Let me explain: Exploring New York, especially on the cheap, involves a lot of outdoor time—a stroll through Central Park, myriad free summer extravaganzas, gazing up at the Chrysler Building… Even walking briskly among the throngs is an essential New york experience. Of course all of these free activities become difficult, even unbearable, when the temps drop, but you don’t have to shell out all of your hotel savings on taxis and indoor activities. Here are some tips for winter travel in New York.

Getting Around

Like any New Yorker worth my salt, I tend to get around by walking. I walk a lot, often favoring my own two feet over the subway. But I’m also a “winter wimp.” Come the cold, I am far less likely to want to be outside for any length of time, and it becomes much more tempting to take a taxi. But here is the secret: Even if it’s 10 degrees out, you should seldom have to take a taxi!

Even on the coldest days, the subways still run 24/7. Photo: MTA

New York has one of the best transportation systems in the world, and while cold weather can sometimes affect the way the trains and buses are running, they are still convenient, cheap and often even faster than cabs. Various (free!) apps will help you easily navigate the subways and buses so that you can minimize the time spent waiting outside in the cold. All three of the below apps give real-time data on train and bus schedules (when you’re above ground), but each has other elements for various types of travelers.

For those who need a little extra motivation.  In addition to giving Citymapper tells you how many calories you burn for each route and how much (more) as taxi will cost.

For the navigationally challenged. Transitapp is helpfully color-coded like the trains themselves to make picking the right line easy. The app also shows when the next train or bus is coming and allows you to easily see schedules so that you can map your day.

For the claustrophobic. Moovit is a fun app with a social element. Not only does it give you routes and schedules, but it also records the data of anyone riding with the app open. This gives an idea of how crowded the bus will be, and also helps keep to-the-minute on delays and possible alternative routes.

Winter activities on the cheap

It might be hard to spend a day wandering through Central Park in the cold, but before you shell out for one museum and indoor attraction after another, consider the following tips for indoor activities.

Make the most of free museum days. Almost every museum in New York has a regular chunk of time—be it a free-admission day or a pay-what-you-wish evening—during which it offers deals. Visiting a different museum every day for a week could save one adult around $100. Check out our guide to free museum days to see what’s available each day.

Visit always-free attractions. If determining free museum days seems to complicated, never fear. New York is chock-full of free attractions too. The Main Branch of the New York Public Library (5th Avenue and 42nd Street) is free to visit and stunning to behold. Wander around its storied halls, and be sure to check out the magnificent Map Room. Also free is the National Museum of the American Indian (1 Bowling Green), worth visiting as much for the gorgeous Alexander Hamilton Custom House as for the fascinating exhibits therein.

Take a tour. You won’t want to do a self-guided walking tour of any neighborhoods, but there are unique (and indoor) free tours to be had. Get a peek into the workings of the national economy on a tour of the Federal Reserve (33 Liberty Street), or (equally important) learn about beer making at the Brooklyn Brewery (79 N 11th Street, Williamsburg). Be sure to book at least a week in advance for the Fed. The Brewery runs regular tours on Saturdays and Sundays, but it’s a good place to wile away some indoor hours any day of the week. The beers are inexpensive, and the vibe is convivial.

Embrace the chill. Sometimes you just have to grin and bear it, but as miserable as the cold can be, New York makes it easy to enjoy it to. Take a spin around the Bryant Park skating rink (free admission, $14 skate rentals), or take the plunge with the Polar Bear Club, who invite brave souls to join them for a guest “swim” off Coney Island any Sunday November through April (talk about street cred!).

That’s entertainment. In this city of culture, entertainment abounds, and though much of it will cost you, there are a variety of options to be had for a song. Spend a Friday night at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, where the free entertainment at BAMcafé Live (30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn) could be anything from rock to pop to jazz, or hit up the famed Marie’s Crisis (59 Grove Street), where you can enjoy musical stylings of friendly regulars who gather round the piano to belt out show tunes. If it’s comedy you’re after, there is plenty for free as well (check out this list for ideas).

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Many “straphangers” are incensed about yet another fare hike, and some have gone so far as to start a SwipeBack campaign, in which riders leaving a subway station offer a swipe of an unlimited card to a fellow commuter entering.

Pay (more) as you swipe

But what does this all mean for travelers?

Well, the per-ride fare has jumped from $2.25 to $2.50, and the pay-per-ride bonuses (added to your card based on the amount you put on it) have dropped from 7 percent to 5 percent.

In short, you’re paying more to get around the city. The bright side, though, is that public transit still costs far less (and is often quicker, given traffic) than cabbing it everywhere. And, you have options.

Click the map to download a PDF map of the New York City subway. Photo: MTA

A little background

Before I go on about making the most of your MetroCard, let me give a little love to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (“MTA”), which runs the subway. Yes, it has its flaws, but on the whole New York’s subway system is a wonder—extensive, reliable (for the most part) and affordable, even with the fare hikes.

It’s pretty impressive that, in an age of rampant inflation, fares have increased less than $3 total in the subway’s 109 years (in 1904, rides were $0.05). And at $2.50 a ride, regardless of distance traveled, they are among the cheapest transit fares worldwide. (Compare, for example, to £4.50 for a one-way fare on the London Underground).

To walk or ride? That is the question.

New York’s public transit system differs from many throughout the world in that it charges a flat fare rather than a charge by distance. So whether you travel one stop or 21, you’ll still pay the same rate. This means that long distances are an especially good value, but short distances are best avoided.

New York is an immensely walkable city, and hoofing it provides the added bonus of sightseeing as you go. For example, instead of taking the train a few stops from Union Square to Soho, you can take a nice stroll stopping to watch some street performers in Washington Square Park and cruising through the adorable streets of the West Village along the way. The journey, not much longer than the train would take, becomes half the fun, and you avoid waiting on the subway platform and crushing into a crowded car.

General rule

My general rule, given bearable weather conditions (anything but raining or freezing): If the subway journey is two stops or fewer, always walk.

That number will obviously go up on the local lines that stop every few blocks—or depending on your energy level. Just keep in mind that 20 street blocks (north-south) equals a mile. Avenue blocks are longer, and it can thus feel a bit longer when walking east to west. The two-stop rule, however, still holds relatively well.

Which MetroCard is right for you?

You get to the card kiosk and the big dilemma hits: Do you pay as you go or purchase an unlimited card? It all depends on how much you plan to use public transit.

Pay-as-you-go is exactly as it sounds. You load a card up with a desired amount, and $2.50 is deducted every time you ride. Conversely, a seven-day MetroCard costs $30 and is good for unlimited rides on the subway and non-express buses.

The verdict? To maximize value, pay as you go if you’ll make fewer than 13 journeys. For 13 or more rides, an unlimited will equal savings.

The MTA’s website is quite helpful when it comes to figuring out which card to purchase. For example, this table breaks down the options:

Pay-as-you-go bonus and MetroCard surcharge

Another part of the new fare increases is a standard $1 surcharge for every new card purchased.

Note to groups: Buy one MetroCard to share. A pay-as-you-go card can be swiped for up to four people at a time. (If you go with an unlimited card, however, you’ll each need your own.) That means you save on three surcharges, and, given the five percent bonus added to whatever you put on your MetroCards, groups can save a (very teensy) bit by sharing one card.

Let’s say, for example, that your family of four puts $50 on a MetroCard. That’s 20 rides total, or five rides per person (you’ll take at least that if you’re in the city two to three days). On top of that, the 5 percent bonus means your $50 card is worth $52.50, adding an additional “free” ride to your total. And you said there’s no such thing as a free ride in New York City.

Your New York City subway tips

Have some advice or questions about riding the New York City subway? Ask away in our comments section below.

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The lowdown

Stockholm is a very walk-able city, but if you’re less interested in wandering around than getting around efficiently (or if you just want to get out of the cold on your way to your next destination), public transportation is really the way to go. Subways, buses, trains, and even boats and street cars are covered by the SL umbrella, and every single one of them is clean and on time.

SL offers a smorgasbord (pun absolutely intended) of ticket options. Luckily, the SL website gives a great rundown of everything that is available. Some of the options are perfect for a short trip to Stockholm.

Standard and prepaid tickets

SL offers standard one-trip tickets. These are not worth your money if you plan on using public transportation more than once or twice, but they are worth explaining. Stockholm is broken up into three different zones according to SL. Zone A will cost you two tickets, Zone B will cost you three, and Zone C will cost you four.

Really, if you’re just staying in the city all you need to worry about is Zone A and the two ticket price. These tickets are only valid for an hour after you use them. If you plan on using public transportation more than four times during your stay in Stockholm, consider a pre-paid strip of tickets or a day pass.

The prepaid strip of tickets is 16 single tickets for the price of 180 SEK. This gives you eight trips within the city and ends up being about half the price of the standard one-trip tickets. You’ll get a stamp which, unfortunately, is only good for an hour after stamping. But remember, you’ve got seven more trips before you need to think about paying for transportation again.

Day passes

There are also day passes. The 24-hour pass costs 100 SEK, the 72- hour pass is 200 SEK, and the seven-day card is 260 SEK. Day passes are valid at any time and can be used as many times as you wish. Depending on your length of stay, day passes are a great way to save money and still get everywhere you want to go.

The Stockholm Card

Finally, there is Stockholmskortet, The Stockholm Card. The Stockholm Card ranges from 375 SEK for 24 hours to 595 SEK for 72 hours. It allows you free entrance to over 70 museums in Stockholm and gives you free access to public transportation.

Buy your ticket before boarding the bus

Note that you cannot buy tickets on the bus. Bus drivers stopped carrying money a couple of years ago in hopes of speeding up service and keeping everyone safer. There are plenty of places where you can buy tickets though, including SL service centers, most subway and train stations, Pressbyrån (a Swedish convenience store), and, if you happen to have a Swedish cell phone provider, with your cell phone.

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To simplify things for short-term visitors, there are also two Oyster cards specifically intended for tourists—a one-day card and a three-day card. The Oyster card for Visitors gives cardholders nearly 50% off all cash fares around London on tube, tram, bus, and Docklands Light Railway. Although you have to register your details to get an Oyster card—this part is too Big Brother for us; we suggest you register as “John Doe” if you don’t want Transport for London knowing your every move—it’s worth it for the savings.

With an Oyster card, you’ll pay £1 for bus fares and between £2 and £2.20 for Tube rides, a fraction of what you’d otherwise spend. The beauty of it is you can now snag an Oyster card for Visitors before you even get into London. A new partnership with Gatwick Express allows visitors to buy cards on the train from Gatwick on your way into town. For more information, poke around the Transport for London site.

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