HomeNYC Vacation PlannerNew York City Vacation Planner

New York City Vacation Planner

Plan your trip in the RIGHT order and get the most out of NYC

Having watched way too many people plan their New York City vacations out of order, I’ve tried to create the perfect NYC Vacation Planning Tools. Follow this guide to book your trip and get New York City Insider tips, free maps, where to spend and save your money, secret ways of getting discounts and most importantly, what to book NOW so you don’t miss out!

Feel free to download some of the free maps below or download the full NYC Insider Printable Guide immediately to get a feel for the size of NYC, the layout, the neighborhoods, the subway and distances between attractions.


NYC Travel Vacation Advice

New York Travel Planning

Looking for personalized New York Travel Planning? Want a "Plan My Vacation for Me" Service? How about your own personal NYC Concierge, NYC Insider Guide, to help with exactly what you want to know? I can offer customized planning for the best events, show tickets, hotels, shopping, restaurants and more.


How to Plan a New York City Vacation

This is my personal 10 step planning process for the ultimate New York City Vacation. I hope you enjoy it!

Best Time to Visit NYC

Best Time to Visit NYC

The best time to visit NYC all depends on why you’re planning on visiting the Big Apple. Whether visiting in the summer, winter, spring or autumn, there is always something to do. From its history and its architectural and technological innovation to its world-renowned arts and culture, New York City is a city most people have marked on their bucket list as a place to visit at least once during their lifetime.


NYC Airport Guides – LGA, JFK, EWR

Our detailed NYC Airport Guides go in-depth on everything you need to know about each airport. Free shuttles, nearby hotels, Stay & Fly Free Parking, Taxis, Limos, Shuttles, Parking, Cheap Flights and more.


New York City Hotel Deals

We cover 100s of hotels in NYC, with exact locations and all the insider info you need to know about whether I’d let any of MY friends stay there!


NYC Travel Health & Trip Insurance

If you are traveling to NYC from a country that supports/pays your healthcare (lucky you!), you may want to consider a short term medical plan for US Travel, especially one that specifically says "Covid-19 Medical Covered" or "Covid-19 Cancellation Covered."

NYC Travel Health Insurance

My research shows plans start at $20 USD per week per person that include Covid Medical Care, and you can add trip cancellation and other travel insurance coverage (luggage, delays, etc) in the online comparison tool. Our US medical expenses are not for the faint of heart, or anyone used to medical care being paid for (our ACA-Obamacare charges $600/month + the first $7,000 of medical expenses per year be paid per person and then denies 17% of care as "not medically necessary" so you have to pay for that care outside of the $600/$7,000). Please consider this small investment if it makes sense for you. We recommend SquareMouth to compare global travel health insurance plans.



Half Price Broadway Tickets

Half Price Broadway Tickets

Getting half price Broadway tickets and discount New York Yankees tickets is easy, but it’s a trade off: time, value and your priorities. Here are all our local half price Broadway tickets secrets…


New York City Tours

New York City Tours

There are so many special New York City Tours. You can tour New York by walking, bus, helicopter, boat or ferry. Many of these New York City Tours are even free! Whether you want to see the most you can in one day, or have a month to explore, these NYC Tours are here to help you make the most of your time in NYC!


New York City Attractions Passes

All the New York City Sightseeing Passes Compared! Which is the BEST – New York City Explorer Pass, NYC Go Select Card, New York Pass or New York CityPASS? Get discount codes and find the best New York City Pass for your NYC vacation.

Save with a New York City Attractions Pass

Want to find the BEST NYC Attractions Pass for your trip? Compare All NYC Passes - Download our FREE side by side Comparison Chart.


Things to do in NYC

Things to do in NYC

Now it’s time to find the best things to do in NYC and Manhattan. Fill in the rest of your NYC Insider Guide calendar with more things to do in NYC. Many events, sales and activities are held at the same time(s) every year. Note the dates of past events. If your favorite things to do in NYC have not been announced, check back frequently, because they will be soon. Here are the best NYC Insider Guide related pages to browse…


NYC Maps, Subway, Streets, Apps, Directions

NYC Maps, Subway, Streets, Apps, Directions


Save HUGE $$$$ in NYC

New York City Coupons


Arriving in NYC – Limos, Taxis, Shuttles

What’s the best way to get to Manhattan upon Arriving in New York City? You can use NYC Limos, public transit, taxi, carshare or shuttle and we show you the costs and pros and cons of each.

New York City Hotel Deals

See All: NYC Limos, Taxis, Shuttles and Car Services


I hope you enjoyed the 10 step Vacation Planner.

Please make sure to come back and tell me about your NYC Vacation!!!

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NYC Printable Map Guide Book

Have a wonderful vacation – and please tell NYC Insider Guide about your trip or if you’ve enjoyed our guide!

NYC Printable Map Guide Book

Download the entire NYC Insider Printable Guide, an organized, easy to follow, color coded guide to NYC. The Printable NYC Guide includes detailed maps of every neighborhood, weekly chart of Free Museum Days and Times and free weekly neighborhood tours, Best of NYC Categories and lists by ALL native New Yorkers and much more. Print as many copies as you like, share them with friends and family and ONLY take the pages you need while you’re travelling.

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New York City Vacation Questions

Hotel Questions

Hotels in NYC – Cheap but Good?
Oi! (Hi! in portuguese). I´m looking for well-situated, cheap but good place to stay suggestions. It´s going to be my first time traveling alone and I´…

NYC Hotels With Free Night Offer to Military Members
We are looking for the NYC hotels offering 1 night free to military members on Veteran’s Day. We need 2 rooms for 2 nights in Times Square. We need to …

NYC Visit Questions Sightseeing

New York Explorer Pass vs. The New York Pass for bus tour 
Hello! From everything I have read, the hop on hop off bus tour option on both passes, once purchased, is supposed to cover all fees for the tour selected….

NY City Pass or NY Pass or Explorer pass  Which is best?? We want to see all the “tourist” stuff!

Romantic New York City Vacation
My boyfriend and I are planning a 3 day trip (Sun-Wed) and are interested in the beautiful views of New York, shopping, cuisine and nice neighbourhoods….

Celebrate Anniversary in NYC – Romance Hello! My husband and I are celebrating our 10 yr anniversary, with our 1st trip to NYC!! So excited! Anyways, we are 28 yrs old… and staying at the …

Central Park Carriage Ride Price
Hi. Heading up November 10-16, what is the best price I can get for a carriage ride around Central Park? Any recommended companies? Thanks.

Central Park Rent Bicycle NYC
Where can we rent bikes? We plan on cycling primarily Central Park. Thanks!

NYC Visit Questions Transportation

Transportation recommended from Newark Airport to Manhattan
Hi there. I’m going to be staying in New York (Days Inn – 215 West 94th St. – in Manhattan, I think) from November 12th to the 15th. I’m flying to the …

Best Transportation from LaGuardia to Crowne Plaza – What choices do I have to get 7 adults and 14 pieces of luggage from LaGuardia Airport to the Crowne Plaza Times Square?

Roosevelt Island Tram
My Mother and I are visiting NYC in October for 3 nights and want to ride the Roosevelt Island Tram, can you tell me if it has reopened yet? Thank you….

Walk from Javits Center to Rockefeller Center?
Are coming on bus to Javits Center that is going to car show 4/23, but we (2 ladies and a teen) want to go to Rock. Center. Would we be able to walk there,…

More New York City Vacation Questions

Where is the Best Luggage Storage in New York City?
Luggage storage in New York City has changed dramatically since the invention of apps, crowd sourcing and in the years following the 9/11 tragedy. We show you some traditional ways for you to store your luggage as well as some unique "only in NYC" best ways to store luggage in NYC. We cover luggage storage at Penn Station, Grand Central, Port Authority as well as thousands of local spots around the city with companies like Stasher, Vertoe, Schwartz, BagBnB, LuggageHero, Bounce and more.

Kosher Restaurants New York City
Can you please recommend good kosher restaurants in the city?

Visit With Young Boys in New York City 
We are taking our 9 & 11 yr old sons to a Yankees game. What are the odds we can get tickets and the best place to get them? My husband wants to see the … 

 Ask NYC Insider Your Vacation Question

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Download 4 Pages of our FREE NYC Vacation Planning Guide

NYC Printable Tourist Map
Share NYC Map Overview to Download


Free Museum and Tour Cheat Sheet

New York City Museums Free Calendar
Share NYC Museum & Free Tour to Download


Attractions Pass Comparison

NY Attractions Pass Compare
Share Attractions Pass to Download


NYC Insider Guide Calendar

NYC-Vacation-Calendar
Share NYC Insider Calendar to plan the perfect New York City Vacation


Download the NYC Insider FULL Vacation Guide

Get 100+ more pages of the BEST things to do in NYC, organized and color-coded with maps and directions by neighborhood.

NYC Insider Printable Guides

"The guides are exactly what we were looking for to help us navigate NYC and the highlights of each area.
THANK YOU for taking the time to put this together."

NYC Insider Printable Guides

 

"Amazing, Melissa. This is my second copy! Congratulations for this always excellent guide. I have been living in this area for 18 years, but I still leave the guide as a treat when people come to visit me by their bed. So comprehensive!"

 

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New York City Vacation Planner

Plan your trip in the RIGHT order and get the most out of NYC...

New York City Vacation Planner

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NYC Insider Guide
NYC Insider Guidehttps://www.nycinsiderguide.com
Welcome! I'm Melissa, a fourth generation New Yorker, who has been lucky enough to live in New York for over 30 years. I love just about everything in New York City, the very reason I started this web site, and I look forward to sharing it all with you. Please explore the New York City Insider Guide at your own pace. I hope it helps you plan your New York City Vacation, so you not only go home as a NYC Insider, but plan to visit us again soon.

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