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Fancy a trip to New York, but not sure your budget is up to it?  Try our hints and tips for having a bargain break in the Big Apple.

The largest city in the US, New York’s temperate climate makes it an ideal destination year round, with languid, hot summers and cold winters, often with snow.

Cheap New York flights are usually available most months, especially if you plan ahead and try to avoid the major holiday weekends such as Easter or Thanksgiving.  Direct flights from the UK into both JFK International Airport and LaGuardia Airport usually take under eight hours.  Once there, many people take a flat fare taxi into the city, but if you are watching the budget carefully a good way to get downtown is the city bus for just a couple of dollars.

Once there, getting around the city itself is easy, with the MTA – Mass Transit Authority – providing a network of buses and subway trains running through the day and night.  It is definitely worth picking up a Metro Card, which gets you onto both the buses and subways; options include one that gets you unlimited travel for seven days.

New York is full of cheap or even free entertainment.  A walk across the Brooklyn Bridge gives a great view of the city, and you can visit the famous Metropolitan Museum of Art and American Museum of Natural History for free – they just ask for your choice of donation.  Children will enjoy Prospect Park, where they can enjoy seven playgrounds, natural trails and, a for a small charge, a zoo built especially for them.  Many other museums and attractions such as the Bronx Zoo, Children’s Museum of the Arts or Botanical Gardens open for free or greatly reduced prices one day a week, so definitely check online before you visit.

Central Park provides more playgrounds, plus guided tours, arts and crafts, and even the opportunity for a free game of chess or checkers in the sunshine.  For a couple of dollars, children can enjoy a carousel ride.  

Eating out on a budget in New York should present little difficulty.  Aside from the ubiquitous burger chains, the city is full of reasonably priced cafes, pizzerias and restaurants featuring all cuisines.

The famous 100 year old Staten Island Ferry takes passengers between Manhattan and Staten Island regularly every day, and gives a panoramic view of the city, including the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.  The 25 minute ride is completely free, and a great way to get an overview of the layout of the city.

Bicycle hire is cheap and easy, and a good way to get around at your own pace.  If you fancy taking to the roads with a little more power, there are many major and local car hire companies in New York, and cheap car rental is certainly possible.  Just remember the Americans drive on the right!