My friend and I are going to NYC for a 4 day trip and I wondered which month is best.

We dont mind the cold weather and I would like to see christmas decs , lights etc.

Would the beginning of December be a good choice ?

Whats it like then , just after Thanksgiving and before Christmas ?

Expensive , busy , ???????

Any help would be appreciated from here across the Pond.

Thanks

The period beginning Thanksgiving through New Year's is the most expensive time to come to NYC. Hotel rates sometimes double during this period. The best "bargains" would probably be in early December (the week after Thanksgiving), but it would be significantly cheaper after the first of the year.

This period is madly busy (and I mean REALLY busy) with Christmas shoppers and people wanting to see the lights, Broadway shows, and the like. All hotels sell out virtually every night, and it's even a bit late to be making reservations. Last December, I was surprised to find that I could not get an early Sunday brunch reservation at a restaurant in my neighborhood. I hope that helps. I think right now there are still hotel rooms almost every weekend, but I'm shocked at the prices.

Very expensive and it's probably the busiest time of year!!

If cost is an issue the bargain time to go is Jan/Feb ...flights/hotels are cheaper then.

Hi Highland Lass,

I believe any time in December is going to be expensive as people like to go there during that time and do the touristy things. My sister lives there and we tried going last year and couldn't find any nice hotel rooms for the price we were looking for...around $200 for a moderately upscale place.

We ended up going at the end of January. GREAT prices. We stayed at the Park South Hotel for $176 a night. And we lucked out, it was around 60 degrees that weekend. So if you don't mind going when it's cold out, I would go in Jan or Feb or even March.

We are going tomorrow and we couldn't find anything under $315!

Good luck!!!

Thank you .

I should have said we may go December 2007.

I need lots of time to save up !!

Expensive ... but magical. I love NYC at Christmas. Everything is done up.

Prices are likely to drop dramatically on 12/25 or after up until New Year's Eve. That might be a good time to go.

I'd be cautious about expecting a price drop after Christmas; in my experience, that's not been the case. Prices don't drop until after New Year's Day.

Since you're coming from "across the pond", please don't overlook the possibilty of really cold weather. Although I live in a similar climate to New York (in Boston), when my daughter and I visited in mid-December last year, we had to really bundle up in order to be comfortable walking around.

The Christmas decorations are nice, but the Christmas season can be crowded and uncomfortable. Good weather also enhances one's experience, with physical comfort, foliage in the parks, and outdoor activities like festivals. If I were planning a single visit to NYC, I'd travel in the spring (May) or fall (September or October).

The last time I went in March and loved it. I did Priceline and it was not that expensive. I spent far more money on the shows.

I love mid Sept. through October. Not as crowded and the weather is just beautiful. I can understand why you’d want to come during Christmas, though. I would come closer to Christmas than Thanksgiving.

We found that prices were a lot lower after Christmas. Got a GREAT deal at the Hilton on 6th. The tix for Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular was a fraction of the cost in early December. Got great airline rates too.

Having said that - anytime is a good month to go.

October would be my favorite, but it's hard to find hotel deals then. Runners up = May and September. But, I've enjoyed it on the hottest day of the year and the coldest day of the year too! (July & January)

Thank you all , I'll give December some more thought..............

November and December are the most crowded and expensive times of year. Not only are hotels expensive - decent ones can be hard to get. It's probably least expensive the few days immediately before Christmas - since busines travelers have gone home and a lot of people travel to family.

It will be cold - not sure where in the highlands you live - but it is usually damp, often windy and the temps high of perhaps 40, lows around freezing. The good news is that much snow is unlikely before Christmas - although we did have 11" a couple of years ago.

December is a magical time of year - but if I had my choice I would do NYC in May/June or late September/October. NYC is a city with a huge amount of street life in warmer weather - outdoor cafes are everywhere in residential areas - and in winter you miss seeing much of Central Park, really enjoying the boat rides/harbor and - if the weather is bad - have to rush through anything outdoors.

Also - I hate trekking through indoor places - museums or shopping etc - with coat, hat, boots - it's just too hot indoors - and I don;t have the patience to stand on line at coat check.

Really - both times have benefits. It depends on how you feel about the weather - and if you can swallow the hotel rates in November/December.

Peak season is Labor Day to after New Years and weekend prices really reflect this.

Plan on spending $300-$400 per night for a moderate hotel during this time.

There is no 'off' time during this period.

The most expensive times will be weekends, Columbus Weekend, Marathon Weekend, Thanksgiving weekend and the first couple of December weekends.

Are the Christmas decorations still up into January?

BayouGal, only until the 3rd or 4th of January depending upon what day is New Years.

I was there just before Xmas and the crowds on the street were enormous. We had to cue up to cross the street and usually it took more than 1 light before we could cross. However the decorations are very pretty.

Personally, I prefer late Sept- mid Oct because of the crowd control and great weather/

Actually I think the cheapest time in "season" is the week between Christmas and New Years. If you arrive on Christmas Day or the day after and leave before New Year's Eve, you'll find amazingly good bargains in hotels. All the lights and decorations are still up. Broadway show tickets are easier to come by than the weeks before Christmas. I think it's a great time to go.

early november!!!!!!

highland:

any city can be enjoyed year around in the NE but the best times are when the moderate temps occur. I'd say April, May, September, October. I'd think October in NYC would be lovely, not too cold or hot and the leaf changes would give it a neat autumn glow.