General information
New York City - New York
Arrival in New York
By plain
If you fly to New York City directly from Europe, you basically have a choice of three airports. John F. Kennedy International Airport in Brooklyn, LaGuardia Airpot in Queens and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. For us, there is really no preference here. It was always the price that was the deciding factor. JFK and Newark are equidistant from Uptown Manhattan at about 17mi. LaGuardia is the closest to Manhattan at 9mi.
If there's one city in the U.S. where you don't need a car, it's New York City. Driving in the city is a disaster, especially for drivers who are not used to driving in big cities. There are constant traffic jams and virtually no parking.
For this reason, we never had a car during our four visits to the city. From all airports there are various ways to get into the city. We have always used the service of Super Shuttle. You book a transfer online and then report to the Super Shuttle counter upon arrival at the airport arrivals hall. From here, you are then called when the driver is there. If you share a shuttle with several people, the trip is cheaper, but it can also be that the other guests are first brought to their hotels before it is your turn.
Car rental
If you need a car for your stay or for a possible round trip, we recommend to rent it at the airport as well. There are also rental stations in the city, but they are often very small and the selection of cars is therefore usually very limited.
You can find various car rental companies at all three airports. Since we have only rented a car from New York once so far, our experience is limited to that. We rented our car from Budget at JFK International Airport. It works the same way as all other car rentals. You drive from the airport with the shuttle to the rental station and get your car there.
Accommodation in New York City
In the City
New York City is like any other major American city. There is an almost endless selection of hotels/motels in all categories to choose from. However, the more central you want to stay, the more expensive it gets. In Manhattan, prices are often exorbitantly high. If you want to find something affordable, you sometimes have to search for a long time, or just be lucky.
We have chosen hotels right in Manhattan for our four visits. In 2016, we stayed at the Double Tree Guest Suites right in Times Square.
Advantage: You are right in the center of the action and don't waste time driving to and from the hotel. You can reach many things on foot. Hop on hop off buses stop right outside the door. The Subway is right next to the hotel.
Disadvantage: Directly at Times Square, it is very very loud at any time of the day or night. Sleeping is only possible with earplugs. Very costly.
Outside the city
In the other New York boroughs, too, there is of course an almost endless supply of accommodation. These are on average a lot cheaper than directly in Manhattan. But then you have to get to and from the city every day. However, since the connection with public transportation, especially the subway is very good, the overnight stay in Brooklyn or Queens is also a good alternative. Especially if you are in the city for several days and want to keep the costs in check.
Hop-on Hop-off Busses
Especially if you are short on time, Hop-on Hop-off buses are a great way to get around the city. There are several providers that stop at the main attractions. You can hop on and off as often as you like.
You ride in open double-decker buses and see a lot of the city already during the ride. Depending on the provider, the tours cost around $50/day. Mostly the tickets are much cheaper if you book not only one day.
Advantage: You can see a lot of the city in a relatively short time.
Disadvantage: Most buses only run between 10am and 4pm and especially in summer, when it is light for a long time, this is not very long. The round trips are given on average with 2h. But we never managed that. In NYC there is usually a lot of traffic and so a round trip can be really long.
There are several providers who all drive more or less the same routes. They cost around $50/day per person. We would use the buses from Gray Line or Big Bus . We have already had good experiences with both companies in different cities.
The subway
A great way to explore New York City is by subway. The system is very well developed and you can reach almost every spot in all five boroughs.
Everything you need to know about the subways, the route network and prices can be found on the official webpage.
There are one-way tickets and weekly tickets, which are definitely suitable for a longer stay. You can buy tickets at all stations in cash or with credit cards. The machines are very simple and so it is no problem to buy a ticket.
Like probably every city, the subway is not a great place to spend a lot of time. But the subway in New York City is clean and safe. Even in the evening, you don't have to worry about your safety. We can definitely recommend the subway.
New York City Pass
There are different passes with which you can save if you want to see several attractions in New York. One of them is the New York City Pass. Everything you need to know about it can be found on the official webpage.
We have not used a City Pass at our four visits, because we have not packed all attractions in one visit. Since we were always only 2-3 days in the city, such a pass was not worth it for us.
Our conclusion about New York City
New York City is a fascinating city in every respect. On the one hand, you get to see world-famous spectacular sights. There is nothing that does not exist. On the other hand, the city is incredibly loud, crowded and very very exhausting.
We don't really know whether we love or hate the city. It changes depending on whether we are there or back home. If we are in the city, we hate it, if we are at home, we love it.
All in all, it is a great and very worth seeing city that really never sleeps. If you expect a chilled out, quiet city, you really have to look around to find a quiet corner. Nevertheless, we think that you have to have been there at least once as a traveler to the USA to get a picture for yourself. It is worth it in every respect.
For me personally, New York City will always have a special place in my heart anyway. After all, it was the skyscrapers seemingly growing out of the water that sparked my interest in the USA.
