Traveling to NY as a student tourist in Xmas and New Years
 

Hi,all!

I could greatly benefit from some advice here! I am a student at UNC,Chaple Hill (NC) and it would be my last chance to see NY at its best during the Winter break.I do not have much money but both my wife and I are too keen to miss the opportunity.Manhattan hotels are exorbitant!!An absolute heart breaker :(
We would be reaching on the 24th and staying on till the 2nd of Jan.We found a couple of hotels in NJ affordable.Edison Hotel,NJ and Days Inn at Woodbridge.We would be staying for a good 9 days and would be commuting to NY as a tourist almost daily.Would it be safe to commute at odd hours?Any advice which would help us plan our trip better is greatly welcome!We plan to buy the Unlimited weekly Pass (MTA) and were in two minds about the New York Pass.
Thanks!

You could try this place: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev..._New_York.html although it has mixed reviews and a reported beg bug problem. The latter was not a problem when we stayed there a couple of years ago.

What have you found out about the transportation timing and costs between those NJ hotels and NYC?

The Country Inn and the Verve in Long Island City, Queens have often been recommended as cheaper alternatives to staying in Manhattan, but are only a 15 minute subway ride away.

Thanks guys! Well Michael seems they are full for those dates!Abram,I have not booked as yet but Day's Inn is offering at $55.99(with out taxes) and the hotel people say they provide a cab for $10 (+$2/tip) from the hotel to MetroPark.
So,I guess it would come to $80-90 /day with out the metro expenses! If you have something in mind please share...I have tried finding something suitable in that budget but seems next to impossible!

Commuting from NJ will add to your expenses plus not convenient to be outside of the city. Look in LI City, NY as it is on the subway line.

NJ would be a disaster at that time of year - the traffic to and fro will be horrendous - and expensive - plus you can easily run into interminable delays due to bad weahter.

First do everything you can to stay in Manhattan. The Jane hotel downtown has tiny rooms and shared baths - but is the cheapest place you will find htat is still pleasant.

If that is still too much they go for Long Island City - just be sure you - pick a hotel right by the subway. Will be only 15 minutes on the subway - which runs 24/7/365 - much better than taking an hour or 1.5 hours and lot of train fare to get back and forth from NJ.

@Happy Trvir:Do you have a specific place in mind?

@NYTraveler Thanks!Would you look at any place specifically at LI?

Sorry - for info on train fares and schedules from MetroPark to NYC Penn Station (NOT Newark Penn Station) look at the New Jersey Transit web site.

Train from MetroPark to NY Penn Station is about 45 minutes - so you would have to allow 1:15 each way (and will the hotel also pick you up at the train in the evenings?) and a 10 trip ticket is $100 - so the train for both of you for the whole trip would be about $400.

I tried finding anything in that budget in Manhattan but seems like a far cry! Jane is not available for those dates!

If your budget is really tight you might consider the Hosteling International - which is uptown near Columbia University and gets good reviews. A bed and locker in a dorm room is about $45 per night per person.

Is bidding a good idea? Priceline or other sites?

Hosteling International not avavilable!!!

Some options are at the LGA hotels.The LGA Airport hotel,Pan American Hotel etc.Would commute be as difficult as NJ?

I did give you 2 specific hotels in LIC.

We've had success using Priceline. Read betterbidding and biddingfortravel to learn how if you haven't done it before.

Forget staying at LGA.

abram has given you two specific hotels to try in Long Island City.

You may have to split your stay; 9 nights may not be easy to get. Try different combinations of your dates: 4 and 5, 2 and 7, 3 and 6, etc.

No - you do NOT want to be at the airports - do far from the city. Go to Long Island City to see what they have there - only 15 minutes to the City on the subway.

You can look at bidding but do not go lower than 2.5 stars ad make sure it is in Manhattan - airports are a long, tiresome and expensive trek.

I'm afraid you've picked the most expensive time of year to come to NYC - and honestly anything under $100 is night is realistic only in Jan or Feb - when they give rooms away. (IN NY a basic 3* hotel costs about $250 per night in medium season - and goes up from there in high season. It sounds like the only thing even close to what you want to pay is the Hosteling International.

Frankly I would be afraid to stay in a place that cheap - possibly its used primarily by prostitutes or to house families that are temporarily homeless.

And I checked some hotels in LIC - and they are almost $300 per night.

You may have to shorten your trip in order to be able to get a place to .stay

Sorry - I looked at a bunch of the discount sights and anything below $150 per night is either at one of the airports (meaning a lot of time and money trekking to and fro every day - esp difficult in the evening when buses may run only every hour) or are in industrial areas in the Bronx or wherever - that are NOT tourist hotels - but used for other purposes.

@nytraveler Thanks! I think you are right,either I shorten the trip or pump up my budget! Would I miss out a to if I plan the same trip in April? I wanted to see the the ball drop but it seems it may not be possible! Will search more before giving up!