7 tips for saving time and money while visiting New York

PLANNING a trip to New York and not sure where to start? Here are seven tips that will save you time, money and a few headaches, writes Simon Tsang.

ESCAPE: NEW YORK .. Simon Tsang story .. View of Empire State Building and One World Trade Center at night from Top of the Rock. Picture: Simon Tsang

NEW York can be a daunting place to plan a holiday. With so much sightseeing and activities on offer, it can be easy to overlook the basics — such as how you will get around and where you should buy tickets. Here are seven tips that will help you save time and money.

1. Download the free NYC Subway app

New York’s metro system will get you close to most of the city’s main attractions and is generally the best and cheapest way of getting around. The excellent NYC Subway app by Mapway helps you decipher the spaghetti of train lines and where to jump on or change lines by choosing stations on a map. It also estimates how long the journey will take.

2. Metro Card

On the subject of subways, go for the 7-day Metro Card if you’re in the city for more than a couple of days. It costs US$31 (plus US$1 for the card) and it lets you take as many trips as you like during the week. Otherwise, a single ride on the metro is US$2.75, which can rack up pretty quickly when you’re visiting the sights, as you can easily take three or four trips in a day. You can buy the Metro Card at the ticket machines inside a subway station. You can only buy up to two Metro Cards on each credit card, so if you need more than that you’ll have to use a different credit card or keep cash handy. Top up the card as needed and you can use it on buses as well.

web.mta.info/metrocard/mcgtreng.htm

3. Souvenir shopping

If you’re a collector of memorabilia or just have a lot of gift-shopping for friends, save all your souvenir shopping for when you get to Chinatown. There are plenty of stores and prices are generally cheaper. Plus, you get to haggle more.

View of Empire State Building and One World Trade Center at night from Top of the Rock. Picture: Simon Tsang

4. CityPass

Tourist attractions in New York aren’t cheap. One way to keep costs down is to buy a New York CityPass that gives you access to six major attractions; Empire State Building, American Museum of Natural History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Top of the Rock (or Guggenheim Museum), Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island (or Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises) and 9/11 Memorial & Museum (or Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum). The book of vouchers works out cheaper than if you bought the tickets at each venue. In some places, it also means you skip the queues. It doesn’t cover the new One World Trade Center, though, which is a must-visit on anyone’s list. The only restriction is you have to use all the vouchers within nine days of the first one.

www.citypass.com/new-york

5. Tipping

This is perhaps one of the most confusing aspects for Australians travelling to the US. Sometimes suggested tips are printed on the receipt, but can be highly optimistic figures. According to locals, a simple guide is to look at the amount of tax on the receipt and double it to work out the average tip.

Food cart vendors can be found all over the streets of Midtown Manhattan providing hot dogs and snacks. Photo: iStock

6. Street food

Food carts abound in Manhattan and you’re never far from a gyro or hotdog. Prices vary according to location, however. If the menu board has no price, it’s wise to ask first. Avoid the food carts directly outside the flagship Apple Store on Fifth Avenue — they seem to think the Apple tax applies to them.

7. Buy tickets online

Some venues — such as Central Park Zoo — offer discounts for tickets purchased online, so it’s always a good idea to check the web first before you turn up to the venue.