Heading to New York? Good choice. The Big Apple is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations and with good reason. If you’re not careful, a trip here could prove very expensive, with New York said to be one of the ten most expensive cities to visit in the world.
You shouldn’t let that put you off going – but it should serve as a warning that you need to be smart to manage your time and money effectively on your visit.
Here are some top tips to help:
1 Make the most of Central Park and other free sites
While it’s true to say that you could spend a lot of money in New York, there are also plenty of things you can do without even spending a dime. Take Central Park as a prime example. This is undoubtedly one of New York’s premier attractions, and yet it’s also a public park, so is free to enter and enjoy. Whether you’re a walker, jogger, cyclist or even a parent with children to keep entertained, spend plenty of time here for some budget entertainment.
This isn’t the only attraction to enjoy for free either. A walk over the Brooklyn Bridge also needs to be on your New York bucket list, as does a visit to the Grand Central Terminal building.
2 Book well in advance
With some careful planning in advance, you can help to cut the cost of the activities, you’ll enjoy while in New York. There’s a good chance, for example, that you might want to take in one of the top class shows on Broadway while you’re in town. Check out sites such as Today Tix to find discount theater tickets that can cut the cost of this drastically.
Booking in advance for attractions such as the Empire State Building can also help you to jump the queues – vital if you’re trying to pack a lot into a short space of time (and reduce the number of nights in hotels).
A $30 unlimited seven-day subway ticket might also save you some cash given that a single fare is $2.75.
3 Enjoy the real taste of New York
Sure, restaurants are serving up tasty food from across the world in New York, but the real taste of the city is not to be found in these pricey venues. Instead, budget-friendly delis, pizza parlors, burger joints and street food vendors are where it’s at. For just a few dollars you can load up on tasty treats that real New Yorkers enjoy as they go about their busy lives.
Happy-hour menus are also pretty standard, meaning that you could get decent value from having your main meal earlier in the day.
4 Take the free ferry
The view of New York’s iconic skyline is breathtaking – and bound to have you reaching for your camera. One sure fire way to get a good look at this is to board the Staten Island Ferry. This free transport link will not only give you great views of the skyscrapers, but it’ll also take you past the Statue of Liberty and save you the time and money of a trip to Liberty Island to see this.
Those are just a few ways you can save a buck or two in New York – enjoy it knowing you’re not paying top dollar for your visit!