Walking
IF you want to explore a small area of New York nothing beats walking. If you’re in Manhattan, the logical grid system with avenues and streets will make it easy for you to find your way to virtually any destination. There are 20 blocks for each mile on the avenues and you should be able to walk atleast one block a minute. Also, why not do like thousands of resident New Yorkers and start the day with a nice jog? Sidewalks are everywhere tourist normally go and it is easy to walk along the streets on these wide paved sidewalks.
Bus and subway
You will need to buy a metrocardif you want to use the subways. It is still possible to pay cash on the bus, but only if you have the exact amount of change in coins so getting a MetroCard is recommended for the bus traveller as well. MetroCards are issued by the New York City Transit Authority and can be purchased from vending machines and token booths at the stations. The metrocard can also be bought in a lot of grocery stores and news stands as well as online. Current price and other info can be found on the MetroCard website.
Hailing a Cab
The traditional yellow New York taxis are famous world wide and few visitors come to New York without trying them at least once. A properly licensed yellow cab will have a special license plate, a light with a taxi number on the roof, stickers on the windshield showing various licenses, a metal seal on the hood (the so called medallion), a divider in the car, and a meter for billing.
Another alternative is the livery cab, also known as black car or car service, which is called by phone rather than flagged down in the street. You should always negotiate a preice with these taxis because they are usually operated on a flat fee price model. You will know this cab by the text “livery” or TLC” on the bottom of the license plates.
Rental with a driver
An alternative to simply hailing a cab off the street is to retain the services of a transport company offering something a little bit more fanciful, such as a modern stretch hummer limo or classy Lincoln Continental limousine. Exploring New York with your own driver on stand by for a few hours can be surprisingly inexpensive.
Rental car to drive yourself
For those who prefer to do the driving themselves, New York has a multitude of car rental agencies to choose among and many have fitted their cars with GPS devices that make it easy for you to find your way even if you’ve never been to New York before. Renting a car is especially tempting if you wish to explore the state of New York and not just the city, i.e. take a drive in the country side and perhaps stay at a B&B outside new york, or why not take a drive up to Rhode Island. If you plan on driving in the city, keep in mind that the traffic can be quite hectic and finding parking spots is difficult. Driving in New York is not recommended for people who are not used to driving on larger cities.