New to NY

We will be visiting NY for the first time in early December, we have done the double-deckers in other cities around the world but is this the best way in NY?? We could use a good overview since we will be there for 5 days!! Then taxi it?? Also, being a cold time of year, we assume walking everywhere would be too much...please advise!! Thank you!!

SSJ

We took the double-decker tours when we were in NYC last year and had a great time. We could get on and off at the different locations and the guides were friendly and knowledgeable. It was a great way to see all of the different areas of the city. We also took a night tour and the bus went across the bridge to Brooklyn, giving us a beautiful view of the NYC skyline. I didn't take any other tours, so I can't offer a comparison, but I certainly felt it was worth the money.

xxx

I've also done the bus tour and it was a blast! As for transportation, there is a notorious taxi shortage so plan on doing a lot of walking and subways and dress for it. Wool coat, hat, scarf, gloves and wool socks. Your feet will freeze!

ted

It is safer and better on the bus. A taxi will really cost a lot of cash. NYC is a large place and the bus will take you all around and describe what you are seeing. You won't see much in the back of a cab. Plus the vast majority of the cab drivers are not native New Yorkers and they are unknowledgeable about most ofthe sights. Cabs only hold 4 adults.

J

Choose a neighborhood or two and walk it if you really want a feel for the city. I suppose if you like city bus tours, it's a good enough way to start off---not my taste, though. The subway is easy to figure out if you get a map and aren't scared to ask people for help. That will get you places quickly, especially during rush hour when cabs are harder to come by.

The streets will be packed with other tourists in December, along with the millions of people who live in NYC, so be prepared when you do walk to know where you're going, walk purposely and quickly, and, please, please don't stop in the middle of the sidewalk. This is not an option.

(From a New Yorker who played tourist this week and saw two shows and wants to give people walking lessons after spending more time than usual in Times Square!)

Jen

I agree, the Gray Line hop-on-hop-off buses are a good choice. I bought the 48-hour 3-loop tour last summer, and thought it was a good buy. There's an uptown loop, a downtown one, and an evening loop (not hop-on-hop-off) that goes into Brooklyn, as SSJ mentioned.

Early December is cold but not too cold for walking around if you're dressed for it -- you'll see plenty of New Yorkers walking around just as they do the rest of the year.

New to NY

Thanks for all the great advice, one more question...does anyone know if there is a website that shows their map and stops??? The grayline website does not but it seems I ran across one when I was looking for something else!! Thanks again for all your help!!

SSJ

http://www.nydecker.com/MAP.htm

(This isn't the gray line tour, but I imagine the stops are similar).

KC

And when you're just travelling on your own - there's nothing wrong w/ the subway at all...

r-travels

I take the bus & subway a lot too, and as KC stated, "Nothing wrong with (it)"

I'll take subway if in a hurry, bus to see the sights along the way. Only $4/day for the pass with unlimited bus & subway usage.

There's a group too, mentioned in another thread, something like "applegreeters" - volunteers who will send someone to your hotel to give you an introduction to NYC, a free all-day pass, and a tour, usually in/around a neighborhood. I've not tried them, as I usually just go into NY for day trips, or stay outside town, but I've read favorable things of the group.

Jen

I used Big Apple Greeters and was disappointed.