New York City is an amazing place. It’s also an expensive place, and a very frugal traveller might hesitate to plan a vacation in the Big Apple. But there are ways to enjoy a New York City trip without spending a ton of money. And in some ways, the low cost options for travellers
are better than the pricey popular picks.
I’ve visited the Statue of Liberty and the observation deck of the Empire State Building. Personally, I didn’t think too highly of either attraction. You have to do a lot of waiting in line, and while you get some nice views, it all feels a bit underwhelming. In my opinion, there’s a better way to find lovely views of the city: ride the Staten Island ferry. It’s free, and you’ll get views of the Statue of Liberty and downtown Manhattan.
You know what else is free? Walking. You can walk around midtown Manhattan and see such famous sites as Times Square, Radio City Music Hall, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and of course, the Empire State Building. If you’d like someone to tour you on your walk, look online for free walking tours of New York City to sign up for. There are some great options available.
If you love museums, then you’ll be happy to know that the American Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art both charge admission at “suggested” or “recommended” rates, which means that visitors can choose to pay less than the general admission charge if they purchase tickets on-site.
The idea that you can obtain museum tickets at a price of your own discretion is unclear to most visitors, and the Met in particular strongly highlights the general admission price. Simply be nice as you purchase your tickets directly from the museum’s admissions desk, and it should be all right. Note that the ticket for the Met also grants you same-week admission to the Cloisters museum and gardens.
Enjoy your budget friendly New York vacation! I realize that I haven’t covered accommodations, but it’s not too hard to find good deals on New York Vacation Rentals
and low cost boutique hotels.
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