Save yourself $1,000 on a visit to the Big Apple
THERE is nothing like a trip to the Big Apple, but it can easily cost a small fortune. Yet there are ways to enjoy a fantastic holiday without breaking the bank, as SARAH TURNER discovers…
FLY BUDGET
MORE airlines than ever fly to New York and fares have never been so competitive. For the cheapest prices, book as early as you can and look at the new generation of budget airlines.
Flights with established carriers such as British Airways and Virgin can set you back close to £500 but return trips with WOW (wowair.co.uk) cost from £205 and include a short stopover in Reykjavik, while Norwegian (norwegian.com) has non-stop flights from Gatwick to JFK from £164.
If you’re flying from Manchester, consider Thomas Cook Airlines (thomascookairlines.com) – prices start at £229. From other parts of the UK, check out Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com). Flights cost from £190 and you’ll have to change in Dublin, but depending on your flight time, you may be able to clear US customs and immigration before you fly, saving time on arrival.
TAKE THE TRAIN
TAKE a taxi from JFK to Manhattan and you’ll pay a minimum of $65 (about £51), including a tip – it’s impossible to avoid paying tips in New York.
Flying into Newark allows you to then catch a train costing $12.50 (about £10) to Penn Station (panynj.gov), but at JFK you are better off getting a shuttle bus.
NYC Airporter (nyc airporter.com) has regular services between JFK and Times Square/Grand Central from $19 (about £15) and can take just over an hour if the traffic is good. Alternatively, take the AirTrain to Howard Beach and join the subway from there. The AirTrain costs $7.75 (about £6).
CHEAP SLEEPS
BE WARY of Airbnb in New York as it is likely to be illegal unless the landlord lives in. This doesn’t stop people listing their apartments, nor the authorities kicking out bewilhoxton.com/newyork/williamsburg/ dered tourists. A Midtown hotel can easily cost $350 a night (£275), but you can find better-value rooms if you head to Brooklyn. Try the Aloft group (marriott.co.uk/hotels/travel/nycyl-aloft-new-york-brooklyn) or The Hoxton in Williamsburg (the hotels) – both have rooms starting at $160 (about £125) a night.
If you’re in a group, some of Manhattan’s trendiest hotels, such as Ace (acehotel.com/newyork) or Freehand (freehandhotels.com/ new-york), incorporate low-cost bunk-bed rooms. They may be designed for avocado-munching millennials to hang out in, but they’re also great for families. Expect to pay around $220 a night (about £172) for four people.
GETTING AROUND
MAKE sure you buy a subway pass. Single-trip fares cost $2.75, so a seven-day pass is better value. It costs $32 (£25) for adults or $16 (£12.50) for concessions and covers buses too. Visit web.mta.info.
JOIN THE CULTURE CLUB
THE Museum of Modern Art (moma.org) charges up to $25 (about £19.50) for entry, but on Fridays between 4pm and 8pm you’ll be able to see its paintings by Monet for free. Then head across town from 8pm to 10pm to see artworks by Edward Hopper at the Whitney Museum of American Art – dig into your pockets for a few cents because you have to give some sort of donation (whitney.org).
SIX OF THE BEST
ENTRY to some of the city’s biggest attractions isn’t cheap – adult tickets to the top and main deck of the Empire State Building alone cost $58 (about £45). Visitors are