My family is planning a trip to NYC next month. We'll be staying with friends in Jersey City, but spending each day in NYC. I have two questions:

1. It looks like we need a PATH fare to get into the city, and a separate MetroCard for subway/bus in the city. Is there a combination pass that works on both systems?

2. Once we're in the city (on the subway/bus), how do transfers work? When/where do you get a transfer, and what is it good for?

Thanks very much.

HI:
I am not sure about a combo Pass for Path and NYCT.

When using a MetroCard the transfer is encoded directly on the card. It must be used before 2 hours are up.If you do not use a Metro Card there is no bus to subway transfer. When using the bus, the bus operator upon request will give you a transfer after placing your exact change in the fare box. That transfer is only good on another bus that intersects the route. IE: Crosstown to an uptown or downtown bus. It is NOT good for a round trip on the same bus line.

The fare goes up to 2 dollars on May 4.

Enjoy your visit!

You can't combine a Path and Metro card. You need to get them separately. I take both everyday to get to work and I'm still waiting for to be able to use one pass for everything.

I suggest you spend a day in Jersey. Jersey City has lots of great restaurants. There's India Square for great Indian food and some really cool new places along the waterfront, especially Liberty Grill. If you have time, take the PaTH to Hoboken and walk along Washington Street. There's lots of cool shops and bars there....

ENJOY

If each person will be making more than 3 trips on a NYC subway or bus, then buy a Metrocard Fun Pass. As of May 4, a one-day unlimited pass to all buses and subways will cost $7. (With a base fare of $2 per ride, you've saved money with the fourth ride.) These cards cannot be shared-- turnstiles will reject the card if scanned any more frequently than 18 minutes. If your group will ride less, a regular Metrocard may be shared by up to 4 people. For every 10 fares you buy on such a card, you will get an extra fare free. As AC said, the Metrocard allows transfers on one fare for up to 2 hours, and would record the transfers for up to 4 people. (Free transfer = subway to bus; uptown or downtown bus to crosstown bus; and vice versa)

DEFINATELY take the ferry from Jersey City to NYC at least one day... no better way to travel!

There has been some talk recently of the MTA working with the Path trains and being able to use the Metro cards for both but nothing has happened as of now.

The metro card is a great way to get around the city so buy them, so you won't have to worry about exact change getting on the bus.

When you use the card on the subway you can then use the card on the bus for a transfer, and each transfer is good for 2 hours. You can connect with any bus going uptown or downtown or cross town, just not the same bus you just left.

The metro cards are very convenient and easy to use.

Have a great time while you are where, the weather should be perfect.

Metrocard is the ONLY venue now. Tokens have been abolished. If you will be in NY for 6 or 7 days, a weekly card would be most cost effective. I think there is also a weekly on the Path, but I'm not sure. Ferry sells 10-trips or daily one-ways.

Can you tell me more about the ferry from Jersey City? Thanks!

Here's their website:

http://www.nywaterway.com/commuter_ferry.html

Page down to see thier map showing thier routes (click on the line showing the route and you'll get a new screen with the schedule). Notice there are 3 stops in JC, so find out which one is closest to your friend's house.

It's a little more expensive than taking the PATH, but you should do it at LEAST once, as there's nothing like approaching NYC via the water... it just keeps getting closer and closer and closer.

If you take the NY Waterway Ferry from the Newport stop (which is near the Newport Path Station) you can take it either to the NY Waterway Terminal on West 38th St. in NY or to Downtown NY. If you take it to West 38th St. there are free shuttle buses that can take you cross town on one of several major Avenues like 34th and 42nd.

If you are staying at the Hyatt, the Colgate NY Waterway stop only goes to Downtown.

I'm not sure of the fare from either location in Jersey City as I take the ferry from a different location.

Anybody see the news this afternoon, seems the City and State Controllers have looked at the MTA books and it seems they have been a little loosy goosey with their figures, (can you say cooked books?). It seems they didn't have meager $24M in surplus it's over $500M in surplus and there was no loss for last year as well.

Um....... a $.50 raise in fare per ride? Oh I don't think so. It was supposed to start on May 4th and the Controllers are calling for a stop to the fare hike and a BIG explanation on double book keeping. Ah New York Politics....