New York is renowned for being one of the most expensive cities in the world. However, that shouldn’t mark it as off limits to anyone that isn’t a millionaire. Whilst a five star hotel and a shopping spree are best avoided, you can still see the sights and experience the city life on a shoestring simply by being ultra-careful with your spending. Here are some hints and tips for those wishing to visit the Big Apple on a budget.
Booking your flight
The flight is likely to be one of the most expensive parts of your trip. The cheapest time to visit New York is generally between January and April and this extends to flights. Breaking up the journey and going with budget airlines may be able to save costs. Remember to have a valid passport and visit the ESTA website to get a visa. New York has five airports to choose from, so bear this in mind when choosing your accommodation.
Where to stay
You may have to say goodbye to luxury living when booking accommodation for cheap. A night in a standard hotel is by and large extortionate. There are some cheap hotels that strip away the luxuries, simply giving you a room and a bed to rest your head. Hostels can also be a cheaper alternative – whilst many will require you to share a room, a lot are very clean and well looked after. Finally, for couples or families, a B&B could be the answer. Here you’ll get a room and breakfast with a little more luxury whilst not having to pay the huge rates of a hotel.
Getting around
Cities are generally not the easiest places to get around. If you want to get the most out of your visit, walking will be out of question as the city is so vast and you won’t be able to see all of it. Many people may want to experience a yellow cab, but these generally aren’t an economical way of getting around. Buses and the city’s metro service are by far the most affordable ways of travelling from A to B. Buy a Metrocard in order to use these services.
Things to do
It’s worth soaking up the city’s free activities. Many of the museums such as The Museum of Modern Art are free, whilst museums such as the Brooklyn Museum charge on a Pay What You Want basis. There are also several walking tours around the city in which you can name your own price. Simply wandering around can often be fun – there are plenty of markets and street performers around and famous locations such as Times Square and Central Park cost nothing to enter.
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Food and drink
Fine dining may be off the menu, but there are still plenty of quirky places to eat and drink from dumpling restaurants to burger bars to budget pizzerias. There’s also a cosmopolitan mix of street stalls to get food on the go.
