NYC subway: How the subway works, how to use and what you need to know!
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NYC subway: How the subway works, how to use and what you need to know!

I know some travelers avoid it, some are intimidated by it…but the truth is that subway system is the  best way to go when it comes to exploring NYC. Do you wanna know how the subway works in NYC or how to use the subway in NYC? So here are some important information to make your experience even better! Ah, if this is useful to you somehow, don’t forget to to follow me on instagram for more NYC tips:  @marthasachser and @blognyandabout!

 

NYC subway system: Things to know

The trains run 24 hours, although a little less frequent after a certain time late at night. Also some similar lines might merge into one or one stops running or some run local instead of express (like the E and R in Queens). But overall at least from early morning to late at night, you should be okay using the subway.

Tracks maintenance and subway station renovations are very frequent and usually take place in the middle of the night and on weekends.  Or some times during the day when it isn’t so busy, before rush hour. So is very important to check the paper announcements at stations for track changes and also the official mta website (https://new.mta.info/) for the updated weekend map and any other notification about every line. You can also download the app and get updates in real time.

How much does the subway cost in NYC? Subway fare is U$2.75 per trip. The metrocard costs U$1. Keep your card to reload if necessary, that way you don’t need to buy another card. You can share the same card with 3 other people at a time if you get a regular card. But you can’t share if you buy an unlimited ride card.

Make sure to download the apps: NYC Subway Map, Citymapper and Google Maps (or any other navigator) to get around the city by subway.

Subway covers all boroughs in NYC! There are over 450 stations and 27 lines (in 2019). It sounds like a lot but it’s only to show you that you will probably be able to go anywhere by subway and if you happen to miss a stop, or get lost, it’s okay, you can always turn around and take the train at the opposite direction or get off the station and walk, if it you are on a local train, you can walk to the stop you missed, shouldn’t be far.

 

How it works and how to use  the subway (train/metro) in NYC

The subway stations might be a little intimidating at first but they are usually really well signalized, simply look for signs and directions. If you are confused, ask for help. New Yorkers have a bad reputation of being rude but they actually love to help with directions, many were at some point a tourist themselves so don’t be shy. 

Get familiar with the subway map before you come: the official subway map is also the map of the city, you can clearly see where each borough is located and you can understand the directions you will be using when visiting, such as: Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, Uptown, Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Lower East Side, Downtown, East Side and so on. Geographic coordinates are important to understand NYC. Most streets and Avenues in Manhattan are numbered, in Downtown things gets a little trickier but with a GPS or map in hand you should be fine!

 

Which train do I take? Why is there more than one running on the same track!

So, let’s say you are at the Grand Central Terminal station (which is located on 42nd Street) and you wanna go to The Metropolitan Museum of Art (which is located between 80th and 84th Streets). You  saw on the map that the trains 4,5,6, stop near the museum. So which direction would you take the subway? Uptown? Downtown? Well, Uptown would be the right answer, since you are on 42nd and need to go “up” to 80th street. See? It isn’t hard, just learn your East and West and you would be good to go. Or simply rely on technology, Google maps is enough to get around.

You will see some lines running pretty much on the same tracks at times but it doesn’t mean they have the same final destination or stop at the same stations. Open the subway map and find lines 4, 5 and 6. Now notice how they are running basically on the same tracks in Manhattan but how in the Bronx and in Brooklyn they take different routes. 

 

Local or express?

There are local trains, which means they will stop at all stations on that line. And there are the express trains, those skip many stations and stop at the main and usually busiest  ones where the local trains also stop. So make sure you are taking the right train by reading the signs and checking your subway map: the stops with a black dot on the map mean that the train is local and the stops with a white dot means they are express trains.There are often beggars and homeless on the trains. They are usually harmless. And most likely sooner or later you will see people performing on the trains as well, they expect  a tip, or sometimes a smile. If you film or take photos they expect a tip.

Make sure to follow me on instagram for more NYC tips:  @marthasachser and @blognyandabout!

 

Here are some useful links to help you plan your best trip to NYC: