Travel tips for New York City
Everything you need to know before visiting New York City — money, transport, getting in and when to go.
Planning essentials
Visas, budgets, packing, eSIMs and the cultural etiquette worth knowing before you land.
Getting around
Using OMNY or a MetroCard on the subway, which runs 24/7, taking the free Staten Island Ferry for skyline views, and why a rental car is a liability rather than an asset within the city itself.
When to go
Humid, hot summers from June to August, cold and often snowy winters from December to February, cherry blossoms in spring, and peak fall foliage in the Hudson Valley through October. Month-by-month guides to what to expect.
Good to know about travel tips for New York
The United States is not in the European Union and not in the Schengen area — a European Health Insurance Card is worthless here, and most European visitors enter instead on an ESTA under the Visa Waiver Program rather than a visa, applied for online before flying. 875% in New York City, added only at the register or the check; tipping 18 to 20% in restaurants and bars is expected, not optional the way rounding up is elsewhere. New York City runs on Eastern Time, UTC-5 in winter as EST and UTC-4 in summer as EDT, six hours behind Paris, Berlin, Rome and Madrid year-round since both regions shift their clocks in the same direction. Driving is on the right.
Three airports serve the region: JFK and LaGuardia in Queens, and Newark Liberty across the Hudson in New Jersey. From JFK, yellow cabs charge a city-set flat fare to Manhattan rather than running the meter; from LaGuardia and Newark the meter applies instead, and traffic on the Van Wyck or the Long Island Expressway can double a trip at rush hour. The AirTrain is free only between terminals at JFK and Newark — the onward leg to the subway or LIRR at Jamaica or Howard Beach, or to NJ Transit at Newark, is a separate paid fare. 90 a ride, and it is the fastest way across Manhattan at almost any hour, traffic included.
None of this changes at the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island specifically: ferry departures there run on their own schedule and can be affected by wind or security lines, which is a timing fact, not a currency or visa one.
Frequently asked questions about travel tips for New York
What currency is used in New York?
The US dollar. Card and contactless payment are accepted almost everywhere, including food carts, but tipping 18 to 20% in restaurants and bars is expected on top of the bill, not optional.
How far is New York from Boston?
About 350 km, roughly 4 hours by Amtrak from Penn Station, or 4 to 5 hours by car or bus depending on traffic on I-95 — a genuine separate city, not a suburb of New York.
How far is JFK from Manhattan?
About 25 km; the yellow-cab flat fare covers the whole trip regardless of traffic, while the AirTrain to Jamaica or Howard Beach plus the subway is slower but far cheaper.
Is New York expensive to visit?
Yes, notably so for hotels, restaurants and Broadway tickets, especially in summer and around the holidays — worth budgeting for well in advance.
Do I need a visa for New York?
Most European visitors travel under the ESTA Visa Waiver Program rather than a visa, applied for online before departure; visitors from countries outside that program need a full US visa, and neither an EU passport nor Schengen status has any bearing on US entry.
Trip Planning
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