Are you traveling to New York for the first time?
Change is the only constant in New York City. There are always new travel destinations to explore, delicious food to eat, and different cultures emerging around the city! It is truly the city that never sleeps, not even a wink.
Are you ready to embark on an adventure to the Big Apple? Read on to learn the top 10 New York travel tips and put it to good use!
1. Plan Your Travel Route
Between the best tourist attractions and huge geographic size, New York is the largest city in America! It’s massive and crawling with people, especially tourists like you! This is why you need to be vigilant about how you’re going to spend your time in the Big Apple.
Search for the tourist landmarks you’ve been dying to visit. Look up the interesting lesser-known places to explore. Map out a route and create a schedule to maximize your time and budget.
2. Constraint Yourself With a Budget
A cheap yet memorable trip to NYC is possible, it only requires a bit of planning on your part. Take advantage of the latest deals on sales and promos. If you’re traveling with a group, a hostel for accommodation is a great money saver.
Check out the free vistas, museums, parks, and incredible bridges inside the city. The unlimited 7-Day MetroCard lets you ride the trains, subway, and buses all you want and only costs about $33-34 each! You can also walk or bike anytime if you don’t plan to go far from your accommodation.
3. Pick a Convenient Hotel to Stay in
If you want your first New York experience to be pleasant, pick a nice hotel that’s close to every point of interest you want to visit first! Check reviews online to find a decent hotel and book it before your flight.
Once you have accommodation, look for the airport closest to it and book a flight there. It will make your trip to the hotel easier and less of a hassle.
4. The Proper Way to Call for a Taxi
Make sure you are standing in the direction you want to go and save money. If the lights on the top of the cab and center number are on, it is up for grabs. The taxi is not picking up passengers when the ‘off-duty’ light is lit.
Stand on the edge of the sidewalk and look for any cabs on the road. Put your hand up straight and stare at the available ones coming your way. After hailing a cab, try to tell the address instead of the name of the place.
5. Don’t Limit Yourself to Manhattan
Because of how many people visit this place yearly, Manhattan might as well be the capital of New York City. This is also because this borough offers the best parking near Empire State building. One of the best New York travel tips is to consider including the other 4 boroughs in your travel route!
The Bronx and Brooklyn are well-known for its rich history in hip-hop and musical culture. Queens is one of the most diverse counties with amazing food and architecture. If you’re looking for beaches and parklands, Staten Island is the place to be!
6. Be Mindful of New York Etiquettes
Go to the left side of the sidewalk if you’re going to stop/slow down to let people walk past you. Do not block the subway doors. Wait for them to get out of the bus before boarding yourself.
Try not to cut in line and pretend nothing happened. Do not take someone else’s taxi and hail one yourself. New Yorkers will be happy to help you with directions, but you should still go out of your way to be polite with these NYC travel tips.
7. Do Not Miss Out on the Local Food
Visiting NYC means you need to eat delicious food, especially if you’re a foodie! There are a lot of tasty eateries with menu diversity and the best local food spots only known by NYC locals! To get the real New York experience, eat like a local and don’t feel obligated to eat at famous restaurants.
This is a tip for people coming to America for the first time. Every waiter at restaurants (except fast-food) will be expecting you to leave at least 15% as a tip.
8. Be Safe While Traveling in NYC
Keep an eye on your things and leave them in the hotel room. Do not walk in uncrowded neighborhoods and parks late at night. Avoid strangers asking to go somewhere with you and watch out for black unmarked taxis.
Don’t worry, your New York trip is still going to be fun and amazing! The sidewalks are safe most of the time because there are people on the streets 24/7. That said, it never hurts to practice travel safety so you can go home and tell your family about your trip.
9. Wear Comfortable Clothes and Shoes
Looking your best is great, but we insist to go for comfortable and cool clothes. You have hotspots and places to be so you can’t avoid walking miles. Wear your sneakers and flats instead of heels to have more time to explore the wonders of New York!
New York climate ranges from 3F (-16.1C) to 84.1F (28.9C) depending on the month. Look up the type of weather you are likely to encounter when visiting NYC. Dress appropriately for the temperature and pack a pocket umbrella in case it rains.
10. You Can’t See nor Do Everything in a Single Trip
There is not enough time to go sightseeing in New York? Take a deep breath and try not to push yourself too much. Rank the places you want to explore the most and start from there.
You won’t get to do everything you want, but that’s okay! Traveling is about the experiences and memories you created, not the destination. Besides, you can always go back to The Big Apple whenever you want to, right?
Use These New York Travel Tips Today
Make sure that your trip to The Big Apple is worth every penny with these New York Travel tips. Book a trip today and experience the city for the first time now!
Do you want to learn more about travel safety? Knowing how to get from one place to another without harm is the best way to ensure you have a nice trip. Check out more of our posts and guides to learn all you can today!