility in your budget? The LIRR cuts your travel time in half. Six or more planning to make a full day of it? Group transportation makes everything easier.

The Mets, the energy in the stadium, that first view of the field through the Rotunda, that’s what you came for. Pick the option that gets you there ready to enjoy it.