New York

Currency

US dollar is the currency. Exchange at your home bank before traveling for best rates. Avoid airport and Times Square exchange offices.

ATMs & cards

Use ATMs inside banks (Chase, Citi, Bank of America). Bodega ATMs charge $3-5 per withdrawal. Many places are card-only now.

Corner-shop machines charge $5-10 on top of your own bank's fee. Many stores also offer cashback on a debit purchase, which avoids the fee entirely.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

Generally safe but stay aware in the subway late at night. Keep phones secure. Avoid walking with headphones in both ears.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.

Worth having

• Routine vaccinations up to date

Getting treated

The care is excellent and the bill is the risk. There is no universal system, an ambulance ride alone can run into four figures, and an uninsured hospital stay can be genuinely ruinous. Comprehensive travel insurance with a high medical limit is essential — this is the one destination where skipping it can cost more than the trip by an order of magnitude.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

Dollar pizza slices are a NYC staple. Skip chains. Every neighborhood has incredible food — Chinatown, Little Italy, Jackson Heights (Queens) for Indian.

Getting around

• Subway — 24/7 service, $2.90 per ride with OMNY (tap your card) or MetroCard
• Walking — Manhattan is a grid, very walkable
• Citi Bike — bike-share, great for short trips, $4.49/ride or day pass
• Taxi/Uber/Lyft — expensive but convenient at night
• Airport: JFK—AirTrain+subway ($10.75), EWR—NJ Transit ($16), LGA—bus M60 ($2.90)

Must-see

Things to do

• Walk across Brooklyn Bridge
• Explore Central Park
• Visit the Met and MoMA
• See a Broadway show
• Walk the High Line
• Eat in Chinatown and Little Italy

Nearby day trips

Say a few words

American English — local usage

• HelloHey / How are you doing?
• The bill, pleaseCan we get the check?
• To go, not eaten inTo go
• Fizzy drinkSoda
• The undergroundThe subway
• QueueLine
• Ground floorFirst floor
• Thank you very muchThanks so much

Religion

Christian majority, no state religion

Constitutionally separated from the state, and enormously varied by region — the south is far more observant than the coasts.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Tip 18-20% at restaurants and bars — servers are paid below minimum wage and depend on it
• Expect sales tax to be added at the till, not shown on the shelf price
• Make small talk with strangers; friendliness is genuine and not a prelude to anything
• Carry ID if you look under about 35 and intend to drink

Don't

• Do not skip the tip to make a point — take it up with the manager instead
• Do not discuss politics, guns or healthcare with strangers unless invited
• Do not stand too close; personal space is larger than in Europe or Latin America
• Do not joke about security at airports or borders