• home
  • about & contact
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • Australia
    • Cuba
    • Europe
    • Middle East
    • North America
    • UK travel
    • Travel tips
  • newsletter
  • presets
Menu

Helena Bradbury

Travel and adventure around the 9 to 5
  • home
  • about & contact
  • travel destinations
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • Australia
    • Cuba
    • Europe
    • Middle East
    • North America
    • UK travel
    • Travel tips
  • newsletter
  • presets
×
New York sunset, street view

How to get around New York City

A First Timer’s Guide

How to get around New York City: first timer's guide

Helena Bradbury June 28, 2019

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something. While clicking these links won't cost you anything, they will help me to keep this site up and running! Check out the full disclosure policy for more details. Thank you so much!


Yes New York is big and loud and busy but be reassured, the transport system is very effective, well signposted and it’s super easy to navigate.

Getting to and from JFK airport

Taxi

Once you arrive at the airport, there is always the small stress of trying to get to your accommodation while navigating a new city. Depending on how many of you there are, plus your baggage, it might be easier and cheaper to take a cab. All New York yellow cabs are fixed meter fares so you don’t need to worry about being ripped off by getting in a cab at the airport. Just head towards the designated taxi rank outside the terminal.

The flat fare rate from JFK to Manhattan is $52.50 plus any tolls. The meter will not always run for this trip since it’s a fixed rate so don’t be alarmed.

I have only flown to JFK but having done some research there is not a fixed flat rate from LaGuardia, however the fare is usually less - around $30 although this will depend of traffic.

We flew into JFK and took a cab when we arrived and took the metro when we returned to the airport. Both were easy and straightforward, especially after we had been using the metro system in the city for a week. In fact, taking the subway is often quicker than a cab – I’ve never seen so much traffic in my life!!

Subway

There is no direct subway from JFK to Manhattan but you can navigate to Manhattan with just one change.

If you’re heading to Lower Manhattan, Soho, Tribeca or anywhere on the blue line (A/C/E) you will need to take the GREEN AirTrain towards Howard Beach. At Howard Beach change to the blue A line towards Inwood - 207 St. This will take you straight downtown and you can get off there or change anywhere there to get the line you need.

Alternatively you can take the RED AirTrain towards Jamaica Station which connects to the commuter train lines.

A ticket for the AirTrain costs $5 unless you buy a pay-per-ride Metrocard in which case the AirTrain is included. See below for a full breakdown of the Metrocard options.


How to get around the city

Subway

download.jpg

The New York public transit system is very effective and easy to navigate. We were staying in Upper Manhattan so we primarily used the metro A and C (blue) lines to take us downtown to various stops or across to Brooklyn but there are several different lines so check which is closest to where you’re staying.

If you plan on using the public transit system then get a METROCARD. I cannot recommend this little piece of plastic enough! There are two types of Metrocard:

1.     Pay-per-ride

2.     Unlimited rides

If you’re only visiting the city for a couple of days then it’s probably best to get the Pay-per-ride. This type of Metrocard needs to be topped up with cash and you pay for each journey as you swipe into the subway. Each ride costs $2.75 regardless of the length of journey or destination.

Benefits of Pay-per-ride

  • This card can be shared between up to 4 people, just swipe through then pass it back to the next person to come through. This is great for couples or young families.

  • You can also use this card on other transport such as the buses.

  • You can use this card on the AirTrain to/from JFK.

If you’re visiting New York for more than a couple of days then depending on how much you plan on using the metro, you might benefit more from using the Unlimited Metrocard. There are two types – a 7-day unlimited rides card ($33 + $1 non-refundable card fee) or a 30-day unlimited rides card ($127 +$1 card fee). We bought the 7-day card and it was such good value for money, we took the metro at least 4 times a day and we were coming from Upper Manhattan so the journey in and out each day was a minimum of 30 minutes.

Benefits of Unlimited

  • Unlimited travel on metro and buses, only pay the initial $34 fee.

  • The card is not activated until the first time you swipe in. So if you buy it then don’t use it for the first two days, you haven’t eaten into your 7 or 30 days of travel.

  • If you travel 12 or more times in the time period then you are better buying the unlimited card than the pay-per-ride.

BUT

  • You cannot share an unlimited card (there is a time limit of 18 minutes between turnstile swipes which we discovered after Taylor swiped then tried to go the wrong way through the turnstile. We then had to wait 18 minutes before he could swipe in again or ask the manned booth to let us in).

  • Unlimited tickets are not valid on the Air Train. You will need a separate ticket which is $5.

You can buy Metrocards at the automated machines in most stations or at the manned booths. Note that some automated machines will only accept card. They also ask for a ZIP code but if you’re from outside the USA just enter 00000.

For more information on how to ride the subway, click here.

Bus

As mentioned, the tickets above do include the bus transit system too, however we never actually took the bus, mostly because traffic was so bad it was best to either take the subway or just walk!

If you’re staying further out the city or in New Jersey then a bus might be an option but we were still able to use the subway even when staying in Washington Heights.

Walking

Be prepared to walk. A lot. We are big walkers and we were averaging 10-15 miles a day walking - it was exhausting but honestly such a great way to see the city too. Just make sure to pack good walking shoes or trainers.

Also Google Maps or any other mapper service works great in New York. Download the map offline so you can use it without data and map your way around - it was honestly such a lifesaver for us especially when we were exploring neighbourhoods and needed to find our way back to the nearer subway.

See my full 6-day itinerary for a first-time guide to New York.

Taxi New York City

Want some help travelling like me? These are my favourite resources I use for planning my trips:

Flights: I use Expedia to find great flights and the best deals all over the world, they have regular sales and offers so I always check their website. I also check CheapOair to find cheap deals on round trip flights.

Car Rental: I love the customer service I've always gotten and the variety of options with Rental Cars. But for short notice rentals, I've been using Expedia for the last year, they always seem to have great one-day rates or last-minute rates from the main rental companies.

Accommodation: I prefer the flexibility of booking accommodation with Booking.com so I can cancel or change my reservation without a fee or only pay on arrival for most properties. For longer or more unique stays I prefer AirBnB because you can get the long stay discount, you can also find more unique properties and book experiences with talented locals and businesses. For my budget trips, I always stay in hostels and book through Hostelworld because they have great guarantees if anything does go wrong. If you arrive and your booking is not at the property, they refund the full deposit AND give you $50 extra credit.

Tours and organised trips Although I don’t use tours that often, I do like to book local experiences or day trips once I reach my destination. For that I use GetYourGuide because it has the biggest selection and variety of tour and experience options.

Travel Insurance: For all my longer trips and for the entire year I’ve spent in Australia, my partner and I have always used World Nomads. They cover everything I need and I can buy coverage for a year at a time, they also allow you to purchase cover when you’re already outside your home country. Plus my camera gear and equipment is covered and they also have special cover for when I’m scuba diving too.

My camera gear and equipment: I use a Canon 77D with an 18-135mm lens or a 50mm lens. And a DJI Mavic Mini Drone. For all my gear including laptops, tripods and more camera accessories read my travel photography gear guide.

In North America Tags new york, how to get around, transport, using the subway, nyc
← How to find cheap flightsA Guide to seeing the tulips in Lisse on a budget →

Search Posts

Helena+Bradbury+Content+Creator+Travel+Blogger

Hi, I’m Helena!

A traveller and content creator from the UK and lover of outdoor adventures, bright colours and early sunrises!

My aim has always been to show people it’s possible to travel solo, travel on a budget and travel with a full-time job.

I hope this blog inspires those who think seeing the world is only possible with a huge budget and a big Instagram following.

Drop me a message or follow along on Instagram.

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM

7 THINGS TO DO IN DUBROVNIK OUTSIDE THE CITY WALLS

🇭🇷 Enjoy this view at the Mount Srd observation point
🇭🇷 Visit Lovrijenac Fortress
🇭🇷 Take a day trip to Lokrum Island
🇭🇷 Wander Lapad
🇭🇷 Swim at Beach Šulić
🇭🇷 Try a local craft
ONE DAY IN MOSTAR, BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA FROM CROATIA

1. Start the day at Kravice Waterfall (have a swim if you want!)
2. Head to Mostar
3. Grab some fresh baklava for breakfast 
4. Explore the old town
5. Walk over the bridge and head down to th
10 DAY TRIPS FROM SPLIT

🇭🇷 Trogir
🇭🇷 Krka National Park
🇭🇷 Hvar
🇭🇷 Brač
🇭🇷 Korcula
🇭🇷 Klis Fortress 
🇭🇷 Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina
🇭🇷 Šibenik
🇭🇷 Winery in Kaštela
🇭🇷 Blue Lagoon and Šolta

#visitsplit #
2 things you'll almost never see in Split during tourist season:

1. The Diocletian Palace this quiet at 3pm
2. A person wearing a woolly hat 

This was taken in March. If you prefer to avoid the crowds and don't mind cooler weather, Croatia is defin
"I'm moving here" - Me in every town in Croatia

I'd never heard of Sibenik before our road trip down the Croatia coast but it charmed the pants off me and I can't wait to go back!

If you're in Split, it's an easy 1 hour drive for a day tr
BEST THINGS TO DO IN ZADAR, CROATIA:

🌊 See the Sea Organ. Listen to the sounds of the water as current and sir flow through the steps to create music
☀️ See the light show at sunset at The Greeting to the Sun, a huge solar power monument powered by
Where's on your travel bucket list this summer?

I'd never spent much time in Germany before except in Berlin, but our 2 week road trip in March has convinced me to go back and see more of the country! I just can't get enough of the colourful half-ti
10 BEAUTIFUL GERMAN TOWNS TO VISIT 🇩🇪 

💛 Rothenburg ob der Tauber
💙 Idstein
❤️ Belstein
💜 Cochem
🧡 Esslingen
💚 Backarach
🤍 Miltenberg
💙 Tübingen
🖤 Freudenberg
🤎 Michelstadt

#germanytourism #germanytravel #loverot #europe_vactions #b
MY 2 WEEK SOUTHWEST GERMANY ROAD TRIP 🇩🇪 

2 days: Cologne
1 day: Bonn
2 days: Rhine Valley
3 days: Frankfurt and surrounds 
2 days: Black Forest
4 days: Munich and South Bavaria

Full blog post coming with all the stops along the way 🚗 

I honest

Featured Posts

Featured
Apr 7, 2022
The Ultimate Wild Atlantic Way Itinerary
Apr 7, 2022
Apr 7, 2022
Jan 3, 2022
The Best Day Trips from London for couples
Jan 3, 2022
Jan 3, 2022
Nov 14, 2021
An EPIC 7 Day Ireland Itinerary: Self Drive Road Trip
Nov 14, 2021
Nov 14, 2021
Sep 8, 2021
The 30 Best day trips from Nottingham by a local
Sep 8, 2021
Sep 8, 2021
Aug 17, 2021
A First Timer's Guide and New York trip itinerary
Aug 17, 2021
Aug 17, 2021
Aug 5, 2021
Things to do in Herefordshire: A Weekend Guide
Aug 5, 2021
Aug 5, 2021
Feb 16, 2021
Unique Places to Stay in the UK
Feb 16, 2021
Feb 16, 2021
Jan 18, 2021
Things to do on a Peak District weekend away: How to spend a weekend in Peak District National Park
Jan 18, 2021
Jan 18, 2021
Nov 20, 2020
The Ultimate 10 day Scotland Road Trip Itinerary
Nov 20, 2020
Nov 20, 2020
Nov 13, 2020
The best budget weekend trips to Europe from London
Nov 13, 2020
Nov 13, 2020

Join the Newsletter

Subscribe to hear more from me on email. I promise to only send you the good stuff.

    We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.
    Built with ConvertKit

    UK | EUROPE | AUSTRALIA | NORTH AMERICA | ASIA | AFRICA | MIDDLE EAST

    NEWSLETTER | PORTFOLIO

    CONTACT | PRIVACY POLICY | DISCLOSURE POLICY