UPDATE: How to pay using the OMNY readers (not the MetroCard): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-g2_aEHQlPSQ.html How to ride the SUBWAY: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-9fL5etTRZzU.html How to ride the BUSES: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HQ1WcRKvbP8.html Also, I have been told that the NICE bus also accepts unlimited rides. Additionally: If you are traveling with kids, they are free if they are under 44". They are allowed to duck under the turnstile.
WARNING, some incomplete info here. If you buy a METROCARD from the Port Authority (AirTrain Metrocard bought at an airport), it is NOT the same as a METROCARD bought at a Subway station. The Port Authority AirTrain Metrocard can't be loaded the same way, and won't work on buses. If you load a bunch of money on to a Port Authority AirTrain card, you may find you loaded too much, and can't use it, and can't get any refund. So best to buy one at an airport, just for ONE WAY transportation into the City, then buy a NEW regular Metrocard at a Subway station.
I recently went to New York for a day and made use of the subway. Your videos on the subway helped me so much to the point that my group thought I was secretly a New Yorker myself. Thank you so much for the great content you're making.
For europeans visiting NYC: every single time that you use your european Visa card, the bank will charge you an extra fee ( mostly around 2,50 euro) so when you use the OMNY readers the amount you pay for your single metro ride will be: 2,75 dollar metro fair + 2,50 euro Visa fee = around 5,25 euro for a single ride. I'm strongly recommending that european visitors use the old fashionned yellow Metrocard. Buy a yellow Metrocard and put 25 dollars on it. Pay cash or with Visa/Master card. That way you only pay one Visa/Mastercard fee for various metro rides. By the way, buying a yellow metrocard is a good way to get rid of all the coins that you start to collect during your stay in NYC.
Imagine telling the German tourist "Nein! Nein! Nein! Nein! Nein!" when he's trying to key in the zip code. More colorful German language ensues🤣. Visiting New York in January 2022 and honestly, that tip is a life saver because I would never have figured it out myself.
Hi Thea. Thank you so much for your informative videos. My daughter is starting school at NYU in the fall and is a little apprehensive about using the subways and living in NYC in general. We actually live in the suburbs and come into NYC pretty often but it's not the same as living there on your own for the first time. I've forwarded your videos to her and I'm sure they will make her feel much more comfortable and confident. Keep up the great work!
Thanks for watching and sharing! I'm so excited for your daughter! Being a student in NYC has SO MANY perks (mainly all the discounts 😂) and student life at NYU is very fostering. She's gonna have a blast!
the NYCT/MTA buses are great as well. Note, there's local buses/local routes (which are comprised of local-stop/*LIMITED*-stop routes & Select-Bus-Service "SBS" routes), they cost the same as the subway ($2.75 for single rides, or if you have an unlimited pass/ride metrocard; 7-day for $33 & 30-day for $127). The other type of NYCT/MTA bus is called an "express bus"; these are meant for commuters who travel long-distance that live in the outer portions of NYC, that aren't near the subway & have to rely on buses. The fare on express buses costs $4 extra compared to the local bus & subway; $6.75 for express buses (or if you have a 7-day express bus pass for $62). This unlimited pass you can also use for local buses & subway, but is mainly for those who use the express bus often. 2 things for sure about transfers 👇: #1: As long as each each person has a metrocard & completes the transfer thats encoded into their metrocard (subway to local bus, local bus to subway, or local bus to bus; route numbers being different), transfers are FREE of charge because the base fare of what you're transferring to costs the same or less than what you started with. #2: transfers aren't free if you're going from local bus or subway (which is $2.75), to an express bus (which is $6.75); assuming each person has a metrocard, each transfer onto the express bus would then be $4 because the base fare of what you're transferring to costs more than what you started with. Im not sure though if you can do FREE transfers between express buses (same thing between local buses), Im assuming YES cause once you've 1st paid the $6.75 on the express (say the BM3/BM4 from Brooklyn to Manhattan), then you should a get a free transfer on the 2nd express bus (QM2), cause the base fare of what you're transferring to costs the same or less than what you started with.
I'm going to NYC for the first time in years. I was kinda intimated about the subway system since it's changed. Your video were very helpful THANK YOU! 😊
Saw this video before I went to New York for the day and it helped tremendously. My sister was surprised as to how quick we got our Metro Cards and how familiar I was with the subway system. We started our day in Manhattan and then went to Queens and returned to Penn Station for our return trip home to Philadelphia via NJ Transit. Thank you so much!
I'm planning a family trip to NY for the summer and none of us has ever gone to NY so I was anxious when it came to learning about the Subway System, but your videos have been a life saver. Everything is clear and I love how you explain even the smallest of details that others might dismiss but are still equally important. I'll definitely be checking out more of your videos for this trip. Thank you so much !!
thank you for this!! i hate looking lost and vulnerable, so these videos you’re creating are so helpful. i’ll feel safer knowing this information next time i visit!
I just moved to NY for college from North Carolina. Ive never used a train system or even been into the city. This video is literally a lifesaver for my anxiety tysm
Good stuff! You should do one on LIRR and Metro North. Tourists will use the subway but the LIRR and Metro North is a great way to see and visit other areas! Renting a car in NYC and driving can truly stress anyone’s vacation and a lot of folks don’t know the value and convenience of our Commuter Rail!
Simply amazing, I was searching videos for the same purpose but after watching your video, I don’t feel that anyone need to search other videos.. Thanks ❤
Very nicely done! Your videos are the most complete, most informative out there. Can't wait to be there in August, hopefully it's cooler there than it will be in Texas where we are from.
You know, I never would have thought going from A to B could be so complicated, I was born and raised in Manhattan I left in 93, and at that time all you needed was a token. Thanks for this video it's interesting to see how things have changed.
i’ve watched many videos about NY subway and my question was how to use it. None of the video answered my question except this one and the previous video. SO SO SO HELPFUL for a first time visitor like me. I passed every videos but stopped at her video bcuz i can sense that she’s very informative
Great video. Today was my first to use a bus and I thought I could pay with my credit card only to learn payments are done using metrocards. Thanks for the video, quite educative
Thank you so much for your help. I was bugging out about how to use the whole subway system and you explained it well. I'm currently no longer too worried
How do Thea 😉 I must have died and gone to heaven when I watch your videos because I have not seen one commercial ... and that's a great reason for me to try to watch all of them
Another great video, I agree with you on the 7 day card, I'm always there 4 nights, and 5 days, and just get the 7 day card, as it's the best value, when i checkout of the hotel I give the card to one of the staff to use for the last 2 days
Certainly a nice gesture, but the cards themselves are good for 12-18 months. If you anticipate returning within that time, consider keeping the card so you can add funds and/or another 7-day pass when you get to NY-no need to buy another card.
Helpful... but you should do a condensed one where you only talk about how to buy a card and reload it, but this did help me I sat in front of a machine and bought my first metrocard with this video! 💯👍🏼💯
Thanks so much for your usual ‘Gold standard’ videos. The information that you explain is a godsend to any visitor or New Yorker. I’ll certainly be using it should I finally be able to get over in 2022, from this side of the pond here in England (Brexitland 🇪🇺🤭). I have no idea whether you’ve even considered becoming a travel guide but, you’d be the ‘go to’ if you can come anywhere close to replicating your normal level of excellence. 🤗🥰🤗
Such nice words. Thank you! I hear you on the traveling. I wanted to go to Wimbledon last year for the tennis open. But that certainly didn't happen. Good luck! I hope you finally get to travel soon.
This was a perfect video! I am moving to NYC in 2 weeks, and I needed a bit of a refresher course. Keep up the great work, and I look forward to checking out your other videos. Thank you!
I just need to say.... you are a TOTAL LIFESAVER!! I'd give you a hug if I could!! ❤ 😆 This helped out so much and answered my question about riding as a family of 6!
Awesome video! The editing is amazing. One thing that I haven’t seen you or most other videos mention is that when your mta card is expiring, you can talk to an attendant and swap it out for a newer one for free with your remaining balance transferred over.
Really appreciated your efforts providing such an information resource. It’s been a few years since my last NYC visit and this video helps me brush up on my subway skills.
We found this very help on our recent visit to NYC. However, you cannot purchase multiple Metrocards with the same credit card within a certain time limit, hence we had to use a different credit card to purchase our second Metrocard.
Hi there. I'm sorry to hear that. Good thing you were able to figure it out. Someone mentioned there was a cap to how many MetroCards you can buy with one credit card. But I didn't think you could only buy one. Maybe this is new. 🤔
Great video, thanks. Especially like the 99999 tip....deffo will have saved someone experiencing how colorful the English language can be coming out of a frustrated British guy when we visit soon lol.
Hi Thea, Great video. Thanks for the in depth tutorial on purchasing a metro card. I wasn't sure if one card could be used for multiple people and was confused by the "dip" sign 🤣
Thanks! Ikr. The world over, no one ever uses that term. Also, you might want to check out the new OMNY reader for paying for the subway. I made a video on it recently. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-g2_aEHQlPSQ.html
@@UrbanCaffeine I was in NY (midtown Manhattan) last week. I took your advice and purchased 3 unlimited metro cards. We traveled to Staten Island, Canal St, Roosevelt Island, Times Square, the Apollo and too many other places to name, by train, bus and tram. I was most confused by the lack of grocery stores (Publix, Winn Dixie) and why Walgreens was called Duane reade in NY🤔 We passed it 30 times thinking it was a men's boutique or something😭. A cool video on shopping (grocery, drug store etc) in NYC when you're from the south (Florida in my case) would be great! The metro cards, however, were certainly the right way to go. I can't wait to visit again. Keep the useful tips coming.
Quick clarification: The $7.75 fee for AirTrain JFK (3:56) only applies if you use AirTrain JFK to connect to the subway at either the Jamaica or Howard Beach stations. Using AirTrain JFK to travel between terminals is free. The $7.75 doesn’t include the $2.75 subway fare.
Correct. Only at Jamaica and Howard beach you have to pay $7.75 to exit or enter the station (of the AirTrain). Then to enter the subway, you need to pay $2.75. I have a video that covers the JFK AirTrain → ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wIb5sAgNkp8.html
With singles rides, the only time where transfers aren't free, is when transferring from local bus or subway (which is $2.75), to an express bus (which is $6.75), assuming each person has a metrocard, each transfer onto the express bus would then be $4. Also, if each person has a metrocard with value on it & uses it onboard a local bus or in the subway, it'll take $2.75 off each card. But If before they make the transfer & they immediately then refill each metrocard with a 7-day or 30-day pass, the unlimited pass on the very next swipe will take effect. The value (i.e. $2.75) doesn't go away, it'll stay there & when the unlimited pass runs out, whatever remaining value is left on each metrocard, is then available to use.
um Urbane Caffine, 1 slight upgrade to your transfer tip: Yesterday, I had swiped twice with the same metrocard into the Kings Highway station (Brighton line) in Brooklyn; FYI, I was with someone. I then got off the B train @ Church Av, then transferred to the B35 bus, I only had to dip my metrocard once into the farebox on the bus & I got 2 FREE transfers 👍👍👍.
@@UrbanCaffeine Just want to let you know that I had a wonderful trip at New York. I used the public transportation and travel a lot from central park to statue of Liberty park. Thanks so much again. Your video helps me save a lot for the commute. 😍😍😍
Grateful for finding your channel. Taking a NYC trip next week. After watching some of your videos, I have now subscribed and will spend my evening packing and learning from you. 🥰 Thank you 😊
Glad to hear! Are you here for the fireworks this Sunday? If so, have fun! I'm hearing it's going to be special since it was sort of cancelled last year.
Well know I know how to use the metro card now if I can figure out how to get from 350 west 40th street to the 911 museum I’ll be set. Thanks for the video.
