New york pass and hop on hop off bus

[Hvr]

I did the red hop on hop off bus when I was there recently and loved it. The included night tour to Brooklyn is great and well worth it. I also did the day tour to Brooklyn and walked back over the Brooklyn Bridge.

The demands for tips was an eye opener.

The hardest thing I in NYC was finding a public toilet, they are essentially non-existent. Even Maccas only have one or two toilets and they really want you to eat there before use. The queues were horrendous and some of them were absolutely disgusting. So glad I am a man.

Yes the subway is magnificent and I used it many, many times even late at night. My only problem was working the touch screen, for some reason they just wouldn't work for me.

 

[Pollywaffle]

I usually take a hop on hop off bus in new cities but NY is a place I never did. After about 4 trips there, I would not bother.

I agree the buses and subway are best. $29 for a week's worth of travel is dirt cheap. I understand there are economies of scale but when I compare NYC transport to what I deal with in Sydney, my blood pressure rises.

It's a great city and I can't wait to visit again.

The hardest thing I in NYC was finding a public toilet, they are essentially non-existent.

Hotels are the answer. There are so many that you are never far away from a loo.

 

[rechoboam]

I usually take a hop on hop off bus in new cities but NY is a place I never did. After about 4 trips there, I would not bother.

I agree the buses and subway are best. $29 for a week's worth of travel is dirt cheap. I understand there are economies of scale but when I compare NYC transport to what I deal with in Sydney, my blood pressure rises.

It's a great city and I can't wait to visit again.



Hotels are the answer. There are so many that you are never far away from a loo.

Can't just be economies of scale- Vienna and Zurich are tiny compared to Sydney or Melbourne and do public transport perfectly.

Of course Manhattan is something else- densest population, least car use and (probably) the most environmentally friendly city in the entire USA.

 

[Peabody]

Another vote for the subway/buses. The hop-on-hop-off busses are a rip off and they expect a tip every five minutes! Also stay away from hotel maps, either use your smart phone maps or take a photo of the map in the hotel. You look like a fool with a huge map in the streets and stand out as a tourist.

all the avenues go from east to west & streets from north to south

By the way Streets go East/West, Avenues go North/South.

 

[Pushka]

Another vote for the subway/buses. The hop-on-hop-off busses are a rip off and they expect a tip every five minutes! Also stay away from hotel maps, either use your smart phone maps or take a photo of the map in the hotel. You look like a fool with a huge map in the streets and stand out as a tourist.



By the way Streets go East/West, Avenues go North/South.

Seriously? I didn't tip once on the HoHo bus. And was never asked for one. Be careful using your smart phone if you have location or data services activated. It will cost you a bomb.

 

[Peabody]

Seriously? I didn't tip once on the HoHo bus. And was never asked for one. Be careful using your smart phone if you have location or data services activated. It will cost you a bomb.

I tipped one good guide on the HoHo but not everyone, they did ask every time I got off which was very off putting.

Also I own an American MiFi device so use that to avoid high data fees on my mobile however there are many apps available which store maps without the need for internet connectivity, search for SmartMaps for example.

 

[zig]

Seriously? I didn't tip once on the HoHo bus. And was never asked for one. Be careful using your smart phone if you have location or data services activated. It will cost you a bomb.

I thought they were quite blatant in requesting tips at each stop, each guide had their own little spiel that they rattled off asking for a tip for themselves and the driver.
There are a couple of threads on the site about purchasing a US sim for phone and data which will ensure you don't get gauged global roaming charges.