Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center
New York City is a fabulous place to visit at any time of year, but
for me, New York is at its best during the holidays. I love all the gorgeous
window displays, ice skating, Christmas trees all over the city, not to mention
the endless shopping.
New York can seem like an unlikely choice for cheap holiday travel, but it is like everywhere else. You can always find discounts and cheap ways to enjoy yourself and soak up the local atmosphere. Check coupon sites for local deals at Groupon.com or LivingSocial.com.
Unfortunately, New York is even more crowded and congested than usual during the holidays with all the thousands of visitors. Tour companies can take the hassle out of navigating the traffic snarls and challenges for you. Tours allow you to actually enjoy the city and its holiday festivites worry-free. Tour companies offer a variety of tours and costs. Shop around and don’t forget to ask for discounts like seniors, military and student discounts.
For me, the holidays start in November with the annual Macy’s
Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade starts at Central Park West and travels
down Broadway to Herald Square in front of the Macys store. I love all the
bands, the balloons, the floats and of course the Rockettes. A great way to get into the holiday spirit absolutely free. (The best discount of all.)
New York is known for having the most fantastic holiday window
displays. Macy’s is my favorite, but Bloomingdale’s and Saks Fifth Avenue
are terrific, too. Another great way to get into the holiday
spirit without having to spend lots of money.
The Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center never ceases to
amaze and delight everyone. The tree lighting is
always a highlight to the New York holiday season. Again, it is free to attend. There are numerous other
Christmas trees around the city to view and be enjoyed like the displays in Columbus Circle.
Ice skating is my favorite holiday tradition.
Rockefeller Center has the most famous rink, which is good and bad. It tends to
be rather crowded and a little costly. Alternatives would be Wollman Rink on
the eastside of Central Park near the zoo. Lasker Rink is located mid-Central
Park. It is a swimming pool that is converted in winter to an ice-skating rink.
Still great ice-skating at discounted rates. Less crowds and more skating.
No trip to New York for Christmas would be complete without
a visit to Santa. Plenty of great choices to be sure, but for me, you simply
have to go to Macy’s to see Santa. I love the movie Miracle on 34th Street and it’s exciting to be able to
live it out for myself.
As with all trips to New York, simply walking around is a real treat. Every where you look, you are bound to see places you recognize from your favorite TV or movie without having to pay to visit a movie set. Museums are always a cheap way to spend time and learn something new. Most museums’ admissions are less than $20 for a day and you can stay all day to enjoy the limitless exhibits. Most museums do offer discounts, so just ask when you are buying your tickets.
And for accomodations, if you decide to visit the city during the week of Thanksgiving, check with the hotels in the financial district. New York encourages corporations and major businesses to stay away from New York during that week to accomodate the tourist trade, so the financial district hotels usually have lots of empty rooms that need to be filled. It may be a way to get a great room at a top hotel for a discounted rate.
So, when you start to think cheap holiday travels, keep New York in mind. Plenty of free fabulous things to do and see. Also, plenty of discounts on everything from tours, to hotel rooms to eating are available. Check them out and go and enjoy the unique New York holiday experience on the cheap.
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