New York NYC travel tips
March 11th, 2010 by admin
“City Passes” — sometimes known as “Sightseeing Passes” or “Attraction Passes” — are becoming more and more part of the travel landscape. While long a part of the European travel scene, they are a more recent arrival in the U.S.
In many ways they are overdue. Nobody walks into a hotel to request a room or walks up to the airline ticket counter and expects to get the best price, and yet that is still largely the case when it comes to people purchasing things to do while on a trip. City Passes let people buy their admissions in advance to get the best deal and to do so in a more convenient way that trying to by individual tickets separately.
The basic idea behind any city pass is that it bundles together the entry tickets for multiple museums, sights, and tours and puts them on a single ticket. In doing this, the pass provides a discount compared to the cost of buying separate tickets. It may often have other benefits such as the ability to skip lines and/or come with a free guidebook.
One popular example is the New York City Explorer Pass. Nearly 50 of NY’s top sights accept the Pass as an admission ticket. Customers pick the number of sights they want to see and buy a pass for that number of admissions. Then the pass then works for that many admissions for whichever of the participating sights the holder wishes to visit. For example if a customer bought a 5 choice Pass, they could then use it to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Empire State Building, the Ground Zero Museum, Madame Tussauds, and a hop-on/hop-off bus tour (or any other combination of 5 sights they wanted).
Other examples include the Musee Pass which covers 60 museums and monuments in Paris, the Go Oahu Card with 30 sights and activities in Hawaii, the Smartvisit Card that covers sights in and around Sydney, Australia, and so on.
In addition to being available directly from their own websites, these passes are available from leading travel sites. There are even sites like Smart Destinations that are dedicated exclusively to selling city passes and offer them for a variety of destinations. They also have a video explaining how passes work, so if you need more info access the video on their home page.
And for those who don’t want to plan ahead, passes can often be bought directly in their locales. The New York City Explorer Pass discussed above lists eight locations where it can be bought in the City.
If your next trip involves taking in the sights, its worth doing your research on your in destination activities just like you would for your flights and hotels. The savings can be significant.
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New York?
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January 26th, 2010 by admin
Smart Destinations and Marriott Hotels of New York City are offering an exceptional getaway package. The package, called “Explore Your New York” is designed to provide visitors a perfect weekend in the Big Apple buy combining a weekend’s hotel stay with breakfast for two and two New York City Explorer Passes. The NY Explorer Pass let you visit any three of fourty participating museums, tours, and attractions.
“We wanted to find a great partner in New York City to work with us in offering a package that delivers exceptional value for today’s traveler,” said Cecilia Dahl, founder and President of Smart Destinations, the creator of Go City Cards and Explorer Pass, which aggregate all the best museums, tours, and attractions onto a single money-saving ticket.
“Marriott has a wide variety of brands to suit all kinds of travelers, and their hotels are located in great locations all around the city. Pair that with the New York City Explorer Pass and people really get an amazing experience, while saving hundreds of dollars.” Dahl adds that the Explorer Pass not only gets visitors in to the Top of the Rock, Empire State Building, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Natural History, and over 40 other top sites, but comes with skip-the-line privileges, as well as shopping and dining discounts.
People like to do a little of everything when they come to New York and Marriott hotels have long been an ideal base for visitors to New York City, with a broad range of choices, including Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Courtyard by Marriott, Renaissance Hotels and Residence Inn brands.
Using the Explorer Pass, you can see the city by guided tour, bus, or bike. Visit top attractions, museums, or national monuments. Check out movie location sites or take a back stage tour. Whatever you want to explore, we make it easy with the Explore Your New York package - allowing you to choose three participating attractions plus discounts at world-class shopping and restaurants, “skip the line” benefits and much, much more.
To purchase the Explore Your New York package visit Marriott’s dedicated web site.
Package includes:
- Two adult NYC Explorer Passes for the price of one, each with the holder’s choice of any three included attractions, from a list of over 45
- Breakfast for two or $50 Bonus Bucks (Varies by hotel)
- Two or more nights accommodation at participating New York City Marriott Hotels, rates based upon availability
It is a great way to take in the Big Apple.
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August 19th, 2009 by cecilia d
NYC and Company and American Airlines have joined together to invite residents from five US cities to plan a value filled trip to this fall with specially discounted fares.These fares are available only through Friday August 21, so book now to secure your seat. Fares are priced each way based on a round trip purchase: from LA and San Francisco o $109, Dallas/Fort Worth $99, Chicago $84, and Miami $69.“There’s never been a better time to visit and take advantage of the world-class and diverse experiences that can be found throughout the five boroughs,” said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. “With these special travel offers from American Airlines and new travel itineraries from NYC & Company, visiting and navigating the world’s most exciting City has never been easier.”With a deal like this, who can resist?Pack your bags and EXPLORE NYC! For all of the details, travel dates and fine print visit : http://www.nycgo.com/itineraries
Planning a trip to
New York?
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August 10th, 2009 by admin
The New York City Explorer Pass offers the ultimate in convenience, cost savings and flexibility for visitors and locals alike. Customers choose three, five, seven – and now ten — attractions at a low, pre-paid price. The pass serves as a ticket to any of the 45 participating NY attractions. Customers have the freedom to use the pass at anytime of the day or night and can take up to 30 days to use the admissions on the pass, making it an ideal way to see the city in a few days or over multiple weekends. The pass also provides discounts at popular restaurants and shops and the ability to skip the lines at many attractions. Each Explorer Pass also comes with a color-printed, pocket-sized guidebook full of maps, travel tips and itineraries for New York City.
“The New York Explorer Pass quickly became one of our most popular offerings,” said Cecilia Dahl, President and Co-Founder of Smart Destinations. “When we heard from our customers that they would like to have this additional option, the flexibility of our platform allowed us to quickly respond and add the new 10 choice Explorer Pass.”
Dahl went on to credit Smart Destinations’ growth in New York and for the company overall to the combination of a comprehensive and flexible offering along with economic conditions that favor Smart Destinations offerings. “Being able to help people save money is always popular,” explained Dahl, “And from the beginning we’ve focused on having all the best attractions and tours in our program, so the savings don’t come at a cost in customer’s flexibility to see what they want. Particularly in this market, people are looking for ways to stretch their money as far as possible and there’s no doubt that’s helped fuel our growth.”
Among the top attractions included in the NYC Explorer Pass are the Empire State Building, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Top of the Rock, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Ferry, the Brooklyn Museum – and 40 more.
The New York City Explorer Pass also includes transportation, such as the City Sights “hop-off” double-decker bus tour and other attractions including On Location’s Sex and the City Tour, NY TV and Movie Sites Tour, a Biking Tour of Central Park and a shopping tour of SOHO. The pass also offers a multilingual city tour given in Spanish, German, Italian and French. See the full list here.
Planning a trip to
New York?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
New York Travel Blog.
June 10th, 2009 by admin
Say “New York” to many people, and the images that come to mind are entirely from a relatively tiny slice of this sprawling and diverse city. But there is a lot more to New York than Manhattan. One area that a growing number of visitors are discovering is Brooklyn.
For sometime now native New Yorkers have been enjoying the continuing renaissance of this storied part of the city. Even Manhattanites are embracing what Brooklyn residents have known all along: Brooklyn has something for almost anyone. Increasingly out-of-town visitors are following along to experience the many wonderful sights (and tastes) of Manhattan’s most accessiable neighbor.
New York is nothing without its neighborhoods, and this is as true in Brooklyn as anywhere else. Featuring the picturesque row-houses of Brooklyn Heights, the vibrant DUMBO neighboorhood along the river with its fun and funky bars and restaurants (and some of the best pizza in the city), the posh Park Slope area, the Russian ambiance of Brighton Beach, Williamsburg’s art scene, not to mention Coney Island (hot dog anyone?), Brooklyn is — as Borough President Marty Markowitz says – ”a must-visit for tourists looking for a hip, historic, authentic and diverse experience.”
A personal favorite is the Brooklyn Museum. With a wonderful collection of art and artifacts from around the world and across eras, this museum lets the visitor sample a wide variety without overwhelming with any one theme. And the adjoining Botanic Garden is a beautiful spot to take a break from the hustle of the City. The museum has a number of good restaurants in the area and is just a short subway ride from Manhattan (and has its own stop) or on weekends grab the free shuttle from Manhattan.
Another thing worth checking out is a Chassidic Walking Tour in the Crown Heights neighborhood. You’ll get to experience a slice of New York that is both iconic and a bit off the beaten path (plus get a free deli lunch in the process). There is a great video available on the Chassidic Welcome Center’s site to give you a sense of what you’ll experience on the tour.
If you are going to New York, definitely add Brooklyn to your visit. It is easy to get to — just walk across the historic Brooklyn Bridge (with great views of the City and the River) or take your pick from many of the subway lines to get you into any and all of the neighborhoods. A New York Explorer Pass covers a number of the top things to do in Brooklyn, including those mentioned above, as well as a bike tour of the waterfront and key bridges or a City Sights bus tour of the Borough.
Planning a trip to
New York?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
New York Travel Blog.
May 12th, 2009 by admin
The Empire State Building Observatory is now part of the NYC Explorer Pass. The newly-renovated visitor’s area at the Empire State Building Observatory is one of the most visited attractions for visitors to New York City and represents an important addition to the popular NY attraction pass.
The NYC Explorer Pass offers the ultimate in convenience, cost savings and flexibility for visitors to the city. Customers choose three, five or seven attractions at a low, pre-paid price. The pass serves as a ticket to any of the 40 participating NY attractions. Customers have the freedom to use the pass at anytime of the day or night and can take up to 30 days to use the admissions on the pass, making it ideal for out-of-towners and locals alike. The pass also provides discounts at popular restaurants and shops and the ability to skip the lines at many attractions. Each Explorer Pass also comes with a color-printed, pocket-sized guidebook full of maps, travel tips and itineraries for New York City.
“With millions of visitors from around the world, the Empire State Building is the ‘must-see’ attraction in New York City,” said Jean-Yves Ghazi, Director of the Observatory at the Empire State Building. “We have recently renovated our 86th and 102nd floor observatories with aesthetic and modernization improvements. By joining with the NYC Explorer Pass, we encourage people to get the most out of their visit to the world’s most famous office building.”
Among the top attractions included in the NYC Explorer Pass are Metropolitan Museum of Art, Top of the Rock™, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Ferry, and Madame Tussauds. In addition to the Empire State Building Observatory, in 2009 Smart Destinations also added a Harlem Walking Tour, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex, Bodies…The Exhibition, the Museum of Sex, and an entire Brooklyn section with attractions including the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, and more.
“Offering a product that saves the two most precious commodities of any vacation – money and time – is extremely relevant in today’s economy,” said Cecilia Dahl, founder and President of Smart Destinations. “We’re very excited to make that value proposition even stronger with the inclusion of the Empire State Building Observatory in our New York City Explorer Pass.”
The New York City Explorer Pass also includes transportation, such as the City Sights “hop-off” double-decker bus tour and other attractions including On Location’s Sex and the City Tour, NY TV and Movie Sites Tour, a Guided Biking Tour of Central Park and a shopping tour of Soho. The pass also offers a multilingual city tour given in Spanish, German, Italian and French.
Planning a trip to
New York?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
New York Travel Blog.
April 23rd, 2009 by admin
In 2008 an independent research firm (KRC Research) surveyed over 1300 Smart Destinations customers about their experience with the company’s Explorer Passes and Go Cards.
In the course of the interviews, 94% of the customers they surveyed said they were either “satisfied” or “extremely satisfied” with most of those customers saying they were “extremely satisfied.”
The customers were also asked what they valued most about the product. Three answers were the most commonly given:
- The quality and quantity of the attractions that accept the card for admission
- The fact that it saved them money compared to having to buy separate tickets at each attraction
- The fact they card was convenient and easy to use
When asked if they would recommend the product to someone else, 91% of the customers said they would.
So if you are looking into buying a New York Explorer Pass, it is good to know that existing customers have such strongly positive feeling about their own experiences with it.
Planning a trip to
New York?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
New York Travel Blog.
March 3rd, 2009 by admin
The Great White Way is going pedestrian only — or at least parts of it are. In an effort to eliminate traffic snarls caused by Broadway’s diagonal bisection of midtown Manhattan’s grid layout, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is shutting down key sections of the street and turning it into a pedestrian zone.
The shut-down begins on Memorial Day and is planned to run through the end of 2009 — and perhaps become permanent thereafter if all goes well. For the heavily congested Time Square area, this will be a blessing for visitors on foot. Navigating over-crowded Broadway sidewalks in Times Square between 42nd and 47th streets will soon be a much easier proposition. Similarly, Herald Square further South (the area around 34th Street) will also be reserved for pedestrians.
The city is not stopping at simply shutting the streets and taking down the railings. It further plans to add benches and tables to allow people to enjoy their new found elbow room.
So starting the Memorial Day, enjoy the extra room and take your New York City Explorer Pass along for the walk as you visit a number of attractions that will be in or adjacent to the new pedestrian zone such as Madame Tussauds, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, and a tour of Madison Square Garden. To see the Department of Transportation’s graphics of what the changes will look like, go to their site for links to images for both Times Square and Herald Square.
Planning a trip to
New York?
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April 4th, 2008 by jamie a
Tour of the City Photo uploaded by
With 5 boroughs, bridges, and trying to figure out the difference between “uptown” and “downtown,” New York City can be intimidating for first-time visitors.
NYC Visit.com has put together this . I found it very useful, and I’m a seasoned visitor to New York. They explain everything from numbered vs. named streets, how many blocks equal a mile, and the greatly confused difference between “uptown” and “downtown.”
Their section offers a tour of each of the boroughs, as well as a guide to in different spots in the city, so you’ll always know where to find help.
Planning a trip to
New York?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
New York Travel Blog.
March 28th, 2008 by jamie a
Chelsea Market Photo uploaded by
After you’ve seen all the top attractions in New York City, the best places often lie just beneath the surface. On NYCvisit.com, they’ve introduced where you can get the scoop on the hidden gems of the city.
Featuring Julianne Moore, Jimmy Fallon, Robert DeNiro, Tiki Barber, and Chuck Close, you’ll learn about all their favorite spots, from Italian restaurants to museums. Favorites on the list include the New York City Fire Museum, the Frick Museum, and the Chelsea Market.
Are you a local who has some great spots to add to the list? Let us know in a comment!
Planning a trip to
New York?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
New York Travel Blog.
