Are you traveling to New York City?
And there're just so many things to organize:
How to get from the airport?
Where to stay?
When to go?
And then what to visit?
How much do you pay for your cocktail, accommodation, transportation?
How to get around the city?
Which apps to use?
Then this travel guide is perfect for you.
This video is based on our exciting trip to the Big Apple.
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Here are 15 essential tips to know before you visit New York City.
NUMBER 15: WEATHER AND CLIMATE
New York City has a humid subtropical climate.
Winters are cold and damp, with temperatures ranging between 27 and 52 °F or -3 and 11 °C.
Temperatures can even drop to 10 °F or −12 °C several times in winter.
You will most likely see snow in January and February.
Summers are usually hot and humid.
Temperatures range between 61 and 84 °F or 16 and 29 °C.
In spring and fall, the weather is unpredictable, typically mild with low humidity
but ranges between chilly and warm.
Temperatures are between 36 and 81 °F or 2 and 27 °C in spring,
and between 32 and 77 °F or 0 and 25 °C in the fall.
Rain is very common in New York City year-round, so be sure to bring an umbrella.
However, these are all just averages.
The weather and temperature can be different at the time of your visit,
so remember to check the weather forecast before you travel.
NUMBER 14: BEST TIME TO VISIT
The best time to visit NYC is in spring, from April to June, or in the fall, from September
to early November, when the weather is mild, and the tourist crowds are relatively small.
The cheapest time to visit is from mid-January to the end of February.
But don’t worry, NYC is one of the most vibrant and exciting cities in the world,
so you’ll have a great time regardless of the season.
And how can you figure out the best days and hours to see the attractions?
Just check Google to see how crowded a specific location is at a particular time of day.
Of course, we recommend going early during the week and in the morning.
NUMBER 13: LENGTH OF YOUR STAY
We recommend staying in NYC between three and five days.
This way, you’ll be able to see most of its main attractions.
Watch our video on the perfect one-day itinerary or check our travel guide for 1, 2- and 3-day
itinerary suggestions with multiple maps.
NUMBER 12: WHERE TO STAY AND COST OF ACCOMMODATIONS
Attractions in NYC are spread out, especially in Manhattan,
so basically anywhere you stay, you’ll probably be close to at least one attraction.
If this is your first time in the city and you want to do a lot of sightseeing,
you can choose accommodation somewhere in Midtown.
If you want cheaper accommodations, stay in Lower East Side.
For nightlife, stay in East Village.
For families, the best neighborhood is Upper West Side.
If you want to save money, you can stay in other boroughs such as Brooklyn or Queens.
However, be sure to check if there is a subway station nearby so you can easily reach Manhattan.
For a hip experience, stay in Williamsburg - Brooklyn.
And one thing to know: this is already the state of New Jersey
and is not served by NYC public transport.
So do have that in mind if you stay here, as you’ll have to commute to Manhattan every day.
Rates for New York City hotels range from reasonable to outrageous.
The average price of an inexpensive hotel room is 200 USD and can easily go higher.
Of course, that depends on the type of accommodations, as well as the location and season.
Of course, you can find better deals if you take the time to research multiple online
booking platforms and if you are flexible with the dates.
Check out our video on the best apps for booking your stay.
NUMBER 11: LINES AND CROWDS
With over 8 million people in a relatively small space,
NYC is obviously a very crowded place.
Even if you can't avoid all the crowds,
you can do certain things to make your trip to NYC a more pleasant experience.
You can, for example, avoid peak seasons,
avoid taking the subway during rush hours,
get up earl y in the morning to explore the city without the crowds
use Google Maps or similar apps to check
how crowded a specific location is at a particular time of day.
NUMBER 10: TRANSPORTATION
To get to and from From John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, you can use:
AirTrain | MTA Subway, and Long Island Rail Road
City bus
Shuttle buses
Taxis
Private car, limousine, and van transfers
Uber and Lyft
and car rentals.
Check out our travel guide for links and additional information on all main New York City airports.
Our mobile-friendly travel guide covers the top 20 things to do in the city, including
maps, opening hours, links to buy tickets, itinerary suggestions, and other information.
By purchasing our travel guide, you are also helping us sustain this channel,
so a big thank you for that!
Arriving by train
The two major train stations in New York City are Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station.
Grand Central is in Midtown on the East Side,
while Penn Station is just below Midtown on the West Side.
Many subway and bus lines serve both stations.
Arriving by car
You can use Google Maps to get driving directions to NYC.
You’ll also want to know where to park in advance.
An app like SpotHero will help you find and reserve parking locations in the city.
We don’t recommend this option since you have so many other choices for getting around the city.
Getting around the city
NYC is well-covered with public transportation.
However, you’ll still have to do a lot of walking, so bring comfortable shoes.
You can use MTA, New York City’s public transportation, which includes subway and buses.
It is inexpensive and a great way to see the sights throughout the five boroughs,
plus it operates 24/7.
The cost of a single ride is $3 or $2.75 if you use MetroCard.
The price of a weekly MetroCard is $33.
You can even buy a ticket with your phone.
And just a quick note: there can be two types of subway lines on the same track: local & express
The local stops at every single station, while the express train skips certain stops.
Taxi, Uber, or Lyft
There are many other means of transportation in NYC,
such as ferry, water taxi, boat rides, Hop On Hop Off buses, bike rentals, etc.
NUMBER 9: BEST APPS TO USE IN NEW YORK CITY
Your phone can be your best buddy in New York City.
Here is the list of useful apps.
NYC Transit, MyTransit NYC, New York Subway Map, etc.
Google Maps or Apple Maps for walking, public transportation, driving, etc.
Google Maps also lets you download maps, which is a great option if you don’t want to use roaming.
Uber or Lyft for getting around the city.
TodayTix for Broadway theater tickets.
OpenTable for free table reservations.
Citi Bike for bike locations, real-time availability,
and route planning if you want to explore the city by bike.
TripAdvisor and Yelp for reviews of restaurants, hotels, museums, tours, etc.
Eatwith to book an experience or dinner with locals.
Viator for booking your tours.
Check out our travel guide for links to download these apps on iOS and Android
and for more app suggestions.
NUMBER 8: GENERAL INFORMATION
Drinking Water: It is totally safe to drink tap water in NYC.
There are many free drinking water fountains throughout.
Toilets: While there are public restrooms in NYC,
finding one close to you may be a little challenging.
However, you can use the toilets at the museums, department stores, and coffee shops you visit.
There are also toilets in parks, Grand Central Terminal, and ferries providing transportation
to Liberty Island and Ellis Island.
Free WiFi: You may be surprised at just how easily you
can find many locations with free WiFi – for example, subway stations, parks, coffee shops,
museums, tour buses, WiFi kiosks, etc.
NUMBER 7: FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS
If you come from the U.S., skip this chapter and continue to Number 6.
Travel adapters: If you’re coming from outside the U.S.,
you will probably need a special U.S. travel adapter to charge your phone and other devices.
This is what U.S. power plugs look like.
If you travel a lot, consider buying a universal travel adapter that you can use in other countries too.
Always bring some cash: While most hotels, stores, and restaurants
in NYC accept major credit cards like Visa or MasterCard,
it is wise to always have some dollars in your wallet.
Money exchange: To get U.S. dollars, you can withdraw from ATMs.
You can even consider using prepaid cards that don’t charge fees for ATM withdrawals.
Use a bank or a service such as Revolut to withdraw specific amounts of money
free of charge even when you are abroad.
You can also exchange your foreign cash for U.S. dollars at currency exchange offices.
Prepaid SIM cards: You can purchase a prepaid SIM card to access
the Internet on your phone at providers such as local carriers include T-Mobile.
Alternatively, you can consider renting a pocket WiFi or mobile hotspot.
Tipping: You should always tip at restaurants and bars in the U.S.
The standard rates are between 15 and 20% pre-tax for waiters at restaurants,
and 1 to 2 dollars per drink or 15-20 % off the bar tab for bartenders.
You should know that servers in the U.S. are usually paid minimum wage
and rely heavily on tips.
Legal drinking age: In all U.S. states, you must be at least 21
to purchase and consume alcohol.
NUMBER 6: SAFETY
New York is one of the safest big cities in the U.S.,
with an overall crime rate lower than the national average.
Still, petty theft is common, given that NYC is the most visited city in the country.
There are also some rough neighborhoods that are not recommended for tourists.
Also, pay attention to scammers, especially the ones on Times Square.
Usually, people dressed in costumes or someone trying to sell you fake or overpriced show tickets, etc.
And typical for all major cities around the world, beware of pickpockets,
especially close to major attractions.
Watch your valuables and use common sense.
For emergency services, dial 911.
NUMBER 5: THE MAP OF NEW YORK CITY
The most crowded and densely populated city in the U.S. is divided into five boroughs:
Manhattan, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx.
Manhattan is surrounded by the Hudson River on one side and the East River on the other.
If you want to know more about where the main attractions in NYC are located,
watch our video about the map of New York City,
where we explain where exactly the New York City attractions are on the map.
The link is in the description or just click the next video at the end of this one.
Typically, you’ll arrive in New York at one of the following airports:
John F. Kennedy Airport - New York’s largest airport located in Queens
Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey and LaGuardia Airport, which is also in Queens
and is mainly used for domestic flights.
New York is a big city.
To get a better sense of distances, a 2.6 mi. or 4.1 km walk from one side of Central Park
to the other along upper Fifth Avenue takes about 50 minutes.
If you walk and take the metro, it takes about 20 minutes.
Also, it takes about 1h 15 minutes to walk from Times Square to the 9/11 Memorial,
or about 25 minutes if you walk and take the metro.
NUMBER 4: CITY TOURS
A great way to discover New York, walking tours are organized by professional guides
who know a great deal about the city’s rich history.
Some providers even offer free or pay-what-you-wish tours.
See our travel guide for links to websites of tours of NYC to directly book them.
NUMBER 3: CITY PASSES
To save money on attractions, you can purchase one of several city passes,
such as CityPASS, The New York Pass, Go New York Explorer Pass or Sightseeing Pass.
Each pass offers several different bundles of attractions and other activities.
Make sure that the pass you choose includes attractions that you want to visit.
NUMBER 2: FOOD & DRINK PRICES
On average, a coffee costs between $1 and $2 at cheap cafés
and $5 at Starbucks.
The average price of an inexpensive meal with a sandwich, pizza, salad, or an ethnic dish
is $10 to $15.
However, if you want to sit down at a restaurant,
the price can easily go up to $20 per person or more.
Dinners range between $20 and $30 per person.
A glass of wine costs between $4 and $6,
a beer between $6 and $8,
cocktails between $10 and $20,
and a soda between $1.50 and $3.
You’ll pay from $1 to $4 for a donut.
The traditional plain bagel with cream cheese costs somewhere between $2 and $6.
And you can get a hot dog from an iconic hot dog card from $1 to $3.
We suggest using Yelp or TripAdvisor to find a nearby place with good reviews.
To save money, avoid sitting down at restaurants next to major attractions such as Times Square.
There are some great cheap eats in NYC.
See our guide for a list of the best inexpensive dining places, such as 99 Cent Fresh Pizza
in Midtown, where you can have a slice of pizza for just $1,
and Los Tacos No.1 at Chelsea Market.
NUMBER 1: BEST FREE VIEWS OF THE CITY
You can enjoy several amazing and totally free views of New York City
from one of the following locations:
Staten Island Ferry
Brooklyn Bridge or Brooklyn Bridge Lookout
Gantry Plaza State Park
Central Park and many others.
Check out our travel guide for more places with free and paid views of the city
and maps to easily locate them.
And continue to watch our Top 10 things to do in New York City.