DISCOVER NYC

New York City weather can vary daily—even from morning to afternoon. Spring (March–May) in New York City brings light winds and rain, with the season’s temperatures ranging from cool to very warm.

If you’re visiting New York City from outside the United States, you may need a visa to enter the country. For details, visit the US State Department’s visa information website.

• Hotel doorman: $1 for hailing a cab
• Porters and bellhops: $1-2 per bag
• Housekeeping: as much as $5 per day
• Waitstaff and bartenders: 15-20% of total bill
• Taxi drivers: 15-20% of total fare
• Tips for other service personnel, such as theater ushers, tour guides and coat-check staff, are always appreciated.

New York City is committed to ensuring accessibility for everyone with special needs and has equipped all buses with lifts for those in wheelchairs and those with difficulty climbing stairs. In addition, many subway stations include elevators, ramps, visual display signs, accessible public telephones and tactile and audio features on vending machines. Subways also have automated voices indicating stops, and all buses and select subway stations are wheelchair accessible. Many street-hail taxicabs accommodate wheelchairs. To request a wheelchair-accessible taxi, call the accessible dispatch center at +1.646.599.9999; book online; or download the free mobile app Accessible Dispatch NYC at Apple’s App Store or from Google Play. Passengers with disabilities are eligible for reduced fares on most mass-transit trips. For more information about NYC accessibility, call +1.212.NEW.YORK (639.9675) from outside the City or 311 while in town; contact the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (+1.212.788.2830, TTY: +1.212.504.4115, nyc. gov/mopd); or visit the accessibility page on the NYC Tourism + Conventions website.

Getting an MTA MetroCard is your first step to navigating the City by subway or bus. You can purchase a MetroCard at any subway station from multilingual machines (which accept cash and credit and debit cards) or booth attendants. You may also use exact change (no dollar bills) to ride any city bus. Riders have three options for fare payment: a single-ride ticket, a pay-per-ride MetroCard or an unlimited-ride MetroCard. There is a $1 fee to purchase a MetroCard, so be sure to retain it—and check the expiration date on the back of the card (the MTA will issue a new MetroCard for no charge if your card has expired or is damaged). A single-ride ticket costs $3, is sold only at vending machines and must be used within two hours of purchase. With a pay-per-ride MetroCard, the base fare for a subway or bus ride is $2.75; minimum purchase is $5.50, maximum is $80. An unlimited MetroCard enables users to ride all subways and buses as often as they like and costs $33 for seven days or $127 for 30 days. Additional discounts are available for seniors ages 65+ and disabled riders. For a map of New York City’s subway and bus system, click here. Note: MetroCards will officially phase out in 2024.

In 2023, the City rolled out a new contactless fare payment system, OMNY (One Metro New York), which combines fare payments and ticketing across subways, buses, paratransit and commuter rail. OMNY readers are available at all subway turnstiles and on all buses; simply tap your contactless card or smart device and watch the screen for confirmation to proceed. During the OMNY rollout, you can still use MetroCard, eTix and other existing fare payment options. Learn more.

The City’s fleet of taxicabs is regulated by the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC). Taxicabs operate 24 hours, provide door-to-door service and accept cash or credit cards. The City’s famous yellow fleet is primarily seen throughout Midtown but can be hailed for trips to other boroughs and states. NYC’s apple-green Boro Taxis can pick up passengers in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens (excluding the airports) and Staten Island, plus northern Manhattan (north of West 110th Street and East 96th Street); they are not authorized to pick up any trips elsewhere in Manhattan.

To hail a taxi, stand at the curb and look for a yellow cab with an illuminated white number on top. Off-duty cabs display the illuminated words “Off Duty” on the same sign. Board and exit the cab curbside. For yellow or green taxis, there is a minimum meter fare of $3, and prices increase based on the distance and duration of the trip (assume prices are higher during peak rush-hour traffic). Surcharges apply to the meter price. Drivers appreciate a 15–20 percent gratuity at the end of a trip. Bridge and tunnel tolls are not included in the taxi’s metered fare. You may also use e-hail apps such as Arro, Curb, Myle, Waave and Wapanda, available in Apple’s App Store or Google Play, which will connect you with cab services across the five boroughs. Visit nyc.gov/taxi or call +1.212.NEW.YORK (639.9675) from outside the City or 311 when in town for more information.