8 Things To Do Before Your First Trip to NYC!

Traveling to NY for the first time might be a little overwhelming, there is just so much to do, see, accommodations to book and reviews about them to read, restaurants you wanna try… But let’s start from the basics with some of the things to help you prepare for your trip to NYC!

Oh, before I forget…To see more of my day to day life in NYC, check out my Instagram (@marthasachser), and follow my Youtube channel. For more NYC tips join my NYC tips Facebook group HERE! And if you are traveling to NYC, don’t forget to get my New York City Guide HERE!

Get familiar with the subway (metro) system before you get here!

And I don’t mean going crazy studying every station and stop but simply understanding how the city is divided (Brooklyn, Queens, Upper East Side, Lower East Side, Upper West Side, etc..) and how the trains work. It’s not hard, I promise! But I wrote a full post about it, click HERE to read more and start learning about NYC subway, which by the way, runs 24 hours and takes you pretty much everywhere! To make things easier, make sure to download apps such as NYC Subway Map, MTA app, Citymapper or the good and old Google Maps!

Create an itinerary but leave room for the unexpected!

Yes, that takes time my friends but NY is usually a big investment to many people so I recommend doing your homework and start researching the best things to do, places to stay, free attractions and much more to help you prepare for the best days in the city! There is so much FREE information out there! Here are some useful links:

Learn more about the weather before you book your ticket!

It happens more often than you think but many people dream about visiting NY in December to have a white Christmas. Or some book their trip to the beginning of October expecting to see the fall colors… Well, if you don’t do your research you might end up a little frustrated! It barely snows in December but if you wanna try your luck, come in January and February but still, you can’t predict snow in NY with months in advance so don’t have your expectations too high, but NY will be awesome regardless! If you really wanna see snow, head upstate or book a day trip to a ski resort, they usually get a lot more snow than we do! Oh! And the trees do change color in the fall but they reach their peak between the last week of October and the first week of November!

Get travel insurance

You need travel insurance in general but when traveling to the U.S. where the health system is a big issue and prices are ridiculously high, you better come prepared! Since I travel a lot and most trips are covered by my credit cards, I usually book an annual plan that Allianz offers. It’s not a huge coverage but it helps for what I need.

Take 1 or 2 hours of your trip to have a photoshoot (with me!)

Photos are the best souvenirs and in a place like NYC you wanna make sure you capture the best of the city without stressing too much. So if you wanna make your trip even more special and memorable and bring home beautiful photos, make sure to book your session with me here in NYC! I offer one or 2 hours shoot! You can see more of my portfolio here: https://marthasachserphotography.com/

Save time and money by getting discount passes for attractions

Yes, I talked about them and their advantages HERE before, but if you already know how the passes work, you can use the links below to buy yours (and support my blog, without any additional cost to you, of course! Thank you <3)

– CityPASS
–Sightseeing Pass

–New York City Explorer Pass
– New York Pass

New York City Pass

Check the events calendar

If you follow me on Instagram (@marthasachser and @blognyandabout) you know you see how there are so many events going on in the city every single day and I know, it can be overwhelming. But chances are you can miss out on really fun opportunities if you don’t take the time to research a little bit before your trip. For example, if you are coming in the summer, amazing free concerts take place all around the city and if you love a band or a particular singer, they usually go on tour in the summer as well! You can check NYCgo, timeout and of course, yours truly to keep up with the most popular events in the city!

Shakespeare in the Park, evento gratuito no Central Park

Shakespeare in the Park, Central Park | CREDIT: Time Out

What to pack for your NYC trip!

Travel/Money Belt: perfect to carry money, passport, credit cards. But I recommend carrying smaller bills in your wallet or an easy to access bag so you are not constantly taking money from your money belt. NYC is pretty safe but you don’t wanna loose your bag with all your most important valuables inside, right?

Universal wall adaptor:If you don’t bring one from home, you can always buy one at most pharmacies, souvenir shops and electronic stores.

Medicine: it’s not always easy buying medicine without a doctor’s prescription so to avoid wasting time and money bring all the medicines you think are relevant. You can buy simple ones such as pain killers, cough medicine without a prescription but just avoid wasting vacation time by bringing what works best for you from home.

Extra battery: If you are obsessed with taking photos of everything like me or will rely a lot on Google maps and other apps, you might need one! If not, you can always try a Starbucks or a LIK NYC station.

Make a list of what to pack: It seems obvious but I always do that so I don’t forget anything important and avoid spending extra money.

Water bottle: reusable water bottle is good for the environment and for your pocket!

Comfy shoes: running shoes will be your best friends in NYC, believe me!

Download car service apps and other apps:

Lyft and Uber are your best bet and here are some discount codes for first time users:

Lyft: MARTHA351616

Uber: marthas188

Other useful apps: Yelp, opentable, Happycow, NYC ferry.

Uber, um aplicativo muito útil em Nova York

Uber | CRÉDIT: B9