New York City Breaks 2024/2025
Our Guide To City Breaks In New York
The Big Apple has always been one of those ideal destinations for a quick break but New York city breaks don't have to be as expensive as you might initially think.
There are plenty of options that can help you cut the cost of your trip to NYC in 2024/2025, including making full use of the various free activities and attractions in the city that never sleeps. One thing not to miss out on, however, is the shopping, something that this grand city has become famous for.
Iconic Must-Sees In NYC For First Timers
Central Park
Brooklyn Bridge
High Line
Times Square
Getting To, From And Around New York
The London to New York flight route is one of the most competitive in the world which means each airline is clawing at the chance for your to book with them.
Regional departures are now very frequent with the likes of United Airlines and Jet2 offering cheap flights to New York from cities such as Manchester, Belfast and Edinburgh, as well as Aer Lingus from Dublin, into both John F Kennedy (JFK) and Newark (EWR) airports. La Guardia (LGA) is generally more of a domestic airport so if you're doing a twin centre with Boston or Las Vegas, or you're flying indirect, LGA may also be an option for you.
Getting around New York is easily done by subway. Understanding the subway system can take a little while, but once you have the hang of it, it's actually very easy to use.
Things To Do In New York
When you are on a short break in New York, but you're also on a budget, making your dollars go as far as possible is key. Take full advantage of the free activities and attractions across the city.
Central Park
Central Park is one of New York's iconic places and is a must see for any visitor to NYC. In the summer, the park hosts various events and performances, whilst in winter, the Wollman Rink is a great opportunity to ice skate with a spectacular skyline. Check our Bethesda Terrace to see first hand where scenes from the film, Home Alone 2, were shot.
Brooklyn Brewery Tour
At some point on your holiday in New York, you'll want to venture over to Brooklyn, one of New York's historic boroughs and well known for it's multicultural population. Amongst the tree lined streets, you'll come across the Brooklyn Brewery, one of the borough's favourite buildings. Tours of the brewery are free on Saturdays from 1pm to 5pm and on Sundays from 1pm to 4pm.
Where To Stay In New York
If you are able to, staying in Manhattan, especially for first time visitors is ideal. This is probably why you've come to visit, to be in the real heart of things, so choosing the best area to stay in NYC is very important. Here'a quick guide:
Midtown & Times Square
Midtown is a great central area and perfect for accessing the city's attractions. This is where it all happens, and is the best location for Times Square and the Theatre District. Take a look at hotels like the Yotel Times Square for a cheap hotel in the city.
Chelsea
Over the years Chelsea has become one of the city's trendy neighbourhoods, and is an ideal location for stays on your second or third visit to the city.
Financial District
If you're staying over a weekend, the Financial District is worth a look. It's well connected and with many hotels focusing on business people during the week, weekend rates can be much cheaper.
Brands & Deals
Especially in light of recent events like the Covid 19 pandemic, you want to make sure that you book with a reputable travel company, one that offers financial protection through the ABTA or ATOL scheme. This is something we always recommend, not only to protect your money, but also because there are some great deals out there when you book your flight and hotel together.
Virgin Holidays
Flying into JFK and Newark, package holidays with Virgin Holidays to New York allow you to combine your favourite airline with your favourite city. If you're flying from outside of London, like Manchester, you may find that flights are seasonal so check to see what's available.
British Airways
BA flies direct from London or indirect from a number of UK cities to New York's Newark and JFK airports. You can package up a flight and hotel with BA Holidays which is ATOL protected, and if you're an avid collector of Avios points, you can spend them on your trip too.
Jet2holidays
Extending their low cost network to the US was once on the cards, however, Jet2holidays dropped their NYC route. They offered financially protected package holidays to NYC from regional airports like Manchester, Edinburgh and Leeds Bradford. Although they don't currently offer New York, mayeb one day they will again.
Hotels In New York You Don't Want To Miss
Frequently Asked Questions
New York Subway Map
When To Go To New York
Spring
March, April and May are a great time to visit the Big Apple. Yes, you could have a bit of rain at times, but you're also coming out of the bitter cold that this part of the US suffers from, and it's not too hot that you don't want to spend time outside.
Summer
New York can get quite hot in the summer, so if you're planning to visit in June, July or August, be prepared, and make sure you take plenty of water with your wherever you go. If you like exploring a city by foot, the warmer weather allows you outside and also gives more much more opportunity for good weather images. Nobody wants grey skies on their Instagram feed, right?
Autumn
Another perfect time to be visiting the city, the leaves are turning brown (Central Park is ideal for this), but it's not yet so cold that you can't feel your face or your toes. Travelling in October and November also allows you to celebrate holidays like Thanksgiving and Halloween.
Winter
December is a wonderful time to visit New York. As the shops, restaurants and attractions get all festive, and the chance of snow, this can be such an amazing way to enjoy the city, but it's also what other people have in mind, so keep an eye on prices. January and February might not have the higher prices but they definitely have the colder weather, when all you might want to do is curl up in your hotel room and watch the snow falling from the skyscrapers.
We are privileged to support the Family Holiday Charity, an incredible organisation which helps families get away together.
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