Public Transportation in New York City - New York Metro Card

For public transportation in New York City you have two main options. They work on the same system with the same tickets so you can combine the two for the same price.

• The subway – This is almost always the fastest way to get anywhere, except late at night when taxis can, and do, fly through the city streets.


• The bus system – These aren’t used often by visitors to the city, but in certain cases they can really come in handy. Particularly for going up and down the avenues, or for people who can’t deal with lots of stairs, these can be a helpful option.

New York Metro Card prices

Single ride is $2.50 – tickets are sold at vending machines
7 day Metro Card will cost you $29.00

Please note: MTA Tickets are not sold online & are not part
of the New York Pass

Riding the subway with New York Metro Card

New York subway system can be a bit intimidating at first, and the locals do rush around so you might feel the pressure of someone right behind you in line getting ever more impatient.

To enter you have to swipe your Metro Card through a reader and then wait for the display to say, “go.” Unfortunately, this isn’t as easy as it sounds at times. It can be kind of tricky at first, but if you can’t seem to get it working you are not alone. Just watch other people and do what they do.

Safety

For many decades the New York City subway system had a reputation for being dirty and dangerous. The famous graffiti is long gone, but the stations and carriages sometimes still do suffer from people unable to find the abundant station trashcans.

The bigger issue is safety, and fortunately there is good news there as well. The amount of crime reported throughout the system is way down from its peak, but that’s not to say you shouldn’t be cautious.

Alternative to NYC public transport – hop on hop off Buses

We honestly believe that a ticket on a sightseeing bus gives greater return for the money than almost any other expenditure the traveler can make. It will save him limitless time, and while of necessity the bus will hurry him past many things he will want to examine at greater leisure. It will also show him many other things he would never have found for himself.

There are many good sightseeing systems in New York, but for purposes of illustration as to what a bus will show you we would recommend Hop on Hop off Bus Tours of New York City, there are 2 routes that will take you around the Manhattan and the stops cover very best of NYC Attractions.

While sightseeing, make sure you get your New York Pass – a sightseeing card that will provide you entry to over 80 top attractions in New York City. More info >>