Half Term In New York

[Belindabelle]

I have been looking around for a holiday for half term and a week in NY for four is coming out cheaper than a week all inclusive in Cypress. I have never been to NY before but I bet some of you have and I wondered if you could answer a few questions.

Which airport, JFK or Newark?
Do you just get a taxi from the airport. How much?
Where do I want to stay? Midtown, Downtown, Times Square.
Any hotel recommendations? The Plaza and Waldorf have come up in budget but are they just too posh for us.
Should I book B&B or just go with room only?
How much spending money for food and drink per day per head? DS,s are 16 and 9.
What attractions should we definitely see?

Sorry about all the questions and not using the travel topic but our half term is in 3 weeks and as usual DH is away and has left it all to me. We normally holiday in the UK but didn't manage to get away in the summer so I want to push the boat out. Also this is likely to be our last holiday with DS1 so would like it to be memorable.

Thank you.

Vida

The train from Newark to a Penn Station in Manhattan is about $12, I believe but then you've got to get from Penn Station to your hotel, which might prove tricky. Yellow cabs are notorious for not taking short journeys with luggage. You could walk, depending on where your hotel is, but even a few blocks with luggage is tricky when it's such a busy part of town. As there are 4 of you, I would just get a cab. Get one from an official rank and you'll pay the full amount including tip, before you get in the cab, so no nasty surprises when you get to your destination. Last cab I took from Newark was $65 including tip and this was from a rank where you pre-pay.

Don't be tempted with shuttle buses as they are usually more expensive if there's more than one of you and everyone in the bus gets dropped off at their hotel so you could be on it for a long while.

When you say 'including tip', do you mean they say the price and that's what you give them, no more. Or the price you paid is what the total was and you added a tip on yourself?

Tired and ill so very possible that's a stupid question. Humour me.

Not a stupid question, tipping is v. difficult to get the hang of. I still agonise over who I should tip and who I shouldn't, never mind how much. In restaurants it's fairly simple but everything else, such as hairdressers, handymen, UPS guy etc- agonising!

I just paid the bloke at the rank, no money changes hands in the taxi at all, so it was $65 in total. The fella you pay tells you not to give the driver a tip directly and that the driver is fully aware of this.

I don't really know enough about the system at JFK but I am sure someone on here does, if you decide to fly there.

Don't worry too much about this aspect of your trip. There are plenty of people around at the airport to help you get into Manhattan safely, either by train, cab or shuttle and to make sure you don't get ripped off.

Yes, it's tightly regulated, so you're pretty safe. For the sake of a few dollars at the end of a long flight and looong wait in immigration, a cab is definitely worth it.

Ah I see Thank you Egg Tipping is a minefield here so the tipping in USA was baffling me slightly.

Yy Three We're just going to get a cab although a friend recommended the train in.

Quick tip guide:

Tips in restaurants, bars and cabs are not optional. They're considered part of the bill and that's the way workers earn their wages over there so you must, must tip. Expect your waiter to follow you out of the restaurant to find out what was wrong if you fail to leave a tip.

18% in restaurants is a good general figure, but do check a service charge hasn't already been added onto your bill. More and more places seem to be doing this lately. An additional tip isn't expected if a service charge has been added.

Tipping in cafés would depend if you had table service or not. For example you wouldn't normally tip in Starbucks but you would be expected to tip in a coffee shop if your order was taken at your table.

$1 per drink in a bar (though not drinks served to a table as part of a meal)

15-20% in a cab

You'll be asked for a tip on the tour bus and the boat, or if you have a guided tour of a museum etc. This isn't obligatory but if you've had a good guide, do tip. A few dollars is fine.

Can't think of any other circumstances where you'll be expected to tip on a holiday

Thank you Egg really useful.

we stayed in two rooms at Hotel Chandler, a great mumsnet recommendation from an old thread. My sister also went and stayed there due to the thread.

really helpful concierge, great location, you can walk to several tubes (on various lines) but best of all is the place opposite that does breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, cakes, bagels, it's brilliant. we had breakfast there everyday, got stuff there if we needed a picnic, or went over there for supper when we were tired and had no energy to go anywhere else!

we too booked a big apple greeter, lovely man who showed us around for half a day. we enjoyed grand central station (nice food hall underneath), central park - walked down to toy shop and sweet shop. Got tube to Brooklyn and then walked back over the bridge, that was my favourite part.

Dont stay near Times Square.

We were there in August. It was fab. Most things we did have been mentioned. Would also recommend hiring bikes and cycling round Central Park. We stayed in the Skyline. A bit dated, but fine. Bonus was it had a pool which the boys loved.

Ooh op I'm so jel NYC is amazing

Hello op here. Just to let you know that we are all booked up and ready to go.

Thank you so much to everybody who has contributed to this. I have spent some time trawling through old threads and now feel I have the ultimate guide to New York.

Don't think a week is going to be long enough to fit everything in but we will try.

Most of the hotels recommended were full but I have bookmarked them for next time. After much deliberation we are staying at Le Parker Meridien near to Carnegie Hall and the famous Carnegie Deli. We have a junior suite to give us a little more space and there is a rooftop pool overlooking Central Park. Was really tempted by the Waldorf Astoria but I don't think my children will appreciate the grandeur. Will save that for when it is just DH and I.

Now I just have to decide what clothes I am taking. Apparently October can range from 12-23'c.

I am going to ask for this to be moved out of chat and into travel.

I have been to by six times and prefer staying in Murray hill area and usually in an affinia hotel

Just popped on to recommend the Food Walking Tour in and around Bleeker St. It was great fun to hear some history and do some food tasting.

If you're staying at Parker Meridien you have to go to the secret burger joint behind the velvet curtain. And come back and tell us what it's like, because we tried to go but the DC couldn't face the queue (queue wasn't huge but DC were restless).

I think Newark is a better option to fly into, the immigration queues at JFK can take 2 hours - not fun with children after a long flight!

Newark is no better in my experience.

Hi there
We've moved this to Longhaul travel.
Happy holidays all

Great Thanks!

Have a great time, Belinda. Best city in the world x

We're going to New York October half term
We are flying with British Airways and booked our hotel through them as well as worked out cheaper.we're flying to JFK and staying in the financial district.
My dh spends alot of time in New York through work but myself and dd have never been so we're really excited.
Hope you have a good tome op

We stayed at the Marriott Midtown and it was great... one room, two double beds and not the usual shoebox.

I also second doing Top of the Rock and we got a great deal on the buses... four days for the price of two and we used them all the time to go here and there. Statten Island Ferry is free if you want to see the Statue of Liberty but are not bothered about actually going inside.

Do you need to buy bus passes in advance or when you get there?

I'm sure you are overwhelmed with the tips already given but I just wanted to flag up that you are likely to be there for Haloween at half term if you stay for the whole week. New Yorkers make a big fuss about Haloween with a parade from Greenwich Village. Factor this into your plans.

Very happy to have come across this thread. We are also going to NY in October half-term and staying at the Hotel Giraffe which someone on here has recommended. First time for DH and boys and years since I have been there so we are excited! I am a lists person but, despite having known about the trip for months, have only now started to research what to do/where to go. Someone mentioned booking for Statue of Liberty, unfortunately that is now all booked up for the crown until mid-November but you can still go to the base. Not sure I am too bothered as there is just soooo much to do.