Tip 1 -- Fly In
If you only have three days to spare, you'll want to fly in and Porter Airlines (flyporter.com) is a good choice to do just that.
You can take public transit to the Toronto City Centre Airport ferry and save on parking. The five-minute ferry ride is free and it will leave you right at the terminal. Inside, as you await your flight, you and the kids can enjoy free coffee, pop, water and snacks. The freebies don't stop there. On board the plane you will be served a snack box with your choice of beverage that includes free wine or beer for the grownups.
Porter flies into Newark Airport seven times a day and after comparing the price of flights, it was still the cheapest option from Toronto, even after adding a fee for getting into New York City. The cost for that is a $25 round trip if you take the Newark Liberty Airport Express (coachusa.com), a direct motorcoach that can be booked upon your arrival. Children 12 to 16 pay only $10 and those under 12 are free.
Tip 2 -- Stay in Manhattan
If you are wondering how you are going to afford a Manhattan hotel, wonder no more. With the travel industry reeling from the recession, there are lots of great deals to be had, especially if you schedule your trip during the week for even greater savings.
We stayed at the newly renovated The Hotel at Times Square (applecorehotels.com), which is a mere two blocks from the world famous tourist attraction after which it was named. The hotel was an economic choice with its double rooms starting at $129 US, including a hearty continental breakfast and free Internet. The double rooms are a great choice for a family of four because each room has a nice flat-screen TV and a good amount of space.
Tip 3 -- Buy a CityPass
Want to visit New York City's most iconic attractions for less than $100? For just $79 US, you can purchase a booklet of tickets known as the CityPass (citypass.com/city/ny.html).
Each pass includes free admission to five attractions -- Empire State Building Observatory, American Museum of Natural History, Guggenheim Museum, Musuem of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art -- and discounts for other attractions.
But the convenience doesn't end there. Each ticket has a tip on how to bypass the main ticket lines.
When we visited the American Museum of Natural History on a weekday morning we were faced with huge ticket lineups, but with our CityPass in hand we were able to bypass the crowds by going to the customer service desk.
The price for a youth (13-17) is $59 US, and while many attractions are already free or discounted for children 12 and under, you may want to consider additional youth passes for younger kids in order to bypass lineups. Check the CityPass website for a list of attraction prices for kids.
Tip 4 -- Cheap Thrills
There's no doubt that New York City is expensive, but there are many places a family can visit that won't cost a dime. The most famous of all is obviously Times Square. The best time to see the busiest intersection in the world is at night when all the neon billboards can be fully appreciated.
As well, the kids will want to check out the gigantic Toys "R" Us store with a working Ferris wheel inside, not to mention M & M's World where they can marvel at the metres of colourful chocolate adorning the walls.
Another must-see is Battery Park and its vendors. It's the place to go where you can get your caricature drawn in charcoal for $5 US, but be prepared for when the artists hit you up for another $10 to place the drawing in the protective matte you'll need in order to get the picture home intact.
And don't be surprised to see Spider-Man hamming it up with tourists or a boa constrictor wrapped around a man's neck. While we were there a large group of young men broke out into an impromptu Capoeira (Brazilian martial arts dance) performance, much to the delight of the crowds. It just goes to show you that you never know what you might see in Battery Park.
Tip 5 -- Take Transit
Although walking to many NYC attractions from Times Square is possible, you might want to give little feet a rest. The best way to do that is to pick up a one-day FunPass for $8.25 US. With this card, you can take unlimited subway and bus rides from first use until 3 a.m. the following day.
If you are worried about getting lost in the vast subway system, don't be. We were repeatedly helped by friendly New Yorkers who showed us how to get where we wanted to go with a smile.
For details the FunPass, see mta.info/metrocard/tourism.see nycgo.com.
More information
- For details on special offers, see nycgo.com.
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