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Step 1
The first thing you have to do, of course, is find a subway station. You'd be wise to buy a New York City travel guide that includes a subway map before your visit, or to peruse the map at www.mta.info ahead of time. There are numerous train lines in NYC, so the first station you stumble into won't necessarily be the best line to get you to your destination. Most station entrances are on corners, very recognizable as a big stairway descending into the ground (though there are some above-ground stations as well), and there is usually a pole with a colored globe on top mounted on the stairway which makes it easier to spot the station from afar. The downtown entrance will usually be on one side of the street, and the uptown entrance on the other side, so make sure you go into the correct one.
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Step 2
Once in the station, you will need to purchase a MetroCard (tokens have been eliminated). There are large MetroCard dispensing machines in the stations for this purpose, and you can pay with cash, credit, or debit. You can get an unlimited weekly or month card, which will allow you as many rides as you like within that period of time (though you can't swipe it twice within an 18-minute window - to ensure that you don't use it for multiple people at one time). Or you can put a set amount of your choosing onto the card. You can re-fill the card again once it runs out.
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Step 3
Swipe the MetroCard and go through the turnstile. As you swipe, a readout will show how much money you have left on your card.
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Step 4
Wait on the platform for the train. There are usually one or two freestanding maps in the middle of the platform if you need to determine your route. Signs hanging above the edge of the platform will tell you which trains stop there. As trains come in, be careful to look at the side of the train itself for its letter or number, since as many as three different trains might stop at one platform, and you want to be sure that you're boarding the appropriate one.
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Step 5
As you're getting on the train, also listen to any announcements that the conductor might be making. Sometimes he or she will announce that the train is going to skip a stop, that it will be running an unusual route, or that a local train will suddenly go express. (Note: "Local" trains make every stop, whereas "Express" trains skip many stops on a route and hit the main thoroughfares, like 14th Street, 34th Street, and 42nd Street.)
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Step 6
Essentially what you have in Manhattan are lines that run up and down the island (walking or taking buses is the best way to get crosstown), and they stop about every 5-10 blocks. The subway stops are generally referred to by their street name, sometimes in combination with a descriptive name - for instance "42nd Street - Times Square". Because Manhattan is on a grid, with numbered avenues east to west and streets south to north, you can often figure out where to get off the train with some logic and simple math.
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Step 7
Once off the train, you need only locate an exit. Unlike some other city subways, the New York City transit system does not require you to re-swipe your card as you leave.
