Getting Around NYC
Find the best ways to travel around the City with our guide to subways, buses, ferries, biking and other modes of transport.
MTA: Subways and Buses
If you can’t walk to your destination, mass transit is the next-best way to get around. The City’s rail and bus system is run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and known as
All public transit buses are accessible to passengers with visual, hearing and mobility disabilities, and so are portions of the subway system. For more information, consult the
The MTA uses a contactless payment system called
Card readers at stations or buses will accept credit, debit and reloadable prepaid cards; digital wallets from Google, Apple and Samsung; or wearables such as Apple Watch and Fitbit. Simply wave your card or device over the reader to pay.
Alternatively, you can
A single subway or bus trip costs $3 (or $1.50 for Reduced-Fare customers; read about
After you spend $35 ($17.50 for Reduced-Fare) in subway or local bus fares (that is, 12 trips paid with the same device) within a seven-day period from your first tap, you receive free, unlimited rides for the rest of that period. Single-ride OMNY tickets are also available for $3.50.
Note that up to three children with a maximum height of 44 inches (1.12 meters) each can get on subways and buses for free when they are traveling with a fare-paying adult. For the most up-to-date information on prices, visit the
7 Line Subway. Photo: Daniel Harel
Subways
The easiest and quickest way to travel around NYC is by the subway.
Fast facts:
• For $3, you can use the system citywide and transfer to other subway lines as many times as you need, as long as you don’t exit through a turnstile.
• You can transfer from subway to local bus or vice versa within two hours of paying your fare. If you purchased a single-ride OMNY ticket, that is only good for transfers within two hours on the same system (that is, subway to subway or bus to bus).
• Subway stations on the same line are generally about eight to 10 blocks apart on local lines (the stops on express trains are usually farther apart).
• Common-sense safety rules and manners apply. Be aware of your surroundings; keep away from the edge of the subway platform; let riders off the train before you get on; if you feel uncomfortable in a car or on a platform, move to where you do feel comfortable (but do not change cars while the subway is in motion)—these are a few starting points. Find more details
• The subway does not travel to Staten Island. To get there, board the free Staten Island Ferry or take a bus. Once on Staten Island, use the
• You can get a free subway map from booth attendants or download one from the MTA website. You can also use the MTA’s
• Sometimes subway routes change or trains temporarily stop running—especially on weekends and late nights during weekdays—so be sure to check for up-to-date MTA service information at
Buses
Public buses are a scenic way to see the City and reach destinations not convenient to a subway stop.
Fast facts:
• All city buses accept OMNY contactless payments and exact coin change (no pennies or paper money).
• All city buses are wheelchair accessible.
• Check the route sign on the front of the bus before boarding, and make sure you know if it’s making all stops or only “limited” stops. Limited and SBS (Select Bus Service) buses don’t make all stops along the route.
• Enter and pay at the front of the bus. The exception to this is on SBS routes, where payment kiosks are on the sidewalk next to the bus stop.
• A single fare will take you any distance until the end of the route (and you can transfer for free from one local bus to another or from a bus to a subway within two hours of paying your initial fare).
• Many buses are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but be sure to check whether your route offers overnight service. A schedule and route map posted at the bus stop indicate when the bus should arrive and where it will go.
• Buses run about every five to 15 minutes, or at longer intervals, depending on the time of day.
• Want to know when the bus is arriving? Locate your bus stop’s six-digit stop code on the sign posted and text that plus the route number to 511123—or, if you have a smartphone,
• Buses generally stop at every other block on avenue routes and every block on cross-street routes. From 10pm to 5am, drivers for local and express buses will stop wherever you ask them to—as long as they can stop safely (and, if it’s an express bus, only when they are dropping off passengers).
• MTA service information is available at
• Mass transit is central to New York City’s efforts to become more environmentally friendly, and a growing number of NYC’s buses are hybrid-electric and electric models. The MTA aims to have its entire 5,800-bus fleet made up of zero-emissions vehicles
Roosevelt Island Tram. Photo: Brittany Petronella
The Roosevelt Island Tram
With a tap of your OMNY contactless payment, the Roosevelt Island Tram gives you an aerial view of Midtown East along its path from East 60th Street and Second Avenue in Manhattan to Roosevelt Island, located in the East River between Manhattan and Queens. The Tram got its start in 1976, and it runs every 15 minutes during non-rush hours (7.5 minutes during rush hour). It provides direct service seven days a week (Sun.–Thurs., 6am–2am; Fri.–Sat., 6am–3:30am) for more than 2 million riders annually, with free transfers available to and from MTA subways and buses. Up to three children with a maximum height of 44 inches (1.12 meters) each can ride the Tram for free when they are traveling with a fare-paying adult. For more information, visit
Other Transport Options
If you are in need of more ways to get around the City, we have you covered. Bikes, ferries and cabs can take you to all corners of NYC.
Fifth Avenue. Photo: Matthew Papa
Taxis
The City’s fleet of yellow taxicabs are licensed and regulated by the
Fast facts:
• Taxis are available 24 hours a day.
• Hail taxis whose numbers are illuminated on top—they’re on duty.
• Board and exit the cab curbside• Hotel doormen can hail a cab for you; a $2–5 tip is customary for this service ($5 if it’s raining).
• You can request multiple stops on a route (there’s no extra charge, though the meter will remain on during the stops).
• Minimum metered fare is $3, which increases 70 cents every fifth of a mile or every minute, depending on how fast you’re traveling.
• There is an MTA state surcharge of 50 cents per ride and a $1 improvement surcharge.
• An additional $2.50 rush hour surcharge is added to the meter Monday through Friday, 4–8pm (excluding holidays), and a $1 surcharge is added daily at night and early morning, 8pm–6am.
• There’s also the New York State Congestion Surcharge of $2.50 (yellow taxis) for all trips that begin, end or pass through Manhattan south of 96th Street, and another 75 cents MTA Congestion charge for the area of Manhattan south of and including 60th Street.
• There are no charges for extra passengers or luggage.
• All taxis accept cash and credit, debit and prepaid cards.
• Tip 15–20 percent at the end of a trip; bridge and tunnel tolls are extra and added to the metered fare.
• For more information on taxi fare details,
• Lose something in a cab? Dial 311 in NYC or visit the
• Drivers are required to take passengers to any destination in New York City. It is against the law for drivers to refuse a person based on race, disability or destination within the five boroughs. If you believe you have been subject to discrimination, file a complaint by calling 311 or visiting
• In addition to cabs, the TLC is rolling out an E-hail pilot program
Cars
Given the efficiency of public transport in New York City, it’s not the best idea to drive, especially in Manhattan (roads are very busy and parking is very expensive)—though there are select areas of the boroughs that may be more accessible or convenient by car. If you’re planning to drive around the City, use
Make sure you know
If you need to rent a car (note that all the major car rental companies have locations at the airports and elsewhere within the City), it may be worth considering
A number of transportation companies offer larger options for groups and events. These include
Congestion Pricing
Congestion pricing is now in effect for areas of Manhattan south of 61st Street. This excludes FDR Drive to the east, the West Side Highway/Route 9A to the west and the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel connections to West Street in Lower Manhattan. If renting a vehicle make sure you inform the rental company if you intend to drive in this area and get a car with a E-ZPass transponder.
Passenger and small commercial vehicles will be charged $9 to enter the zone during peak hours (5am–9pm weekdays, 9am–9pm weekends). The cost is reduced to $2.25 during overnight hours (9pm–5am weekdays, 9pm–9am weekends)
This charge is assessed once per day per vehicle with a valid E-ZPass, meaning you can enter and leave the zone several times a day and only be charged $9 max.
The peak rate charge will increase to $12 in 2028 and $15 in 2031.
Drivers without an E-ZPass will pay more: you’ll get a “Tolls by Mail” bill (sent to the registered owner of the vehicle) and pay $13.50 for peak hours and $3.30 off-peak.
Motorcycles are subject to the same schedule as above, but the cost is $4.50 and $1.05 respectively.
Passenger vehicles (with a valid E-ZPass) entering Manhattan via the Lincoln Tunnel, Queens-Midtown Tunnel, Holland Tunnel and Hugh L. Carey Tunnel will receive a $3 credit during peak hours, added to your E-ZPass account. For motorcycles the credit is $1.50. There is no credit for overnight hours.
Taxis and other for-hire vehicles have a surcharge for trips taken to, from, within or through the zone: $1.50 for for-hire vehicles (Uber and Lyft etc) and $.75 for cabs.
For more information, including the full toll schedule, visit
Bikes
Biking the City is good for the environment and your body and can often be faster and cheaper than fuel-powered transportation. Cycling hot spots like Central, Riverside and Prospect Parks are great options for hitting the City on two wheels, as are bike paths along the Hudson and East Rivers and on many bridges—but just about all of NYC is bikeable. The NYC Department of Transportation publishes a downloadable
Operations like
The Staten Island Ferry. Photo: Lucía Vázquez
Ferries
As a waterfront city, New York is home to an extensive ferry system that can get you uptown or downtown in Manhattan and across the rivers to Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens and New Jersey.
The
Traveling with Pets
If you’re bringing a dog or cat along on your NYC adventure, you’ll have no trouble getting around—but it’s important to know the rules.
Only pets enclosed in containers or carriers are allowed on MTA buses, subways and trains, as well as in taxis. Properly harnessed service animals are also permitted on mass transit. Taxi drivers may, at their discretion, pick up passengers who have dogs without carry cases. The City is also home to several pet-taxi companies, including
For more information, see our