Is there anyway...Going to New York on a budget?

[MandJfromfkirkhorrid]

DCs would love to go to New York, they will be 10 and 9 next year. We would have to go during school holiday...is there anyway we could get cheap flights etc? Our budget would need to be 1k for flights and hotel for 3-4 nights! Is there any way?

I have just travelled to New York on Norwegian airline and apparently they are going to start budget trips to JFK next March.
If you book well in advance you may get flights (adult) for about £480 with Delta airlines. There are budget hostels you could look into in Manhattan. Probably best to book through something like expedia where it is cheaper to do flight and hotel/hostel together.

I really recommend the larchmont hotel for reasonably priced accommodation!

Are you suggesting 3 or 4 of you go for £1000? I would honestly say this is impossible . The flights are difficult to get at under £500 so you are already over budget. Be very wary of non direct flight with iffy airlines. Not suggesting Norwegian is, but my DD went TAP recently and it was a nightmare! I was going to suggest staying in Brooklyn which is cheaper but you then have transport costs. Nothing in New York is cheap either. It is just not that sort of place. Purchase tax and tipping greatly add to any bill! Sorry to be gloomy.

Just did a quick look on Expedia. Even the airport hotels are £500 plus pp. These hotels are obviously a waste of time so I think you might have to save up a bit more, like double. NY is fabulous though.

And three nights is no way enough you need at least five. I just wouldn't go knowing that I'm on a strict budget. The only thing that is cheap is food really but even that is times four. I would definitely look into Brooklyn it's dead easy to get around from there and the weekly passes are cheep compared to London. I would save madly for the next three years and go when they are older.

Millymolly - what was the problem with TAP? I was considering a flight to Miami with them, are they really bad?

Why did you regret it Pickleback? We were thinking of taking dc in the next year or two. They would be 11 and 13yrs.

Is that £1k each op?

Well I can completely forget about that little dream for a couple of years then.

Thank you all for your advice and a bit if reality.

I agree that delaying it would be best plan. There is loads of walking and museums and shopping to do so teenage years would probably be better.
4 or 5 nights would be good as others have suggested. I go for 5 nights at a time as my son and family live in New York. You can see everything in that length of time.
Think of it as an ongoing project! Exciting planning and research.

I do think you can do New York pretty cheaply when you get there. You can eat very cheaply and just walking around keeps you busy for hours. There are some free museums I believe too.

But yes, you'll be looking at more like £1k per person for flights and accommodation.

When DD flew with TAP, she was delayed for 10 hours in Lisbon after a 2 hour delay in London! Her luggage was tampered with and items were stolen. We think in Lisbon Airport. As you may know, you cannot lock luggage when going to the USA. Her bag was fairly old and hadn't got the USA approved locks. Insured but a total pain. Our insurance company says this happens all the time. TAP just did not have another plane, hence the long delay and only fly about 2 times a day to NY. If you look at BA and AA, they have a huge number of daily flights to NYC from London, so getting on another flight is actually possible. I would never use TAP or in fact any airline that stops on the way to the USA. It is just not worth it! Pay a bit more and go direct.

Hotel rooms are generally priced per room rather than pp so not as expensive as London, for instance. Food and sightseeing is not so costly either. It's the flights that cost the most.

I loved Staybridge suites. Central location and has own little kitchenette for storing cooking food.

A lot of shopping to be done in ny. Doing that on a budget is tricky!