Planning a trip to the Big Apple is an exciting way to spend your vacation time but visiting a city as big as New York can be challenging for a variety of reasons. At the end of 2022, New York City topped the list as the most expensive city globally, tied only with Singapore, meaning the cost of visiting is higher than most other destinations. Therefore, learning how to adequately budget for a New York City vacation can help to ensure you get your trip on the calendar successfully. 

How Expensive is a New York City Vacation?

The average vacation cost for a single person for a week has now eclipsed $1,500, with a price for two travelers eclipsing $3,000. Naturally, this price is broken down into a number of main categories with food, activities, and accommodations being the largest portions. Considering this large cost, taking the time to build a budget should be an absolute must for any traveler taking a trip to NYC. 

Building a New York City Vacation Budget 101

As mentioned, the average price for vacations has increased to levels never seen before. As a result, it’s necessary to start planning a budget as soon as possible ahead of your trip. Each of the following four tips can be used to set a budget you can stick to on your journey: 

• Create a separate travel savings account

All avid and casual travelers should be sure to have a separate travel savings account set up for their current and future vacations. On a monthly basis, a person should aim to deposit funds into this account so that it builds up over time. Ideally, this fund can then be used to pay for vacations instead of needing to dip into your normal savings account. 

• Decide on activities in advance of your trip

By deciding on activities you wish to take part in before your trip begins, you can properly budget enough money for the vacation. However, in addition to this, many activities will come at a discount if they are booked far enough in advance, which makes it worthwhile to try and book earlier. To achieve this, consider setting price notifications for the activity websites you are considering so that you are alerted if there are any price drops. 

• Use credit card rewards points for travel bookings

One effective way to save money in your overall budget is to use credit card rewards points you may have saved up over time. For those unfamiliar, these rewards are earned from making normal expenses on your credit cards. These points can either be converted to cash, which is more common, or directly redeemed for flights, hotels, and even activities using those points within your credit card portal. 

• Find unique ways to cut costs while on your trip

Finally, the best way to save money on a New York City trip is to find unique ways to cut costs. For example, consider staying in a vacation rental as opposed to a hotel so that you can cook your own food instead of eating out all the time. Consider taking public transportation, as opposed to rideshares, in order to save hundreds of dollars. 

Tips for Activities in New York City

There are a variety of activities a person can take part in while visiting New York City. In fact, there are so many activities that it can be overwhelming trying to decide what to do. To that end, below are some of the most popular activities to consider while exploring NYC’s vibrant neighborhoods and cuisines: 

• Take a ferry boat out to the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island

• Go for a run or walk across the Brooklyn Bridge

• Take a culinary tour of the city itself

• Set aside time for a picnic in Central Park

• Take in the views of the city from the Empire State Building

Plan an engaging vacation today

A New York City vacation can be an excellent choice for travelers from all around the world but given the high cost it’s important to take the time to budget for your trip. Additionally, New York City is such a massive destination that it can take multiple vacations to truly see it all, which makes building out a plan ahead of time quite important as well. Take care of both of the above and anyone can get a fun vacation on their calendar right away.