New York City Subway

Typical subway station in New York City.

Free subway maps are available from token booth attendants, who can be helpful in advising you what line to take to your destination.

The New York City subway is the best way to travel around the city. It is if often grungy and dirty, but it runs 24 hours a day plus it is fairly reliable and cheap.

Subway Fares

MetroCard

The New York City Transit Authority (MTA) issues MetroCards for using the bus and subway system in the city. While it is possible to pay for a bus using exact change (in coins) you must have a MetroCard to enter the subway system.

MetroCards can be bought online, at stations (either from a vending machine or from a token booth), or at many grocery stores and newsstands (look for a MetroCard sign on the store window).

Which MetroCard is right for you? It depends on how long you plan to stay, how you intend to use the system, and how often you intend using the system. The base fare is $2 which you pay when you enter a bus or pass through a station turnstile for the first time. However, most MetroCards discount this fare.

• Single Ride MetroCard - $2 at stores and MetroCard vending machines in subway stations. You cannot buy this card at a token booth.
  
  
• Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard - $10 and $20 (or more) at vending machines and token booths. Every $10 gives you an extra $2. You get a free ride for every five rides you buy. Transfers between bus and subway are available. This is the best option, if you are spending a few days in New York and plan on using public transportation intermittently.
  
  
• One Day Funpass - $7 from stores and MetroCard vending machines (but not at token booths). Unlimited use of subways and buses from the time you buy the card untill 3 AM of the next day. A great deal if you use system heavily for a day.
  
  
• Seven Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard - $24 from token booths and vending machines and valid from the time you buy it to midnight of the seventh day. At under $3.50 a day, it's an amazing deal for anyone spending a week in the city.
  
  
• Thirty Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard - $76 and valid from when you buy to midnight of 30th day. If you pay by credit card, MTA will replace the card if lost.