Traveling to NY on my own

metrobus

Only know the jfk airport options.

A real good book guide and map of the city is

The new york mapguide by michael middleditch.

you can get for about a fiver if you search online.

janey_uk

Virgin have recently had a deal on £229 flights to New York. Obviously it's cheaper to fly midweek, but that's the best I've seen. Can be cheaper to fly to Newark (than JFK) I found.

Transport wise there's a great service you can book at the travel counter in Newark Airport that gets you a 45 minute bus transfer to Manhatten and then a local cab transfer to your hotel door - I went a while ago, but it was only about $15 and saved having to worry about finding my way round when I got there at night. The local cab transfer covers the whole area so it doesn't matter where you are staying. I recall our cab was something like a renovated ice-cream van with a lively singing driver! Got us there and made us smile.

When you're there you can get a form of citipass that gives reduced access to major attractions (Empire State, Museum of Modern Art etc) which can be purchased at all of them. Check your itinerary carefully as we bought the largest package and couldn't get round them all in a week!

Oooh! I want a dunkin donuts coffee just thinking about it!

pricey1976

I'll actually be flying from London, had another look at flights tonight and they seem to have gone up in price a little from yesterday. Could have something to do with the Budget I guess. I'm not booking the flights till begining of April anyway so plenty of time to shop around.

Thanks for the transport info Alison, I picked the Hostel because of the location to be honest. Looked kind of central.

pricey1976

Yeah Virgin have put their prices back up now, i'm half tempted to hold off on the flights for a while to see what sales come round the corner but then there's always the risk of them going up in price. Especially with all the environment talk that's been in the media recently.

p00pieb0tt0m

I really enjoy travelling on my own. I like my own company and love being in sole charge of the agenda. I have previously travelled to Los Angeles, Orlando(twice) and Benidorm.
I am female and took all these trips before I turned 25.

Maisie

You'll have a great time.

Get some loose change for taxis etc as often they'll say they don't have change and you'll end up giving them a large note.

ms_london

I really dont understand why people dont want to travel on their own, or are scared!! Its only for a few nights anyway, so I am sure you'll be fine - travelling on your own is the best thing you'll ever do. I'm in Australia and came here on my own & will be continuing my ongoing trip on my own. Its so liberating and you meet so many people.

If I'd waited for someone else to go travelling with then I still wouldnt be here.

Have the best time - you'll have a blast!!

nikibella

Hi
I have travelled on my own many times and always enjoyed it.
One thing is important for people travelling on their own. You need to be more informed than anyone else. So try to read as much as possible about your destination beforehand, visit websites, buy the most updated guide, and when you're there buy the local newspaper and read the section on what's on in town. I managed to see assist to a concert by Luciano Pavarotti in Beijing (part of his farewell tour) because I read the China daily.
An additional advantage of being more informed is that you can give advice to the others and find new friends.
Have a wonderful stay, NY is fabulous.
Niki

DKLS

Practice your queens english accent, the girls will love you big time, Very sexually forward women, they chase you if they fancy you. You will love it.
Very different sexual politics over there.

hardupblonde

Don't know if you've already thought about this but if you want a cheap flight the best option is to go as a courier. There are a lot of airlines flying into NY and most of the big ones have 1 courier onboard carrying documentation for cargo being carried in the hold. It's ideal for someone travelling on their own and it's soooo easy, just pick up your tickets at the gate and they'll hand you your documents. When you land at your destination you go through customs and someone will be waiting for you at arrivals to take the package. All legal and above board. I am ex BA staff and have done this a couple of times (went to Dubai for £70!). You can check out BA.COM for more details or just google courier flights and you'll get other options. Good luck on the trip, you will have a ball and as others have said the New Yorkers are great, so friendly and helpful. Good idea before you go is to get a good guide book and look at everywhere you want to see in advance. You can then plan out where to go each day instead of doubling back on yourself, ie do Statue of Liberty, World Trade Centre site, Century 21 Discount Store (fab if you want some great designer bargains) in one day, Soho, Chinatown, Little Italy and Greenwich Village another day, Central Park, Dakota Building, Strawberry Fields all on West side, East Side Bloomingdales, St Patricks Cathedral, Madison Ave and you may be able to squeeze in Empire State Building on the same day if you're not a shopper like me. Very easy to get around as its like a grid map so you shouldn't get lost too often (apart from Greenwich Village). Tip for Empire State Building, go very early as the queues are horrendous. Another tip, flat pack a couple of holdalls in your suitcase because you are bound to bring things back (you can't not shop in NY) but beware there is a sales tax on top of the price you will see on a price tag. As for eating out, near to Times Square there is an area known as the jewellery district which has loads of little shops selling gold etc. In that area we used to go out for breakfast and found a great place selling lovely food (can't remember what it's called but there are loads about). It was always full of regulars and the chat was fantastic, so go somewhere authentic that New Yorkers go to and you'll get a good insight of what New Yorkers are all about. We went out for a night to a restaurant called Tribeca Grill (near WTC) which is part owned by Robert de Niro and he was in the night we were in and spoke to us! Worth it if you have a bit of spare cash, food was very good but quite pricey, but it's not every day you get to chat to de Niro is it? Like I said, read the guide books before you go, scan them for good restaurants, shops etc and you can't go wrong. I'd quite happily visit NY on my own, best holiday I ever had. Have a great time.:D