International Travel
A senior’s tips for travelling to New York City
Over60 community member Peter Waterman recently visited New York City after many years and shares his top travel tips for getting the most of your Big Apple experience.
On my first visit to New York for many years, and my first as an over 60, a number of things jumped out at me:
- New Yorkers now offer seats on subway to older people and women – unheard of as totally un-New Yorker some years ago.
- One thing hasn’t changed – don’t cross your legs on the subway if it is crowded. It is seen as taking up room where someone could be standing.
- The subway system is good but not friendly for those with accessibility issues. Many don’t have lifts and some only have stairs so research your travel plans if mobility is a problem.
- The Citymapper app on your phone is invaluable in negotiating the public transport system and can tell you which subway/bus to catch, where the stations are, how many stops to your destination, when the next one is leaving etc.
- Negotiating traffic in New York is still an entertaining challenge and subways are usually the quickest way to get from A to B. If you need to go by vehicle, Uber is very efficient and has the benefit of letting you know the cost of the fare upfront. Also Uber drivers do not except a tip, although you can add one to the fare on the Uber app. Yellow cabs, on the other hand, regard good tips as de rigueur and failure to provide one will result in an expletive-laden tirade reminiscent of the New Yorkers of old.
- The base rate of tipping has gone up from 10% being the norm to 20% the expected rate.
- But not everyone expects a tip now. Many restaurants, cafés etc note on their dockets that tips are included in their prices. However, the bill may still include a line for a tip to be included and the unwary may not notice the statement about tips being included until they have already filled in the tip line. Scan the bill carefully as the notation about tips is often in fine print at the bottom.
- Seniors are often offered special rates at museums, theatres and other venues. The rate usually applies to those over 65 years of age and proof of age is rarely, if ever, asked for.
- Many museums and cultural institutions advertise suggested rates, implying it is up to you to decide how much you pay. Decide to pay less that the suggested rate at your peril – while the staff may be courteous, other patrons and those in the line will be less than forgiving.
- New Yorkers are very tourist-centric and on the whole very willing to help. However make allowances for your accent as at first they may have trouble understanding any accent that is not American.