6 Tips for a Successful New York City Visit

woman in blue denim jacket standing on top of building

Are you planning a trip to New York City? “The city that never sleeps” is home to many of the world’s most recognizable landmarks, monuments, attractions, and activities—far too many to enjoy in a single visit.

With a little planning, however, you can hit many of the city’s highlights, avoid tourist traps, and blend in with the locals. Here are six tips that will make your NYC trip a huge success!

1. Book a Guided Tour

If you want to get the full experience when visiting a particular museum or landmark, make sure you book at least one guided tour during your visit. While you can always walk these attractions on your own time, guided tours often feature additional perks and exclusive access.

What’s more, tours don’t have to be expensive. Many of them start at just a few dollars!

2. Take Advantage of the Subway System

If you’ve visited New York City in the past, you know that one of the biggest challenges is getting from point A to point B in a reasonable amount of time. If you attempt to take a car, taxi, or bus, expect to encounter your fair share of traffic jams and red lights.

Fortunately, there’s an entirely different mode of public transportation that exists—the subway. If you take the subway, you won’t need to compete with any of the above-ground traffic. Pick up a MetroCard or OMNY card to get around even faster!

3. Remember to Tip Your Wait Staff

New York City is an expensive place to live, and most waiters and waitresses don’t earn nearly enough base pay to survive. This is why tipping is considered such an important part of city dining.

Most U.S. establishments expect you to tip 15% of the total bill. However, 20% is quickly becoming the norm in New York City.

4. Keep Up the Pace

The city’s residents aren’t too understanding when it comes to walking their streets. Stopping in the middle of a busy street or going against the flow of foot traffic could lead to a few choice words being thrown in your direction.

Instead, blend in with the masses by always maintaining a brisk pace. If you must stop for any reason, be sure to enter a store or pull over against a storefront.

5. Know the City’s Boroughs

There are five boroughs in New York City—the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. Chances are that most of the sights and attractions you plan to visit will be located in Manhattan or Brooklyn. However, some of them may be tucked away in any one of the remaining three boroughs.

Before your visit, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with each of these boroughs and how to navigate them.

6. Keep an Eye Out for Scams

New York, New York is notorious for scammers who sell knock-off merchandise on the city’s street corners. The people running these tourist traps will often claim to be selling tickets to “free” comedy shows, authentic bags, and more.

If you want to save your money, avoid these stands at all costs. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is!

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