1) Comfortable shoes are essential. New York is a walking town — expect to trek several miles (at least) while sightseeing. New Yorkers take their fashionable footwear seriously.
2) The fashion motto here is: stylish but practical. Sure — add personal flair to your wardrobe, but make sure to pack plenty of breathable cottons in summer and cosy wool sweaters in winter.
3) Suitcases are not welcome. Seriously — they take up too much space on the subway and bus and you can’t bring them into museums with you or even check them at the door.
4) A sturdy backpack or shoulder bag is essential. If you’re wearing a shoulder bag, strap it securely across your front and, if you’re in particularly crowded areas, consider wearing your backpack in front, to prevent pick pocketing.
5) Stay hydrated and refuelled: Inside your bag, pack a bottle of water and energy snacks — dried fruit or nuts are a great choice.
6) Other touring essentials: Your camera (and an extra battery for it, as necessary) plus a map or guidebook. TheStreetwise Map of Manhattan or the Not for Tourists Guide are both good choices — and you’ll be grateful to have them on hand if there’s no WiFi to access Google Maps on your smartphone.
7) New York weather can fluctuate day to day, no matter what the season: Check the weather every morning, and regardless of the forecast, bring a compact umbrella — rainstorms in NYC come swiftly and with little warning.
8) It will take you longer to get to your destination than you think. Maybe the tour bus is a few minutes late or you get lost on your way from Greenwich Village to the High Line. If there’s one thing that New Yorkers can agree on, it’s that traffic here is horrible.
9) Things get very busy in the summer and around the holidays, but you should also pay attention to the days of the week. Try to visit a popular attraction on a weekday instead of the weekends — and even better if you can get there in the morning.
10) But, in the end, if you forget something, don’t worry. Although you’d probably rather not spend valuable vacation hours searching for a wool hat or umbrella, you can find anything and everything in New York. In most cases, there’s a store for whatever you need just a couple of minutes from your hotel.
