10 ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR TRAVELING TO NEW YORK

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This list of best tips for traveling to New York, will help you not to miss anything and enjoy the maximum of all the experiences offered by this incredible city, which we are sure, will surprise you and exceed any expectation, however high.
Known for being the city that never sleeps, you can enjoy activity 24 hours a day while you fall in love at first sight with its endless skyscrapers, iconic neighborhoods such as Soho or Harlem, the impressive Central Park, viewpoints like the Top of the Rock or its thousands of leisure and cultural activities.
In addition to all these experiences, which make it impossible to get bored, the city has a wide gastronomic offer with excellent restaurants from all over the world and is also a shoppers' paradise with its many shops and outlets, so we are sure that New York will become one of your favorite cities in the world.

Based on the experience of the two times we have visited the city that never sleeps, the first on a trip to New York in 11 days and the last one spending a month and a half in Manhattan, during which we wrote this travel guide to New York , we have made this list of what we believe are the 10 essential tips for traveling to New York.We start!

1. What is the best time?

Although we could say that Any time is perfect for a trip to New YorkWe believe that the best season encompasses the months of spring and autumn, at which time the weather is pleasant, the hotels are less expensive and there are not so many queues to access the tourist attractions. Between these months, our favorites would be May and June, when parks like Central Park shine at their best and you can have the typical picnic on the grass.
Summer is one of the worst times due to the suffocating heat that can reach more than 30 degrees, the prices of hotels that skyrocket and queues at some attractions and restaurants that can be made endless. The advantage is that during these months numerous festivals are celebrated, outdoor cinemas are mounted and music and theater shows are held in parks and squares, so if you don't mind the high temperatures, it can be a perfect time to enjoy the city.
In winter, the cold can be quite extreme with temperatures below 0 degrees and the presence of snow can collapse the city. Despite these adverse weather conditions that may occur, New York is one of the best cities to enjoy Christmas since during the whole month of December the city dresses up with a fantastic Christmas decoration in streets, buildings and Store windows in addition to ice rinks and the lighting of the lights of its huge Christmas tree.

2. Entry requirements

To travel to New York or any city in the United States, it is mandatory to obtain, at least 3 days in advance, the ESTA authorization from this official page that costs $ 14 and has a duration of two years. In recent years numerous websites have proliferated that offer the service of processing the ESTA for more than $ 80, if you do it from the official website you will avoid scams, it will be cheaper and it will not take you more than 10 minutes. Do not forget!
On the plane or in the customs control zone of the airport they will give you a form that you must fill in with your data and those of your flight, and show it in the security check next to the passport, which must be valid for at least 6 months .
Although the security controls in the customs of the United States have a bad reputation, we in the 3 occasions that we had to pass it, everything has been quite fast and we have not found any difference with respect to other countries.
In case of not mastering English, you don't have to worry because Spanish is very widespread and surely someone will help you.
Remember that if you are Spanish and you take a tourist trip of less than 90 days, you will not need any type of visa, apart from ESTA. If you are from another country we recommend you check the page or call the American Embassy of your country or the Foreign Ministry to find out what the necessary documents are.

Passport

3. Travel and security insurance

Good travel insurance is almost essential when traveling to New York or any city in the United States, being a country with a particularly expensive health.
Keep in mind that if you do not carry insurance and have any mishaps, it can cost you from 500 euros a simple medical consultation to 25,000 euros an appendicitis. To avoid any complicated situation, we recommend you to hire the best travel insurance for New York, which includes all medical expenses without having to advance any money and offers you 24-hour telephone assistance in Spanish, something very important especially if you do not master English .
We always travel insured with Mondo, with whom we carry a totally adequate insurance to the needs that we will have on the trip.
Hiring your insurance here with Mondo, just for being a Street Travelers reader, you have a 5% discount.

On security issues, despite the bad reputation of times gone by, New York is one of the safest cities in the United States and the world. The crime rate has dropped a lot during the last decade and only some areas such as the South Bronx, the East Harlem or Brownsville in Brooklyn, it is better to avoid them, especially at night.
Another of the best tips for traveling to New York It is not to walk through Central Park at night, we were living next door and it is one of the recommendations made by the inhabitants of the area.
The subway at night, at the less central stops, also does not give much sense of security, but it is more for the few people you meet, than for other reasons. Keep that in mind and although it is important to travel with common sense and taking basic precautions, it is not worth obsessing.

4. Change money

To have dollars on a trip to New York, one euro is equivalent to 1.11 dollars today, we recommend you get money at the ATMs of the city before going to an exchange office or the bank of your country. Remember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current exchange you can use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.

Dollars

5. How to have internet in New York?

If you want to have internet in New York, something very necessary today, especially considering the amount of applications we use in our trips and the need to be in contact with our family and friends, you can choose several options:

Buy a SIM card at the airport or at a phone shop in the city.
Buy one Holafly SIM card, with which you will have internet from the moment you land, saving you all the time of the negotiations and making the whole process to have internet in the United States much more comfortable, fast and easy.
In this case, with the Holafly SIM you will have several Gb to surf the Internet (depending on the option you choose), they will send it to you for free at home, you will keep your WhatsApp number and you will have assistance service in Spanish. You can buy your Holafly prepaid SIM card here with a 5% discount for being our reader.

More information on the Holafly post, the best prepaid SIM card for travel

6. How to get from the New York airport to the hotel?

New York has three main airports: JFK, Newark and La Guardia. When traveling to New York, you will probably land at the John F. Kennedy International Airport or the Newark Airport, since La Guardia is used for domestic flights.
The JFK, located 25 kilometers from Manhattan, is the busiest airport in the city and has 9 terminals.
To get to the city center from this airport you have these means of transport:

Air Train + Metro: the red line leaves you at Jamaica Station (subway E, J and Z), while the green line leaves you at Howard Beach station (subway A). The total journey time is half an hour and the cost is $ 7.75.
Cab: The price of a taxi to Manhattan is about $ 70 including the tip.
Uber: It is a legal option and cheaper than the taxi.
Private transfer: This is the most comfortable way to get to your hotel, having a driver waiting for you at the terminal with a sign with your name that will take you directly to your accommodation. You can book this service here.
Shared vans: They usually leave for about $ 25 per person.

For more information about the transfer you can consult this post on how to go from JFK airport to Manhattan.

Newark Airport, located 23 kilometers from Manhattan, has 3 terminals connected by a free train.
To get to the city center from this airport you have these options:

AirTrain + Train: The Air Train will leave you at the Newark Liberty International station and from there you have to take the NJ Transit to Penn Station in Manhattan. The total journey is half an hour and the cost of $ 12.50.
Cab: The price of a taxi to Manhattan is about $ 90 including the tip.
Uber: in New York the Uber option is legal and usually cheaper than the taxi
Private transfer: This is the most comfortable option when you have a driver waiting for you at the terminal that will take you directly to the door of your hotel. You can book this service here.

7. Where to sleep when traveling to New York

If you go to take a trip to New York in high seasonFrom May to September or Christmas, it is almost essential to book several months in advance if you want to find a well located hotel at a good price.
The best area to look for a hotel is Midtown, located in the center of the island of Manhattan, especially if it is your first time in New York. From this area you can reach most of the city's tourist attractions such as Times Square, Central Park, the Empire State Building or the Grand Central Station in a few minutes by subway or on foot.
We stayed at the Holiday Inn Times Square, located 500 meters from Times Square which in addition to its fantastic location, has a 24-hour reception and if you take one of the rooms on the high floors, you have incredible views of the Empire State Building from the bed .

Other quieter areas of Manhattan and well connected by subway are East Village, Lower and Upper East Side and if you are looking for something more affordable we recommend the Harlem area located closer to Central Park or near DUMBO, north of Brooklyn.
The neighborhood of Queens is another of the cheapest areas although for us it is too far from the center and we would not recommend it if it is your first time in the city and you will travel a few days.

Another of the best tips for traveling to New York is to find the best hotel at the best price in this recommended search engine.
For more information you can consult this post about the best neighborhoods and hotels to stay in New York.

Once you have the accommodation, it is interesting to review this list of the 10 things to book before traveling to New York, in case you are missing one.

Times Square

8. How to get around the city

When booking a hotel at travel to New York, although it is located in a central area, it is very practical to have a metro station nearby, the best public transport to get around the city and reach all tourist attractions for little money.
Before taking the subway, we recommend you buy the Metrocard, a card that you can recharge or pay $ 32 for unlimited travel for a week. Think that simple tickets with this card cost $ 2.75 and without the card, $ 3, so you'll save as soon as you use it the first time.
A slower option and complicated To get around the city is the bus. Remember that if you do not have the Metrocard, also valid on buses, you will have to carry in coins the amount of 3 dollars to pay the ticket. The subway and the bus run 24 hours a day.
A more comfortable alternative, especially at night, is to take a taxi that usually leaves on average for about $ 10 between the most central points of the city.

If you are going to be a short time in New York you can book the tourist bus that stops at the main attractions of the city and has recorded comments in Spanish about each one.

Take the tourist bus when traveling to New York

9. Main tourist attractions

Another of the best tips for traveling to New York And not to miss anything important is to complete this list of 20 essential places to visit in New York and this one of the best things to do in New York.
Other lists that can help you enjoy the city to the fullest are:

Before visiting the main attractions of the city it is advisable to check if it is profitable to buy a tourist card that allows you to save on tickets and time, to skip the long lines that are formed in any of these places.
The 3 best rated cards that allow you to save more are:

- The New York Explorer Pass It allows you to enter 3, 4, 5, 7 or 10 of the main attractions with great flexibility being able to choose from the 58 available attractions, until the last minute. You can book the card here.
Much more information about the New York Explorer Pass here.
- The New York CityPass It allows you to enter 6 of the most visited attractions in New York saving you up to 43% on the price of tickets. You can book the CityPass here.
Much more information about the New York CityPass here.
- The New York Pass It allows you free access to more than 100 attractions in New York, being able to choose the one of 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 or 10 days. You can book this card here.
Much more information about the New York Pass here.

10. Routes through the city

Prior to travel to New York or leaving the hotel, it is advisable to trace the routes on foot and by subway that you are going to do, to make the most of the time.
Depending on the days you have, we advise between 5 and 7 days if it is your first trip to New York, you can have a more or less broad view of this endless city.
Based on our experience we have made these personalized routes (including recommended restaurants) optimized by days:

These routes can be combined with a tour or guided tour to learn about the history and anecdotes of the city like this free tour of New York Free! or the famous Tour Contrasts, which allows you to know other realities, both with a guide in Spanish.
More tours and guided tours in New York here.

Cross the Brooklyn Bridge on a trip to New York

Excursions on a trip to New York

Once you have made all the essential visits and tours of the city, if you still have extra time, you can complete the trip with one of the best excursions in New York.
These day trips will allow you to know some of the jewels that are closest to the city such as Washington DC, Niagara Falls and Boston, among many others.

The first recommendation is to take a trip to Washington from New York. The capital of the country has numerous interesting government buildings such as the White House and the Capitol, spectacular museums such as Air and Space, monuments to soldiers killed in different wars and some charming neighborhood like Georgetown.
From New York you can reach Washington on the train that leaves from Pennsylvania Station in about 3 hours and measured or by bus in about 5 hours. A more comfortable option is to book this excursion to Washington with a guide in Spanish.

The second excursion proposal to travel to New York They are the Niagara Falls, one of the great natural wonders of the world, where you can not miss the boat tour that brings you closer to the waterfall and allows you to hear its shocking noise, or move to the Canadian side from where you get the best views.
If you only have one day, you can book this excursion by plane in one day although the price is much higher than if you book this day trip by bus or also by two days by bus. All these excursions include a guide in Spanish.

The last recommendation is the visit to Boston, one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in the United States. Although it is a city to which you could quietly spend 3 days, if you do not have so much time you can always make a quick one-day visit.
To get to Boston you can opt for the train from Pennsylvania Station that takes about 3 hours or decide on the bus that takes about 4 hours.
Another more comfortable way and with which you can know the history of the city is to book this excursion with a guide in Spanish.

All the top rated tours in New York here.

Washington

Do you want to organize a trip to New York?
Get it here:
The best offers of Flights to New York here
The best hotels at the best prices in New York here
Book the best tours and excursions in New York in Spanish here
Book your transfer Airport⇆New York here
Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here
10 essential tips for traveling to the United States
The 10 best museums in New York
Save money and time by booking the New York CityPASS here
Save money and time by booking the New York PASS here
Save money and time by booking the New York Explorer PASS here