Find out how to travel cheaply to New York with our tips. We’ve sorted out the best ways to save, from hotels to attraction tickets. Check them out:
Plan your trip for the low season months in New York
A good way to save money on your trip is to avoid the high season months, which are usually the school vacation months and the end of the year, when many people tend to travel. Due to the high demand, all services in the city become more expensive.
You should also avoid the American Spring Break, which is also characterized by an increase in travel to New York. It takes place in March and varies every year. Also avoid the Easter holiday.
Therefore, the best way to travel to New York is during the low season, i.e. from April to June and from September to November. Prices will be much cheaper, the city will be emptier, there will be fewer queues and the tourist attractions won’t be crowded.
Save money with tickets and tours
The city’s main attractions are paid for. But even so, you can save a lot by buying ticket combos for various attractions in the city.
There are three main combos you can buy in New York: CityPASS, New York Pass and The SightSeeing Pass. Both have specific advantages over the others.
Of course, the one we recommend for those visiting the city for the first time is the CityPASS and we’ll explain its benefits:
The New York CityPASS is a combo that includes New York’s six main attractions. In addition, you get an exclusive line to enter all of them.
The tours included in the CityPASS are: the Statue of Liberty or Circle Line Cruise, 9/11 Museum and Memorial or Intrepid Museum Air, Sea & Space, Top of the Rock Observatory or Guggenheim Museum, American Museum of Natural History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Empire State Building Observatory.
Finally, by purchasing the CityPASS you save 42% of the amount you would pay for all the tickets separately. That’s a lot of money and time saved!
To buy it, simply visit this website. It’s the best website for selling all the tickets and tours in the city. With them, we were able to save a lot on all the tours.
They offer Broadway tickets, tours, museums and ticket combos such as the CityPASS and the New York Explorer Pass. Broadway shows are incredible and if you can, buy at least one!
How to save on hotel in New York
New York is known for having the most expensive hotels in the world. As a result, even the simplest hotels aren’t cheap. Therefore, our top tip for saving money is to research your accommodation well in advance.
Hotels in the center of Manhattan are more expensive due to their location. However, the cost-benefit ratio is worth it, as you’ll be close to almost all the tourist attractions.
Even if it’s a little more expensive, it’s best to stay there. You can get anywhere on foot or by metro. A great area is around Times Square to the beginning of Central Park.
To find out which hotels are available in the area, check out our map of all the great hotels in Manhattan. All you need to do is enter the date of your trip to see for sure the price of the room.
Good Hotels we stayed at
- Millennium Hilton Hotel: excellent hotel in the best location in Manhattan
- Fairfield Inn & Suites Hotel: another hotel we stayed at in the same area, also very good, but a little cheaper.
Use a hotel search engine: it’s the best way to find the cheapest accommodation. A booking comparator will offer you the best places all over the world.
We always use it and get unbeatable prices. Another advantage is that you can check out the opinions of tourists who have already stayed in the hotels, helping you decide which one is the best.
Advanced tip:
Using this booking comparison tool, you can cancel your chosen hotel free of charge at any time. Most of the hotels on this search engine offer free cancellation!
This helps you save money because you can book well in advance, guaranteeing the best prices. If you can’t go on your trip, just cancel and there will be no hassle.
Save a lot on shopping in New York
The best way to go shopping in New York is in high street stores, as the city doesn’t have many malls or outlet malls. On the other hand, prices are not so cheap.
On Fifth Avenue and Times Square, you’ll find all the stores most loved by tourists.
If you want to save more, it’s best to go to the famous department stores. These are large stores that sell everything, all brands, much more cheaply. What’s more, you save a lot of time because all the products are in one place.
Our recommendation is to go to Century 21. There you’ll find clothes, watches, bags and glasses from well-known brands at very good prices. Another great option is Macy’s, one of the largest department stores in the city.
Finally, it is also possible to shop at Outlets, but they are all located away from the center of New York. The two best you’ll find are the Woodbury Common Premium Outlet (1.5 hours from Manhattan) and the New Jersey Jersey Gardens Outlet (40 minutes).
How to save a lot on travel insurance
To ensure your safety and that of your family in your trip, it is necessary to take out international travel insurance. It protects you and offers assistance in any unforeseen circumstances, such as medical and dental assistance and luggage theft.
Remembering that a medical consultation in the United States costs more than 500 dollars. A hospital stay is, without a doubt, a fortune! We have already tested several companies and this one has been the best. It’s reliable and at a good price.
How to save money using your cell phone in New York
It’s essential to have a good internet connection in New York, as all tourist attractions have apps and need internet to work.
The subway app, for example, is one of the most useful for visiting all of New York’s main attractions.
Some hotels in New York charge a daily fee to use the wifi, which is expensive and limits you to using the internet only within the hotel.
Therefore, the best way to save on internet costs is to buy an American prepaid SIM card. We always use this Mobile chip. It’s electronic (eSIM), you install it instantly and you can use your cell phone’s internet anywhere in the world
Take advantage of the free tours in New York
Central Park, the setting for many movies, is one of the great free walks you can take in New York.
Also, don’t miss the New York Public Library, Brooklyn Bridge, Grand Central Terminal, Times Square and other attractions where you don’t have to pay.
One tip is to plan ahead. That way, you can prioritize the sights you prefer.
How to save on transportation in New York
Where you can save the most on your trip to New York is on transportation. There, you can get anywhere in the city by subway, unlike other cities which require more car or cab travel.
There are thousands of lines all over Manhattan. What’s more, almost every tourist attraction has a subway station right in front of it, making it easy for tourists to get around.
What’s more, you can save even more with the weekly and monthly tickets that are sold there. The price is much lower and you can use the metro at your leisure.
With the metro app, you can better understand how each line works and how to get to each location. Remember that the metro is open 24 hours a day, so you can use it at any time of the day.
How to save money at sports games
A great recommendation for an outing in New York is to enjoy some sports games. Between April and September, the MLB season takes place and you can enjoy the games of the city’s teams: the Yankees and the Mets.
And basketball fans can watch the NBA league up close. American soccer fans can enjoy the NFL by watching Giants and Jets games.
Field hockey takes place in the city between October and April, with several Rangers and Islanders games.
Ticket prices vary depending on the location you choose to watch the match. We always use this website, which offers great prices for all sports matches. We always use it and have had great experiences, as well as saving a lot.
Our recommendation is to prioritize an NBA game. Every game is a spectacle and worth watching even if you’re not a basketball fan.
How to rent a cheap car in New York
There is a car price comparator that is excellent and do all the work for you. You go to the website, enter the date of your trip and they search all the best car rental companies.
If you want to do the research, click here on Car rental comparator. In a few seconds you will have on your screen all the car rental options in Miami from the best companies and just choose the cheapest one. You will really save a lot.
Tip: choose one of the most famous rental companies on the market, such as Alamo, Hertz, Dollar, Budget and Avis. Don’t forget to take out basic insurance when booking, which is already included in the price. When picking up the car in person, many employees try to push extra insurance, which isn’t worth it, you’ll just spend more.
Transfer: a safe way to get around
If you’re not interested in renting a car, one way to keep yourself safe is to hire a transfer. They take you from your hotel to the airport and vice versa, so you don’t have to fend for yourself when you arrive in the country.
The transfer is very simple: there will be a driver carrying a sign with your name on it to meet you when you get off your flight. He will then take you safely to your hotel. The nice thing is that everything is sorted out in advance, avoiding possible scams that are common against tourists when leaving the airport.
You can search for the ideal transfer here. It’s our trusted site, where we find the best prices and we pay in reais. In other words, we avoid international taxes and IOF. What’s more, they also sell other services, such as tour tickets, so you can book everything together and save a lot.
