Your guide to having the ultimate trip to New York City. Wondering how to navigate the subway, how to save money on your trip, the do's and don't of Times Square? Then continue reading this blog
If you already follow me on Instagram, you'll know that I've just returned from an Incredible, action packed 4 nights in New York City with my 9 year old daughter and my mother. If you don't follow me on Instagram, then head on over to see all of my videos and highlights on the trip - @bringthekidstravel.
This was my first ever time in New York City and while we had the most amazing time ever, there were definitely a few times where we got a bit stressed or lost :O ! I want to share my experience with you, including all of the things we learned while over there and wish we knew before we went to make that journey to the city that never sleeps just a little bit easier!
So, if you are heading to the Big Apple soon, or just considering if this is the trip for you. If have any questions like; What should you tip in NYC?, How do tourists use the Subway in NYC? or Is New York City suitable for families? then read on to see all of my biggest tips and recommendations!
You can also click the links below to move between sections.
How to get Around the City
Wondering how to get around the City can be a real concern for people going for the first time. You may have a number of questions such as; Is the Subway safe?, how do I get a taxi and will I be ripped off?, should I book a hop on hop off tour?
As someone who has just come back from 4 days in NYC with a 9 year old girl, I can honestly tell you that the Subway is 100% the way to travel!! For our trip we did a mixture of walking, Subway and the odd taxi, which I will get to later.
But first here are my tips for taking the Subway in NYC:
If you have taken any of the metros/undergrounds in London/Europe then I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the NYC Subway.
When you first arrive in NYC, go into one of the Subway stations and buy a 1 week card from the machine. This ticket will cost you $33 and can be used for unlimited trips for a week. You will pay a $1 fee for the physical card.
Things to note with this ticket:
- You cannot use Revolut card to buy it. The machines are one of the only places we came across where a Revolut card didn't work. You can choose to pay by cash (dollars) or using your debit/credit card.
- If using your debit card, you must select credit card on the machine and when it asks for your zip code enter 00000.
- You cannot use the weekly card twice in a row (within 18 minutes of swiping the first time), so no sharing cards between people, and also if you swipe at the wrong station, then go back out and enter across the road, the card won't work. If this happens and someone is working there, you can ask them to let you in. If there's no one there, you can use contactless payment with your phone or bank card to get through.
Note: A pay per use metro card can be shared between people, but not the weekly one.
- The rule for children is: Up to 3 children under 44 inches/3.6 feet/1.1 meters are free of charge, they just go under the barrier or around the turnstile with you.
- When swiping the card, face the black strip toward you and swipe at medium speed, the screen should say go and you can move through. If you swipe too slow or fast it won't work. My poor mother got stuck at every single turnstile we thought we were going to kill her haha!!
- All sorts of people at all sorts of kiosks will try to sell you the weekly ticket and that you can only buy it from them. This is not true, buy it from the machine unless an official security guard or someone at the information booth at the subway tells you otherwise.
2. To navigate your way around here are some things to note:
- Use Google Maps to plan our your journey when you have WIFI.
- On google maps, take note of the Letter of the subway you want to take - A/C/E/J etc.
- Also, take note of the station this train is going to (the last station), google maps will also tell you this. I always screenshot the directions from Google Maps so that I'm not worried too much about internet.
- Take note of the number if stops you need to take.
- The biggest way you can get confused it the direction of the train - Uptown means that North so you might see signs saying "Uptown and Bronx". If your destination is north or where you are on the map then look for a train saying uptown - e.g. if you are at the 9/11 memorial and want to go to Times Square, you will go 'Uptown'.
- If you need to go South, you will typically see 'Downtown & Brooklyn' on the signs.
- If you also take note of the final destination of the train from Google Maps, you will be able to use this to help figure out which train to take.
Note: If you realise that you are going the wrong way, just get off at the next stop and take the next train going in the opposite direction.
3. If you and your child end up getting separated on a subway, e.g. they get on and you don't in time. Make sure to tell them to get off at the next stop if that ever happens and wait there for you. Tell them not to move from the next stop when they get off. It's usually only 7/10 mins between trains so you will be reunited again in no time.
4. The subways run differently at night time. Especially after 9 pm. I would strongly recommend getting taxi's after 8/9pm. There usually won't be as much traffic on the road so you should be ok pricewise.
Taxi's
What are the best ways to hail a cab or get a taxi in NYC?
Hail a cab - Look at the lights on the cab roof. If the numbers in the middle are lit, then the cab is free to be hailed. Lights off mean the cab already has a fare. Outer lights lit means off duty. Just step to the edge of the curb and raise your arm for them to see you. We were lucky and got one straight away after our broadway, but as with everywhere in the world, hailing a taxi can be difficult at other times.
Lyft or Uber app - We used the Lyft app 3 times when we were in NYC and it was great. You just download the app, turn your location, enter your destination and it tells you a price. We were super lucky each time and got a taxi driver within 10 minutes. You pay the fare and tip through the app itself so there's no hidden charges. We used Lyft to get to the airport for our flight home for €80 and it was very handy. TIP: Be 100% sure of your destination when you get into the taxi and confirm with them before setting off. I put in the wrong address the first time and ended up across town. It was a nightmare and he had another fare so wouldn't take us any further.
Tipping Etiquette
Unlike in Europe, tipping in America is common practice and is considered rude not to. As I am not used to tipping everywhere I go, this was something I was worried about before going. How would I know when to tip, how much, did I need to have cash with me everywhere I went. But I needn't of worried at all, everything was straight forward so if it's something you're worried about let me put your mind at ease.
When to tip: basically you tip everywhere that a service is provided. If someone carries your bags to your hotel room, if you order a coffee in a café, if you eat in a restaurant, if you get a taxi.
Typically you tip between 10%-20%, we kind of stuck at the 15% and gave 20% at sit down meals. Every card machine gives you the option to select your tip amount when paying so there's no need to have cash to leave on the table. Even taxis let you pay by card and give you the option to tip so nothing to worry about :)
Money
Ok so currency is obviously in US Dollars. We used Revolut cards for the entirety of our trip and found it super easy and convenient, no need to order Dollars before leaving.
The Revolut card will allow you to pay in USD without charging you a crazy transaction fee. You can also use your card to take money out of the ATM if you want to have a bit of cash on you. There are no ATM withdrawal fees for the first $500/month. Just ensure to use an ATM that doesn't charge an extra fee for using.
NYC Weather
The weather can change very quick in NYC so make sure to bring layers with you. When we were there we had mild and dry (approx. 6 degrees celcius) one day to absolutely freezing (-16 degrees celcius) the next. So be prepared for everything!! We went in February so definitely be ready for wind and rain here.
We found that the wind was the worst as it really cut through you like a knife, so make sure to have a hat or eat muffs, warm socks and gloves!
It can be very hot in the summer so again make sure to do your research and bring a range of clothes so you don't end up having to buy more when you're there.
Keeping Kids Entertained
New York is an amazing city with so many museums, sites from movies and shops that it can be easy to get carried away and forget about the little feet.
I'm a huge fan of mixing kids activates in with adult ones. So if you want to bag yourself a couple hours roaming around the Met museum, make sure to bring your kids to a playground first to let them run off their energy, or how about designing a treasure hunt for them at the museum.
Pick 10 exhibitions or pieces of art and add a small picture of each to a word document on your computer. Print this out before your trip and then get the kids to tick off each item as they come across them. Not only will this keep them engaged and stop them complaining, but they will also, unbeknownst to themselves, learn a little bit of history and culture.
Don't do too much in one day, pick 2/3 main attractions for each day and stick to that. There's no point in packing everything into a few days and everyone being miserable each evening because they are so tired.
Here are some great things to do with kids in New York:
- Visit some of the many really cool playgrounds scattered throughout the city.
- See the billboards in Times Square and check out the merchandise stores like M&M and Disney store.
- Go to a Broadway show - Wicked was huge hit with our 9 year old. Other shows like Aladdin and the Lion King are popular too.
- Cycle around Central Park and have a picnic.
- Have some of the crazy desserts NYC has to offer such as Frozen Hot Chocolate from Serendipity or a giant Freakshake from Black Tap.
- Stop for dollar pizza or a hot dog from a cart.
- Visit the Natural History museum.
- Go souvenir shopping in China Town.
- The Harry Potter Store
- See the city from above at an observation tower.
This is only a small list of things to do with kids. Keep an eye for my next blogpost where I'll go into detail of some of the great things to do with kids in the Big Apple.
So there you have my top tips for a smooth and enjoyable trip to New York City. If you have any other questions at all, fell free to leave a comment below or send me a DM on my Instagram Page @bringthekidstravel