If you’re about to discover the Big Apple for the first time, check out our handy guide to organising your trip.
We’ve put together an idea for a 4-day itinerary tohelp you make the most of your days in New York. Below, you’ll find practical information to help you organise your trip at your leisure: which flights to choose, recommended visits, getting around… Discover all our advice.
Please note that as an accredited tailor-made travel designer, I can help you create your own tailor-made trip to New York and draw up a personalised itinerary tailored to your needs. Please send me an email at: contact@mademoiselle-voyage.fr
For all EVISA applications for the United States, I recommend that you visit this very detailed and easy-to-use website, which specialises in visas , to apply online.
TABLE OF CONTENTS :
| AIRPORT TRANSFER – > ACCOMMODATION
I suggest you save time by booking your transfer from the airport to your accommodation in advance!
You can choose to travel in a saloon car, SUV, limousine or van! Not a bad way to start your trip to the Big Apple!
| ON-SITE ASSISTANCE TO HELP YOU ORGANISE YOUR TRIP
Are you behind with organising your trip? Have you run out of time? Are you afraid of wasting time on site having to look for everything? Call on someone to welcome you to New York and give you all the keys you need to get your trip off on the right foot! A guide will be on hand to explain everything you need to know to make the most of your stay: how to get around, buy a ticket (bus, metro, taxi, ferry, etc.), leave a tip, understand the taxes applied in shops, know what a chemist’s or mini-market looks like, find good ideas for eating, walking, entertainment, shopping, and find nice places close to your accommodation.
➡️ Check here for availability and book in advance
| THE UNDERGROUND AND TAXIS IN NEW YORK
I’d advise you to take the metro as often as possible, as it’s the most practical, the most efficient and, above all, the cheapest. If you’re staying in NYC for several days, take the weekly card (7 days) which will be very cost-effective as you’ll be walking a lot in NYC.
-
Underground
Buy the Unlimited Metrocard either from a machine at the entrance to the metro or at the ticket office. This card, which is activated the first time you use it, is unlimited for 7 days and costs $32 (+ $1 for the card). These cards can be bought in the metro, at machines or at ticket offices. If you plan to take the bus as well as the metro, opt for the 7-day Express bus pass for $55.
As a guide, a single journey on the metro or local bus costs $2.75, while the express bus costs $6. If you’re only planning a few journeys, I recommend the Regular Metrocard. You credit the amount of your choice and you only pay for the journeys you make, i.e. $2.75/journey. The New York underground is open 24 hours a day and is divided into several coloured lines, like the one in Paris. On each colour, you have lines called LOCALES, which stop at all stations.
The EXPRESS lines stop at the main stations. The island of Manhattan is divided into 3 parts: UPTOWN (Central Park and Harlem), MIDTOWN (Times Square, etc.) and DOWNTOWN (Soho and the financial district). If nothing is specified, this means that you have access in both directions. The New York underground is safe at any time of the day or night. It is considered to be one of the safest in the world, but there is no such thing as zero risk!
-
Taxi
Green taxis only go to the north of Manhattan, otherwise there are over 13,000 yellow taxis in NYC! To hail one, it’s very simple, just stand at the side of the road and put your hands up to show them that you’re there. They always stop unless they’re full!
-
Uber
You can use Uber and Lyft to get around NYC.
| BANKS, WITHDRAWALS AND BANK CHARGES IN NEW YORK
If you’re at BNP, you’re in luck because you can apparently withdraw money free of charge at Bank of America (otherwise it would cost you €3 + 2.90% of the amount withdrawn). It’s easy to spot because the ATM is all red. At Crédit Agricole, the fixed fee is €3.25 + 2% of the amount withdrawn. The cheapest would be Hello Bank with 2% of the amount withdrawn, but it’s hard to get an account with them! (We talk about this in our round-the-world article). Be aware that some local banks charge you a fee per withdrawal in addition to your bank charges!
I’m currently with Crédit Agricole and I’ve had quite a few charges for withdrawals: about $3 per withdrawal and €2-3 for each card payment. Over 3 days on the spot, I must have had 80€ in bank charges so think of withdrawing a good sum on the spot!
Good plan: for change your euros into dollars, meet in front of Grand Central Station, in the visitor center One Grand Central Place. Head inside to the right, next to the central bank, to get one of the best rates in town.
| THE CITY PASS FOR YOUR VISITS
If you’re planning 10 of the city’s most iconic sights, including the Empire State Building, Top of The Rock, the MOMA, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, the Circle Line cruise and the Statue of Liberty.
➡️ Buy citypass here to save time
It’s practical because you can avoid long queues and save money!
| ROOFTOPS
Don’t leave New York without visiting at least one rooftop restaurant. It’s one of the best places to have a drink, but also to enjoy the crazy views of these skyscrapers, each one higher than the next. Don’t forget to take your ID with you, as you’ll be asked for it at the entrance (even if you look older!).
| ORGANISED VISITS
Only in NYC for a few days? Feel like seeing something new? You don’t want to miss out on NYC, its neighbourhoods and its best addresses, so book a guided tour in French! Today’s guided tours are modern and fun, and make the most of your day. In a small group, you’ll walk the streets together, learn anecdotes and take the tour with someone who lives in New York. Forget all your preconceptions about boring guides and trust me. I’ve already used their services in Miami and I loved the tour of the Wynwood district.
I’ll let you discover the different tours below and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me to help you make your choices:
| On foot
- Soho, Greenwich village and the Meatpacking district: the Meatpacking district is one of my favourite neighbourhoods.
- Harlem: to discover a Gospel mass and a unique living neighbourhood.
- The street art of Bushwick in Brooklyn: such a stylish neighbourhood!
- Lower East Side, Chinatown and Little Italy: neighbourhoods you don’t think about so much…
- Discovering StreetArt and the banks of the East River in Queens: intriguing, isn’t it?
| By bike
- Guided walking tour of Central Park: because it’s full of anecdotes…
- The guided bike tour of Central Park: because Central Park is just immense and it’s great fun to pedal, I have very fond memories of it!
- A bike ride in unusual Brooklyn: hum, I’ll do that one next time as it really tickles my fancy!
| To do as the New Yorkers do
- 1 hour of yoga and muscle toning in Central Park: it’s so New York, a must-do, you’ll be totally relaxed!
| For bon vivants like us
- A food tour in Eastvillage to discover some of NYC’s must-try specialities.
| To visit Midtown in a fun and original way, and why not with the whole family?
| To have nice photos of your couple or your little family (well taken, not crooked or blurred)
- I want my photo shoot to take place in iconic NYC locations.
| To see New York and the Statue of Liberty in a different way and by boat
| For a marriage proposal, a romantic dinner or just a nice moment together
| To show off and show off a bit… get into a limousine!
| PRACTICAL GUIDES TO THE CITY
These days I’m a fan of smaller, authentic guides that offer something a bit different and not just the backpacker addresses that everyone else goes to. That’s why I recommend the Evasion guide for NYC. All you’ll find there are good addresses, suggestions for places to visit, ideas for walks that are off the beaten track and several maps of the different districts.
Please note that as an accredited tailor-made travel designer, I can help you create your own tailor-made trip to New York and put together a personalised itinerary tailored to your needs. Please send me an email at: contact@mademoiselle-voyage.fr
For all EVISA applications for the United States, I recommend that you visit this very detailed and easy-to-use website, which specialises in visas and allows you to apply online.
You can discover New York in a different way with all the guided tours I’ve mentioned, and to be honest, it’s a wonderful discovery. I invite you to read our 4-day itinerary, which includes our favourite restaurants and hotels. If you’ve got any other addresses to share, any other well-kept secrets about New York, don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments, and I’ll add them as I go along!
