New York Hop On Hop Off
 

I was in NY quite awhile ago and took a HoHo tour. It was really good, but I can't remember which bus was the best the Blue or the Red. Any insight into which one my friends and I should take?

Not a good option as the bus sits grid locked in traffic. Use feet and subways to get to sites.

I never thought of that. Thanks. Food for thought.

Also - you will end up standing around waiting and waiting to hop on. The buses get stuck in traffic and the tourists get stuck waiting for them. 100% agree - way better to get around by walking or subway.

All of us who live in NYC almost uniformly agree that the HOHO tours are among the worst ways of seeing our city ... they are both expensive and time-consuming. But most tourists disagree, so it's hard to reconcile. I have to concede that I'm not a tourist, but I love HOHO tours in places that don't have good public transit, or where the transit systems don't sync up easily. And they are good for those with mobility issues, who just want to sit and watch the sights. But particularly in the summer and winter, when lines are long, tourists become very frustrated at popular stops when they can't get on the next bus and have to wait in the heat and cold.

As a tourist I think they are a great way of seeing NYC and I don't find them particularly expensive

The last one I took was Gray Line which includes 3 loops of upper, lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, a night tour and a hop on hop off ferry ride around Manhattan including a close up photo opportunity of the statue of liberty. There are also free entries to some of the museums but I haven't used them

I find the commentary on board very informative which you would miss if you were walking past or travelling on a subway. I've never found the bus to be snarled up in traffic even when the UN is in session and there are a number of roads closed.

As a long term resident in various cities I have also taken the buses in those places and it has really opened my eyes to a lot things I was not aware of and simply walked past each day without realising its significance or the history of it

In terms of cost, one day on a HOHO bus costs more than a weekly metrocard to use both the NYC buses and subways as well as the tram to Roosevelt Island. Since the Staten Island ferry is free and offers the same view of the Statue of Liberty, I stand by my original statement.

<<one day on a HOHO bus costs more than a weekly metrocard>>

It actually covers you for 48 hours from when you buy it, but if you want to get from A to B, then there is no question a metrocard is a cheaper option, but as I said on a subway you miss out on a lot of the sights, sounds and history of NY and at $59 and compared to how expensive NY is, personally I stand by the fact that $30 per day is not expensive

<<Staten Island ferry is free and offers the same view of the Statue of Liberty>>

Having been on both, (including the day when a machete crazed man decided to take out a few passengers on the ferry), you get a lot better photo opportunities on the HOHO ferry, plus all the other photo opportunities around Manhattan

Thanks Geordie. I agree, if you are a tourist, you miss a lot of sights being in the subway, although they themselves can be full of entertainment. One of the group is a first timer to NY, above ground and with commentary gets my vote.