-
Step 1
Plan ahead and leave time for plenty of research. Sign up for Travelzoo to get alerts about budget travel New York City and see if you can plan your vacation around a good travel deal. Pick up a copy of the Let's Go travel guide in your library, or access it online. The Let's Go guides are written by college students who are themselves looking for cheap places to travel. Browse through other travel books for tips on traveling on the cheap. Do some reading on Yahoo Travel and budget travel websites.
-
Step 2
Use one of the popular travel websites to find the best airfare. There is no site that always has the best deals on all flights, so try several of them and compare. Try Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz, Cheapoair, Air Gorilla, and Priceline. Because so many flights fly into and out of New York City every day, there are always deals on flights there, even at the last minute. If you have some flexibility in your schedule, try flying on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Airlines generally have the best prices on those days since they are unpopular travel days. Also try getting tickets on Craig's List. People often sell their frequent flyer vouchers.
-
Step 3
Research budget accommodations. Accommodation is generally the most expensive part of the trip. If you are comfortable staying at a hostel, you can get a bed in a shared room for as little as $15 a night, and have use of a kitchen where you can cook your own meals. Families and groups can often get private rooms. Most hostels do not have age limits, but check before you book. A few hostels do impose age limits, with the most common cutoff ages being 24 and 40. You can also check Craig's List for subletting options. You can sometimes get a great deal on a short term rental for an apartment. Prices often go down at the last minute as subletters get desperate. Also consider staying in Brooklyn. It's not only for budget travel in New York City. It's a thriving place where most of the artists fled when their traditional haunts in Manhattan became overpriced during the housing boom.
-
Step 4
Do some of your own cooking. If you stay at a hostel with a kitchen, your food expenses can be minimal. You can also bring a hot plate or a small two burner portable electric stove and some collapsible camping pots and pans with you and cook in your room. There are inexpensive eateries all over the city and you can also pack your own meals and take them with you.
-
Step 5
Take public transportation wherever you go. There is an extensive public transportation system and you can get almost anywhere you need to go by subway, bus, or ferry. Visit the MTA website for schedules and details about transportation passes.
-
Step 6
Take advantage of free entertainment in the city. Entertainment is the easy part of budget travel in New York City. There are many free siteseeing options, like free cruises on the Staten Island Ferry to look at the Statue of Liberty. Many parks have free film screenings, free concerts and other free performances. Most museums have one day of the week when admission is free. Off-broadway shows are reasonably priced. Check out the About.com NYC travel page for up to date information on free and low cost entertainment ideas.
Comments
1960texan said
on 1/11/2009 Great tips and ideas. 5 *'s.
bossypants said
on 1/10/2009 Outstanding collection of ideas and resources fofr traveling to NYC on a budget. I had never heard of some of the resources you provided. Thanks!
ethoslogos said
on 1/9/2009 Fantastic tips on planning budget travel to New York City. Terrific resources and very specific advice on hostels and cooking for further savings.