Having a car in NYC is both joyful and a burden. The traffic at any time can be painful, which makes a trip of only a few blocks in Manhattan, take up to 30 minutes during rush hour. That’s why the ideal way to get around the city is the subway.
In order to use the subway, you’ll have to buy a card called the METROCARD.
The Metrocard allows you to travel by subway, NYC buses, the Roosevelt Tram and the Path (subway to NJ).
The card can be charged with both money and time.
Each trip by subway / metro, bus or tram costs US $ 2.75 and the physical Metrocard has a value of usd 1.
In order to know which option we should take into account the number of days we will be in the city and how many times we estimate that we will use transportation.
Generally, it is convenient to charge it with the time that your stay is longer than the 5 days and use it to transport it to the minimum 2 times per day, it will be fully amortized to the 32 dollars that the unlimited week of said card costs. But obviously everything depends on each stay and each style of travel.
The Metrocard can be loaded at any subway station, at kiosks (vending machines) or booth agent and at several bus stops. It can be charged with cash, credit card or debit card.
Minors who measure less than 1.12 meters do not need a Metrocard.
Once you have the card in hand you can then head to the turnstiles as noted in the picture above and swipe it through in a forward motion, in the slider to the right of each entrance. The computer will give you a green go signal, then you can go ahead and cross the turnstile. Sometimes it may take more than one swipe, so give it a good forward swift, not too fast! Until it gives the go ahead.
