Anything & Everything New York (PART 2) - [please search thread before posting]

Fallenangel152

I must admit i have looked at the Zune, and they look pretty nice. Are they good? Hopefully older models might be reduced if a new one has come out.

treeny_bash

Hi

For the first time in about 5 years I have the whole of Christmas and New Year off, and bf and I have decided to try and get to New York for at least some of the festive period.

We reckon if we don't buy each other pressies (normally 100 quid each) and ask our parents for money instead of pressies we could end up with close to 800 quid. With this we would need to get flights and hotels, and we should manage a bit extra on top for spending money. I've had a read through this thread and am now completely overwhelmed! So I desperately need some help!

We are very much still at the concept stage for this, so I would be really very very grateful for any advice you can offer. I'm guessing that we will only be able to afford a couple of nights, and am hoping that we will be able to get hotels for around $50 dollars a night? I appreciate that everything will be more expensive for "the holidays", so are we being completely unrealistic with what we can afford, and should I try and save up a bit longer for next Christmas?

With regards to activities, we will mainly want to take lots of photos of famous sights, have lots of nice food, and bf would really like to see the David Letterman show being filmed if possible.

I guess the first place to start is to look for flights. A quick look indicates that BA and Virgin are more exensive, but is it nessecary to pay more for a bearable flight, or are all the long-hauls pretty much ok?

I'm sorry to jump stright in with loads of questions, but I can see my New York Christmas slipping away....

Many many thanks

Katrina

becky_rtw

Okay this is going to hurt...sorry!





$50 a night for a hotel - no chance!!!

First stop - check out some reviews on trip advisor for hotels in NY and the cost them up for xmas/new year :eek:

Once you've got over your shock then have a really hard look around for special offers, but tbh I wouldnt expect to do it for less than £500 each which flight costs at the moment...if you can get some bargin basement flights for say £250 each you might be able to find something hotel wise...

M4RKM

Fallenangel152 wrote: »

What are prices for iPods like? On the official Apple US site they don't seem much cheaper, do shops sell them for less?

iPod Touch 32gb is $299 plus tax is about $326, at todays exchange rate that is £197... the same thing in the UK is £229... so a saving of over £30.... what do you want? to save hundreds on an item that doesn't cost that much.... The exchange rate isn't as good as it used to be, and apple have made the dollar / pound differences a bit better than it used to be, thus making the saving smaller.

Also, you are only allowed £340 worth of goods back in the UK when you come back, so it might not be really worth it..

M

M4RKM

thank goodness it was becky that first said that $50 is totally the wrong budget for New York..

think about this... would you get a hotel in London, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow or any big city in the UK for £30 a night? think.... think.... yes.. it's totally wrong...

Bear in mind a room is per NIGHT, not per person per room, so if that $50 is EACH, you're actually wanting a room for $100... still unfeasible for a hotel with private bath... double it, and you'll be close..

M

M4RKM

Stew68 wrote: »

By the way Marky i'm enjoying your on site trip report on Trip Advisor at the moment.

what tripadvisor report.. there is no markymoo on tripadvisor.. *grins*

treeny_bash

becky_rtw wrote: »

Okay this is going to hurt...sorry!





$50 a night for a hotel - no chance!!!

First stop - check out some reviews on trip advisor for hotels in NY and the cost them up for xmas/new year :eek:

Once you've got over your shock then have a really hard look around for special offers, but tbh I wouldnt expect to do it for less than £500 each which flight costs at the moment...if you can get some bargin basement flights for say £250 each you might be able to find something hotel wise...

Thanks for the reply. The more I wrote the more ridiculous it sounded that we could pull it off, but hey, you can hope, right? I gues I've got time to read through the thread, plan properly and get things sorted for when I've got a bit of cash.

becky_rtw

Yeah sorry Treeny - I did feel bad for you...

I got a shared bathroom room in Belleclaire for £75 in April but I suspect it will be more over xmas/new year...basic but clean...and on the upper westside so not your usual tourist trap (I prefer that tbh)...

For cheap flights around that time I can recommend flying on new years eve - I paid £250ish in for that at the start of year (I've been twice this year to date )...not saying give up - but re-jig your budget - hotel is more expensive than flights...

So say you could get flights for £250 each, then a room for £100 a night - you could stay 3 nights - but its going to be pretty tight and you will definitely have to shop around...

Also are you under 26? Try somewhere like STA travel for flights - they can be cheaper

Stew68

markymoo wrote: »

what tripadvisor report.. there is no markymoo on tripadvisor.. *grins*

If i'm honest I only knew it was you when you were on another thread and you had a discussion with some guy called Phatbear:rotfl:

ran1gers2001

Heading to New York on Friday, is using my Nationwide debit/credit card the best option or should I be looking to get some currency here also?