For every multiple of $10 that you put on the pay-as-you-go Metrocard, you get $12 on the card. Put in $20, get $24 worth of rides. Since the subway costs $2, you could, for instance, put in $10 but get 6 rides instead of 5.

The 7-day unlimited pass costs $24. For that you could get a $20 pass with a $24 value, i.e., 12 subway rides, and still have another $4 to buy 2 more rides for a total of 14 rides. If you're in the city for 5 days, you'd break even at a little less than 3 rides per day per card. Yes, each person has to have their own card.

If your decision is at all borderline in financial terms, I'd go for the unlimited passes, so you aren't always counting and strategizing about the farecards.

Have you seen this comparison chart?

http://www.mta.info/metrocard/compare.htm

Hi missypie, here's how the Metrocards work out (some of this is as you indicated):

- Pay-per-ride. For every $10 put on the card, you get $2 bonus (one free ride). Free bus-to-subway, subway-to-bus, and bus-to-bus* transfer within 2 hours of the initial swipe through the reader. (Bus-to-bus does not work if you are reversing direction, i.e., one bus uptown and the next downtown.)
- What they mean by "up to 4 people" is you can swipe the card 4 times to get 4 people through the turnstile at one go. When you go to transfer, it will say "4 Xfer OK".

- Unlimited rides. Card can only be used once every 18 minutes (unless making a transfer as above).
- $7 Fun Pass for one day
- $24 weekly pass (7 days)
- monthly pass (not applicable in your case!)

Now comes the tricky part: How much use you will be making of the subway. A $24 unlimited costs the equivalent of 14 rides on the pay-per-ride (with the $4 bonus for paying $20).

IMO, having the unlimited passes really helps for peace of mind: you can hop on or off any city bus or subway without thinking about it. When you're running all over town, being able to hop on a bus for a little less legwork really helps!

Whatever your choice, get your Metrocards from the vending machines located in every subway station. Vending machines take ATM and credit cards; the larger sized ones also take cash. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be a way to purchase multiple cards in one transaction, so you will have to repeat for each card you get.

Go to the token booth (these days, usually only manned at larger stations) and get subway maps. They'll also have bus maps; ask for the Manhattan one. The bus maps are great for their geographic accuracy (unlike the subway map) and detail - but they do unfold to be a pretty large size!

Are any of your family of 5 children under 44 inches tall? If yes, they ride for free.

You will have to weigh convenience against cost. There may be some days when you won't need a subway or bus at all, that you're staying in one area and walking everywhere. Then perhaps buying individual one-day cards might be more economical, but you'd have to keep stopping to buy them when needed. (And these are NOT 24-hour passes--they are good from the time you first scan them 'til about 3AM the next day.)

While in NY for 4 days, we bought the 7-day Unlimited Passes. They cost $24 each (two adults riding). We figured that by using them only twice a day for round trips ($8), we saved a bundle of money. Then we gave the passes to our bellman as we left the hotel so he could ride out the remaining three days.

Thanks for these great explanations; I leave for ten days in NYC on Friday.

And the next most important hint I can share about the MetroCard: People find it tricky at first to scan the MetroCard in the subway turnstiles. You push it forward through a slot, much like scanning a credit card. If you scan it correctly, the small screen will read 'Go.' If you don't scan it at just the right speed, the small screen will read 'Please scan again at this same turnstile.'

If at first you don't succeed, scan, scan again AT THE SAME TURNSTILE. Do not be tempted in your frustration to try a different turnstile--you will be charged another fare. If you are on a pass, you will have to wait 18 minutes to try scanning again.

On the bus, you insert the card in a slot, it is drawn down, and then pops up to you--much easier and less tricky.

Thank you so much. I guess I'll make the final decision once I have completed our precise itinerary. I know that Day 1 we'll need just one ride (subway to Brooklyn). Day 2, just one round trip (we're doing Ellis Island during the day and a show at night). But on Days 3, 4 and 5, we'll be doing a lot of moving about. As the $24 unlimited pass is only $3 more than three one day passes, probably makes sense to buy the unlimited passes.

I was going to write this in my prior post (but it was already so long!):

Personally, I use a pay-per-ride most of the time (commute Brooklyn to Manhattan makes 2 rides per day), and a one-day pass on a day like yesterday when I was running errands all over town. But it does take a fair amount of calculation to figure out which is best! (My BF just spends the extra $$ for a monthly because he prefers not to have to think about it LOL.)

If you do decide to get the 7-day pass (if I'm understanding you correctly), then by all means buy it your first day when you head over to Brooklyn. Then your rides that day and the next are of course covered.