Tips

Being Prepared

• Bring great walking shoes, you’ll walk 3-7 miles a day, even when using the subway or cabs.

• The weather in New York runs the gamut from torrential rain to freezing cold to blazing hot and humid; it may be similar to where you are from but you’re going to be out in that weather much more as you tour around than if you were home. Check the weather before you come and pack accordingly. Carry an umbrella or rain jacket if there’s any chance of rain.

• Don’t try to cram in too many activities in one day; work in some breaks so you can enjoy yourself. I would recommend staying in Manhattan unless you’ve already seen all of the big sites.

• Bring a stroller or scooter for kids under 8, and plenty of snacks and water; the walking will be hard for them -- trust me on this.

• Check out New York Pass for a deal to get into a lot of popular attractions at one price.

• Check out Goldstar.com, Viator.com or Groupon for deals on walking tours, attractions, food, and more.

• For younger kids, NYC has the best playgrounds! So take a moment to explore a few. You can check out Mommy Poppins for ideas on activities, playgrounds, etc. for young kids.

• When we travel, we always buy a guidebook before we go and make a plan to make the most of our time, it’s really helpful. If you want more info than what we have below, try Frommer’s or Lonely Planet.

• Make a list of everything you want to see/do and rank it in order of importance. Try to do the most important thing on the first day if you can. And then if you get rained out or something happens, try the next day. This method ensures you will see the most important sites to you during your trip, even if things like weather or other mishaps occur.

Getting Around

Subways and Busses:

• Unless there is a zombie apocalypse or it’s midnight and there are no cars on the road, cabs are never faster than the subway or public transportation, never. 🙂 Just be aware when planning to get around. They are less scarce when it’s rainy or super cold. Uber/Lyft prices and availability are similar.

• You can use a tap-to-pay credit card or with your phone to ride trains and buses. Also, when you tap to pay and use the same card each time during a 7 day period, your cost is capped at $34; this gives you the benefits of a 7-Day Unlimited MetroCard without paying in advance. But this only works for one person, if you tap multiple times in a row to get other people in, it is shut off. You can learn more about it here.

• Here is a guide to turn on “Express Mode” on your phone wallet. This means you don’t have to double click the side or show your face, so it’s much faster. Highly recommend!

• Subway schedules are different on weekends: they are less frequent and there is often construction, maintenance and changes; watch for signs or check the MTA app.

• Get a subway app with a map, this can be helpful to visualize it; Google maps works well, but not always perfectly accurate on weekend changes. The MTA app is great also.

Getting to and from the airport:

• Take the subway or train from JFK instead of an Uber or Taxi; it is usually faster and much cheaper. Take the Airtrain. Then you can take the E train to Grand Central or Times Square. Or you can take the LIRR train to Penn Station for $10, which is much much faster.

• You can also try a shuttle service, like NYC Airporter for around $14-$20 (call 24-hr in advance and they can drop you off right in front of your hotel, otherwise, they can drop you off at major hubs in midtown)

• If you’re coming from LaGuardia to our house, you can take the M60 bus, it’s almost a straight shot. If you’re coming from JFK to our house, take the Airtrain, the LIRR train to Penn, and then the 1, 2, or 3 train to 96th street and walk the rest.  

• You can take a cab or an uber, but be aware that may cost you a up to $130 if you’re coming from JFK or Newark to our house. If going to mid town, it can still be up to $100.