beat the brochure

Everyone wants to visit New York City at least once in their life. The Big Apple has enough to keep the average man interested no matter how long your stay. But with top attractions, bars, restaurants and hotels come top prices – yet you can explore the city on the cheap, but only if you know a few local tips…

Eat Large

If you sit down to a meal three times a day in one of the city’s top restaurants, the costs will soon add up. But instead of semi-filling up on expensive salads, do a bit of research and find one of the restaurants that offer food challenges. Although you will initially have to pay a bit upfront in order to get that 100 kilo bit of meat, quite often you will get a refund if you manage to complete the challenge. A free meal that will fill you up for three days? Sounds like a bargain!

Steer Clear of ‘Tat’

Whilst you may think that holidays to New York would not be complete without a Stars and Stripes novelty hat and foam hand, these tourist stalls can really eat away at your budget, and let’s be honest, once you are home you’ll probably never wear them again. If you want to buy something for yourself, try the retail shops where designer labels are often a lot cheaper then in the UK and Europe.

Stay out of the Centre

Whilst the centre of Manhattan is where a lot of the so called action is, you will pay a premium for the privilege of staying in and exploring the area. However New York is a sprawling city with other areas well worth visiting. Plus if you were to stay in an area such as Brooklyn or Queens you maybe able to find cheaper accommodation, and get a better flavour of the ‘real’ New York.

Take Public Transport

New York’s yellow cabs are iconic; however there are cheaper ways to explore the city. The Metro is a great way to get around the boroughs and offers decent value for money. As with any city, there are some real characters that frequent it and it is here that you’ll see real New Yorkers and their famous up-front attitude to life!

New York holidays can be as expensive or as cheap as you like. If you want 5-star restaurants and hotels, New York will not disappoint. But if you want a cheaper experience that allows you to stick to a budget, this is more then possible too!