How To Travel To New York City Cheap?

Published On : 04 Sep 2024

New York City is an example of a city that many people from across the world want to visit whenever they get the chance. The city boasts stunning sky scrapers, renowned landmarks, colourful districts, and an abundance of things to do and see, it is no wonder that many wish to travel there. But it is also noteworthy that New York City is considered to be one of the most expensive cities in the world. Luckily, there are a few secrets to exploring New York city on a budget or even on a shoestring. Below is a step by step guide that will help you to travel to New York on the cheap.

Search for flights & be open to traveling on different dates/origination & destinations.

In any travel, transport costs are always the most costly aspect, and more so are flights. There are a number of factors that will help you get cheap flights to New York; the first one is to be flexible in the time of travel and the airport the flight is coming from. This is especially true if you have the option of flying midweek rather than on weekends when demand is high. Also choose your airport carefully – if you are flying into New York it can be cheaper to go into Newark airport, New Jersey than JFK or La Guardia. Flights can be booked using the flight search engines such as Skyscanner and Google Flights to compare price changes by days, weeks, and different airports. You can also set up alerts to alert you when fares have dropped so you can secure a good deal. If time is not a constraint, consider traveling during winter when the fare and rates of the hotels are relatively low.

Ground transport should be used whenever flying is possible.

For residents of the east, traveling to New York City by Amtrak train or by bus could be cheaper than flying. The train and bus take longer but you’ll be able to spend less cash while at the same time enjoying some pretty good scenary of the countryside/towns on the way. Some of these bus companies include Megabus which even provides direct NYC routes at $10 and above!

Small wiser tricks – hostels, rooms sharing and outer borough accommodation

Expenses such as hotel accommodation can drastically increase your expenses when in a place like New York. But you have such great opportunities to save money on lodging. Some of them are hostels that do not only provide cheap dorm beds but also cheap private rooms equipped with basic comforts. Group hostels such as HI NYC and The Local NYC have strategic locations and are great for a fun social experience. Another means of accommodation is room sharing through sites such as Airbnb where you are linked to locals willing to rent out their private rooms or even spaces at a cheaper price than that of hotels.

Finally, when choosing hotels that are located outside Manhattan in boroughs such as Brooklyn or Queens, one is assured of cheaper hotels rates but in close proximity to Manhattan’s downtown attractions for those intending to tour the city by public transport. Some neighborhoods that I found very suitable for tourism include the Long Island City in Queens, which has little town feelings but with many tourism facilities.

Take the bus when going out and try to walk most of the time.

New York City is probably one of the few mega cities with the best and easy to use public transportation systems in the world. Buy an unlimited travel MetroCard and make the subway, buses, and ferries your means of travel within the city. Today an unlimited week-long MetroCard goes for as low as $33. Touring the city on foot is also a perfect opportunity to observe the key quarters of New York and such attractions as Times Square, Greenwich Village, SoHo, etc., without paying for it. Bring comfy walking shoes! Taking a ride share or a taxi may appear to be a good idea but the expenses are rather steep.

Survive with food carts, happy hours and pizza slices

It is impossible to eat out three times a day in New York if one is a student living on a limited budget. Fortunately, NYC is blessed with an almost inexhaustible supply of cheap and readily available foods ranging from the food truck vendors to pizza parlors. They sell hot dogs and soft pretzels from carts for $3-5 each and bagels at bakeries/stands. Gargantuan, soft like the New York style pizzas are served with minimal costs of less than $3.

Meals at sit-down restaurants can be cheap if you make good use of daily happy hours in case they are offered. Finally, grocery stores such as Trader Joe’s provide for quick to-go breakfasts, snacks, sandwiches among other meals for the day.

Free museums & attractions and discounted Broadway shows

Contrary to the popular belief that New York is an expensive city to visit, there is actually a lot to do in the city for free. One can note that many nearby museums and other attractions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bronx Zoo, Whitney Museum as well as Staten Island Ferry are free of charge. Some nights at such great music/comedy venues as the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre are also free.

For fancier paid attractions, check into sources for advance-discounted tickets as offered by Groupon and Goldstar. TKTS booths are available around New York City that selling same day theater seats at 20-50% off the original ticket price!

Conclusion

Traveling to New York City does not necessarily imply cutting through your budget and savings. If you carefully choose your flights and accommodations, use buses and your feet, and look for free activities and coupons, you can get a taste of New York City without spending too much. Here are some tips to help you enjoy New York without overspending: