New York travel guide

Plan your trip, step by step

• Where to stay
  Choose a base neighborhood — and understand why this is a hotel city.
• Things to do
  Decide which decks, ferries, shows and museums to pre-book.
• New York in 3 days
  Follow a plan that groups Midtown, downtown and the park by geography.
• Estimate your trip cost
  See what a New York trip costs and set your style.
• First-timer mistakes to avoid
  Sidestep the errors that trip up first-time New York visitors.
• New York on a budget
  See what a lean, comfortable or generous day really costs.

The neighborhoods at a glance

Midtown Manhattan

Known for Times Square, the Empire State Building, Grand Central, Fifth Avenue and Broadway theaters — the postcard New York, dense with hotels and crowds.

Greenwich Village & SoHo

Known for brownstone and cast-iron streets, Washington Square Park, boutique shopping and the restaurant-and-café life downtown Manhattan is loved for.

Lower East Side & East Village

Known for the city’s tenement-immigrant history, late-night bars and live music, and some of Manhattan’s best cheap eats.

Upper West Side

Known for a residential stretch between Central Park and Riverside Park — the Natural History museum, Lincoln Center and a calmer, family-friendly pace.

Financial District & Battery

Known for Wall Street, the 9/11 Memorial and the ferries to the Statue of Liberty — busy on weekdays, notably quieter (and cheaper to sleep in) on weekends.

Williamsburg (Brooklyn) & Long Island City (Queens)

Known for skyline views back at Manhattan, independent shops, breweries and food markets — one or two subway stops from Manhattan at lower nightly rates.

Deciding where to base yourself? The where-to-stay guide turns these areas into a lodging decision.

When to go — month by month

Average daytime high (bars) and rainy days per month, from 5-year climate normals. Greener months are the most comfortable to visit.

Best months to visit: Apr–Jun

Destinations with a similar climate

Like New York’s weather? These places have the closest year-round climate in our data — tap through for each one’s best time to visit.

• Boston →
• Budapest →
• Washington Dc →
• Venice →
• Lyon →
• Bucharest →

Know before you go

Currency

US dollar ($). Cards and phone-tap payments are accepted almost everywhere; keep a little cash for food carts, markets and tips.

From the airports

Three airports serve the city. JFK: AirTrain + subway is roughly $12 and about an hour; a yellow-cab flat fare to Manhattan is $70 before tolls and tip. LaGuardia (LGA) has no rail link — the free Q70 bus connects to the subway, so transit in costs just the subway fare. Newark (EWR): AirTrain + NJ Transit train, roughly $16.

Getting around

The subway runs 24/7 and is how the city moves. Tap in with any contactless card or phone via OMNY — the base fare is $3, and after 12 paid rides in 7 days the cap kicks in and the rest of the week rides free (about $35). MetroCard sales ended in December 2025 (old cards are still accepted for now); you don’t need to buy anything in advance — just tap.

Best time

May–June and September–October are the sweet spots: mild weather and the city at full tilt. July–August is hot and humid; December is festive (tree, windows, markets) but crowded and expensive; January–February is cold and the cheapest window for hotels.

Taxes & tipping

Sales tax (8.875%) is added at the register, never shown on the shelf price, and hotel taxes and fees add roughly 15% plus a few dollars a night at checkout. Tipping 18–20% at sit-down restaurants is standard and genuinely expected.

Finding your way

Most of Manhattan is a numbered grid — streets run east–west and count upward as you go north, avenues run north–south. Below roughly 14th Street the grid dissolves into named streets; that’s where a map app earns its keep.

For the best months to visit and a day-by-day plan, see New York in 3 days.