NYC Subway Survival Guide (Watch Before You Go!)
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We'll break down how to ride the NYC Subway in this guide for tourists and newcomers alike!
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How To Ride the NYC Subway Chapter List:
00:00- Intro
00:23- Buying a Metrocard
00:43- Using OMNY (Contactless Payment)
01:34- Traveling with a Group/Family
02:01- Traveling with Small Children
02:18- Unlimited Cards
03:11- Phone Apps- Google Maps & City Mapper
03:49- Subway Color vs Subway Lines
04:31- Anker Sponsorship
05:34- Express vs. Local Stations
05:54- Insider Tip #1 (Running)
06:01- Manhattan Uptown vs Downtown
06:20- Station Timetables
06:35- Entering and Exiting Stations
07:52- Insider Tip #2 (The Heat)
08:12- Transferring within Stations
08:30- Subway Safety Tips
09:54- Subway Accesbility
10:19- Sample Ride
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I'm Jon Barr, an ex-sportscaster turned travel vlogger. If you're looking for waste no-time ,incredibly informative videos loaded with useful travel tips, you've come to the right place! My vlogs are made for the savvy traveler. Subscribe to learn all of my travel tips, tricks, and secrets that have helped me visit 33 countries. Based out of NYC but always on the go.
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UPDATE: As of August 20th, fare capping has been updated to count for any 7 day period, it's no longer Monday to Sunday only. WATCH THIS NEXT: 11 Things You Should Never Do in NYC- kzhead.info/sun/ZZGPnZepfpqVmqc/bejne.html
The Roosevelt Island tram only takes metro cards. They don’t have OMNY there yet.
Will do, also subscribed! I have come from Australia for a holiday and found your videos and tips excellent. The only thing I couldn't find was the sushi in Herald Square District Shopping Centre from one of your videos a while back. I followed Google Maps and it seems to be a contruction site now. It that right or was I in the wrong place??
@@harrythepidgeon496 Sometimes google maps doesn't update the spots so you should always double check if the place is open
I use my debit card on the OMNY pay and it works It doesn’t have to be a credit card
@@vicentemariani8730, considering that it costs you a fee (usually $3.00) to use your ATM card to take out money or pay directly from the account, getting an OMNY card and filling it with, say, about $80.00 USD would be (and is-at least for me doing this here in Toronto) better than always using your ATM/debit card or credit card to pay a fare.
Trying to get on the subway too fast and not stepping aside to let passengers get out first has to be one of the worst and easiest mistakes to make.
Absolutely
Hub
I'm from here & I can tell you I have almost been knocked over by idiots trying to get on the train at rush hour trying to score an empty seat. I will bulldoze my way out & if you try to curse at me I can probably curse better than you.
In my opinion, it's locals who are the worst at this. They're not tourists, they're selfish and rude New Yorkers
I do it anyways if I can if I see a seat on a crowded train I want to run for
Something I learned from experience visiting NYC and getting lost on the subway is that most people will absolutely help you. Long before I discovered Jon, I was lost at a station and a random dude asked me where I was going, taught me how to read the signs, and explained to me that I got lost because I got on an express train. The locals aren’t your tour guide, but if you’re confused about a station or where you’re at just respectfully ask someone.
My biggest challenge was finding the subway entrance. The iconic "stairway on the street" wasn't an issue, but if the entrance was inside a building or shopping center I could easily walk straight past it. I wish transit apps had an option to click the station entrance to see a picture so I know what the heck I'm looking for.
Fr, I made this mistake so much times but luckily I have a full grasp on the subway entrances and the signs because I just look at the letter color trains and not the signs so I finally learnt from that mistake thanks to my dad
I’ve been riding the NYC Subway system for 20+ years and I still get lost🤣
The "multiple stations with the same name but different lines" is an important point. That happened to me once in New York when I knew I was technically at the wrong entrance but based on my experience in Europe I assumed these stations with the same name are effectively one big station and there would be a way to get to the correct line with a little walk underground but I was wrong, I had to leave again to get to the correct station.
Well done Jon! As the comments indicate, every experienced rider watching this wants to jump in with their own tips-- it's impossible to create a video that covers it 100%. As a plug for residents, I'll even throw in one more tip: Look for a friendly face and ask someone! New Yorkers aren't rude! They're just busy. They'll almost always be happy to help you, but pay attention because they're only going to tell you once!
b/c the train is coming! = )
Also, the red globes on poles (as opposed to green), means Subway exit only, you cannot get in that way, but useful to know for your ride later.
Another common mistake is for people to take one step on the car and stop when there is a line of people behind them waiting to get on. Move in to the car to make room for the people behind you - you won’t be stuck inside at your stop as long as you pay attention. This is one that locals can be bad with too.
NYC local here. Great tips. Here are a couple more: 1. Never refer to the subway lines by color, only by number or letter (the A train, the 6 train, etc.) The colors correspond to the routes in the middle of Manhattan, but some are express and some are local, and they split and diverge also. 2. If you have to wait for the train to arrive, think about which pare of the train will be closest to the exit you want, and use your waiting time to get to that part of the platform. For example, if I am taking the R from Union Square to Carnegie Hall, I wait at the uptown (16th St.) end of the platform and go straight to 57th Street, rather than 14th/55th. Most trains are about 2 short blocks long, and the station exits may be at the front, middle and/or back of the trains.
Dude, i feel like you just explained physics. I have NO IDEA wtf you are talking about. NY subway system is a hot GD MESS that is NOT easy to read.
Well, that not helpful 😅
Whether you walk now to be at the desired part of the train or walk after exiting the station you're still walking.
Sure, but the trip takes less time if you use your waiting time on the platform to cover that distance.
But ur saving time @@DL-rm7zg
Don’t forget about the bus system. That can sometimes be an easier way to get somewhere especially within Brooklyn. For instance I took a bus from where I was staying in Williamsburg to the Brooklyn Museum. Much more direct than the subway which is more geared for people commuting into Manhattan.
The Bronx is also really navigatable with busses.
Bus are easier to navigate! People are easily lost underground without any visual clues on the surroundings.
Yes, some parts of Queens and the Bronx are far from a subway stop but the buses go everywhere.
Yea it's because the mta was mainly built when Manhattan was the biggest
I would also recommend people stand against the back wall while waiting for their train to avoid being pushed on the tracks. I'm proud to say that I have never felt intimidated riding the subway but I did have to learn a lot of your tips in this video the hard way.
Good one! Thanks
depends on the station, sometimes there are no walls.
And don't look scared, just aware of your surroundings but confident. (As if you might have a gun on you).
Also don't stand at the staircase where the platform is narrow. It's difficult for others to navigate around you.
@@missing9112too bad we cannot bring Charles Bronson back
That "Sample Ride" was excellent! Perfect choice of station: Uptown/Downtown, upper/lower levels, choice of express/local. and two trains running on both express and local.
I was born and raised in NY. I haven't been back in 30 yrs........SO MUCH different than when I had to take the subways......IM IMPRESSED! I like the new TICKET BUYING machines, the train TIME board on the platforms.......VERY NICE! I'm sure the rats like it too? 😅
Excellent work here Jon 🙌…a great summary of how to negotiate the subway, I can understand how locals might also get confused by all the signage. I’ve never seen any guide like this applying to buses as well, would you consider doing one on this? Keep up the great work, your vids are always so helpful ❤
2:40 MTA worker here, as of August 20th, fare capping has been updated to count for any 7 day period, it's no longer Monday to Sunday.
Yep! I saw this.
Took the N all the way to Coney Island. 1 hour one-way. Success! Thank you for all your NYC subway guides past, present and future.
We leave in a week for 5 nights and this ABSOLUTELY confused me even even more...... I need a video to where they break this down like a 4th grader could understand
Your video's are so helpful for my upcoming trip to NYC. As I've suffered from severe anxiety my entire life, it's great how calming and reassuring your videos are, my anxiety is sound asleep. Thanks!!!
Bravo! I don’t think you get how informative, yet entertaining you are! I love your videos. This was a perfect, confusing explanation of nyc subways. We always use them when visiting and you’re right about the card thing and m-f thing. I’m sending this to my son who takes us to the Bronx, flushing, etc on the subway. We are now doing bus and subway ‘cause sometimes you can get closer using bus too.
Been watching your vlogs before our trip to NYC last week. Can I just say they came in handy particularly the Subway tips and the attractions to visit. Helped us out a lot.
Helpful video for even a born in Brooklyn NY'er, who remembers Subway Tokens costing 20 cents. This is very helpful to know. The subway has drastically changed. New lines added, service changes etc. When I come back to visit, a video like this is a go to! Thanks again Jon! ☺💯
Thank you! This video is very helpful. I went to nyc alone last Christmas and I did get lost one time. I will be back this august and rewatching your videos 🥰🥰🥰
When I visited last year in May, I sticked closely to the tips of one of your older subway guides. I never got lost, never took any wrong train and never had a bad experience in the subway. Citimapper also guided me through my week perfectly. 2 weeks ago I visited Paris, which also owns one hell of a public transport system, in my eyes even more complicated than the New York one Having mastered NYC subway, Paris metro was also easy, also thanks to Citimapper
Planning a trip to nyc soon, my first time. This video will help me navigate the subway system. It is a bit intimidating.
Don't be intimidated. Just ask if you're confused about anything. NYers are more than happy to help. Even if it may seem like we're always in a hurry whether in the subway or on the street, we''ll be more than happy to stop and help.
Just to add transferring outside of the subway is free within a 2-hour window as long as it is a different line so you can't ride from an F train, do some errands, and then ride the F train again. This works for subway to bus, bus to bus, bus to subway, or whatever. Useful if you want to go to a close station and transfer but it isn''t at that exact station. This is commonly done for going between 59th street lexington ave and 63rd Street Lexington ave. Make sure you use the same card, device, or whatever you used initially. I live next to a bus for example and use the free transfer from the bus to the train when going into Manhattan. Another thing to note is this is one free transfer. Meaning if you go from bus to train to bus for example you have to pay for the seciond bus.
Great tips! Just got back home today after a week in Manhattan I completely agree with your tip about the hot 🥵 stations.
Dude, I love NYC, and your videos are excellent! They’re very well organized and informative, plus I really appreciate your tips and hacks. Thank you!
The subway was honestly one of my favourite things during my visit in May 😍
Thank you so much for this. I'm going back to NYC after 12 years and this is a fantastic guide on how to survive the mass transit situation. Thank you again.
I stayed in New Jersey for a few days this past weekend and was able to get to New York City very easily using public transportation. It was my first time. Apple Maps transit helped me so much … but the majority of it is just reading the signs and knowing what direction you are going in…. I took New Jersey transit light rail from liberty State Park to exchange place, and then I rode the path train to World Trade Center, and then took the number one train uptown to Times Square. Cheap and easy
This is so helpful. Well done. Wish I knew all this before my first trip. Learned the hard way. Secret is to absorb all of these tips and to not panic. Great system once you know what you are doing. This video will help many people. Thanks as always.
I just came back from NYC last night and used Google Maps and worked like a charm
Awesome video! Had been before and live in London so find navigating the subway super similar. Only had one person we felt the need to avoid, just swapped platforms away and missed a train then went back & on our way. JFK Airtrain really needs to be on OMNY too - so many people had issues with the machines even though they had figured out how to use them (eg set to exact change only) that the queues built up and before it was anywhere near our turn they just opened the gates and let us all go without paying - must be fairly common as it happened arriving & leaving!
EXCELLENT video Jon! So very, very helpful AND clear instructions. Thank you very much for taking the time to show and explain. 🙋♀️❣️👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thankyou for this jon. My nephew is visiting in September for the first time and this will be a big help for him
Getting ready for our first trip. Very thankful for this video!!!
This is a nice rule of thumb in Manhattan for north/south trains, I know it's true for the 6 I assume it's true for the others: Uptown bound trains on the east side of the street, Downtown bound trains on the west side. Just follows train on the right side of the track.
I've just returned from a trip to NY and I found the subway baffling. I'm so used to the detailed route lists that are highly visible on or leading into every London tube platform, but that doesn't seem to be a thing in NY. Thankfully, all the people I asked for help were more than pleased to assist. Some even offered help without being asked when they saw me looking confused. 😕😄
Thank you, Jon! I opted for the busses on my May 2023 visit. The posted routes & simple fact that they are on the city streets made it easier for me to figure out their routes, where I was & where I was going. I did try the subway & found both affordable, I was just better oriented on the bus.
Did you use a metro card or tap to pay for the bus? I'm going soon, it's my first time. Thanks
@@anaannna1594 I used a Metro Card. Have a great time!
Very well done video, thanks. Once hopped on an express train that skipped the station I needed and nearly jeopardized my flight to Dublin. Now I know why!
As a New Yorker and a everyday train rider this is all true n correct. The train is actually a lot easier to navigate now with all this new technology back in the 2000 I use to get lost all the time 😅
Very helpful tips! Thanks for sharing all the tips to navigate the subway system. Definitely can he confusing for out of towners.
Wish this guide came out a few months ago, was in NYC for the very first time in March, we bought unlimited Metrocards and was a bit lost in Subway stations for first 2 days, then I figured it out how it works and it was so much more easier and faster to travel after. But gotta thank you for making this and hopefully someone else gets some great tips and tricks, and before next time coming, have to take a look and remind me how it works. Thank you.
Thanks here be Barr. This is actually helpful.
I was just in NY for a week, and I got a lot of tips from your channel. Definitely going back soon!!
I do love your videos. I can't help myself watching all of them
Back to the future is fantastic!!! Defo should head out there to see it. 100% recommended
Wish I had this guide before moving to NYC 15 years ago. 🙂 Thank you for this great and informative video.
I was in New York for the first time at the end of May/start of June as a solo traveller and I loved the Subway system, I found it really simple to use, very reliable and unbelievable value. I'm currently fighting the urge to go back already.
That's good to know, I am heading to NY in 19 days and was a little worried about getting around
LOL, at least someone appreciates it for the convenience.
Thanks for the tip on the CityMapper app from a previous video somewhere! It is all I have used on my whole trip in NYC
Thanks so much for all your videos. They have been an amazing help in planning my September trip
Of Course, just like with many investigations the answer was right under my nose since the very beginning. 🙂
Thanks for your insights on using the Metro! Just came back from a one week trip to NYC and it went almost smooth all the time using public transport, saved a lot of nerves... one thing that sucked though was the trip from and to JFK with luggage, elevators is not the thing with Metro when you're traveling heavy.
I will visit NYC very soon, and all these tips help me a lot. Thanks and cheers from Brazil.
I’ll be headed to New York for the very first time in April, I look foward to taking the Subway🙏🏽
Amazing guide to the Subway! Thanks for this!
I loved this class. It was quiet useful, thank you
Hi, Your guiding videos were super useful. For food, subway, to explore, to avoid scam. Thank you very much
❤ am confident to go now after you’re video. Thanks
Thank you for all the useful information!
Native new yorker who's chronically on the subway. I actually learned something! I didn't know about the zebra line thing!!
Great video on explaining the NYC subway. I've seen maps and even videos like RMTransit break down the network but this explains it very well I think Urban Caffeine also made some good videos on NYC subway's wayfinding
Nice to see NY catching up with OMNY! Im going to NY in September
Hey Jon like always thank you for making these videos ! In the beginning the New York Subway was intimidating, but that is not the case anymore !
Takes some time.
Thank you for all the great tips. Subway is still complicated
Thx for this! I'm going to NYC for the first time next week and I'll be by myself out there.
Yo this is useful for family members who are tourists who wants to explore on their own. This is a great guide video you can give them to learn to traveling in the city more better.
I just returned from NYC with a friend. We didn’t use the subway for the first couple of days because, yes, we were a bit intimidated by it. Wish we had seen this before we left! We had bought the Metro card and had the swiping issue, but it only happened once. And yes, I noticed very few ADA accessible choices to the subway.
Just dress and look like Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver and sport a mohawk! Nobody will mess with you. LOL "Barr....you talkin to me?" LOL
Woo hoo! Thanks for the shout out! I guess I sound like a broken record online. The limitations for OMNY don't stop there. It also sucks for families unless every member of the family has a different payment method, and I recently read an article about how once the 30 day unlimited card is discontinued, the locals that those will be really hit in the wallet.
OMNY is really good for locals who don't think and just tap. But when visiting you have to be a little more strategic if you think you need an unlimited. No problem on the shout out!
not a new yorker, born & raised in california but i used to take public transportation in college. i use an app called Transit & i love it
Thank you so much Great Efforts. Very informative
John is the best. Like combined so many worlds.
Smashed that like Jon, I'll enjoy watching this video with a cup of tea later tonight. 💯
Thank you , so helpful 👍
love your channel job keep up the good work and be safe on the sub ways
I had no idea about OMNY, that's very cool. The NYC system is uncomfortably hot in the Summer but in no way as confusing as the Subway system in Paris!
Thanks! Mastered this video and I did well! Thanks. Thanks.
I’m a situational awareness person. I don’t like having anything interrupt or get in the way of my surroundings. I stay alert at all times while riding the subways. I wear earplugs to reduce the noise but never cancel them. I pay attention to my surroundings and observe people and their behaviors. For me, living in NY is more about survival than anything else
Great video! Please do an MTA bus video next and how OMNY works there. Lots of people don't know that you can take crosstown buses too.
I freaking loved OMNI when I was visiting a few months ago. SO much easier than a Metrocard. I was there between Mon-Sat which helped. Also I've found it's important to use your sense of direction when exiting the stations. If you're going Uptown (north) remember which way the train was going when you exit then you'll know which way is east and west. It's easy to get turned around in some larger stations.
follow the direction of traffic
I use PRESTO (which is the same as OMNY) here in Toronto, so _if_ I were to visit New York City, I'd be using an OMNY card, and I'd load about $80.00 on my card.
Thanks John, very helpful
A very informative and helpful video!
This video is a must!🤩
Thanks for the tips. I’m going to New York next week.
Helpful as always. Nice advice to tourists ,👍
Thanks! 😃
My brain is about to exploit 🤯 we have never been in a subway station, so we really need to study this 😂. Thanks for your channel is too helpful!!
I've been here for a year now and this comes pretty handy, thanks
Great video & NYC subway guide. 👏🏻
Superrr helpful thank you we are forever grateful
Fantastic! Great video
Such a great video . In NYC had our experiences.. Lol😂
Thanks for getting us through NYC . Got it down by day 2 😂😂
The NYC Subway app is handy too if you're traveling outside Manhattan. I'm not sure how detailed Google Maps is, but the subway app shows you delays, planned service/route changes, express stops vs local stops, whether or not you're going in the wrong direction (based on the stops the train's making), and more. That along with Google should be very effective and will help you learn the subway for your next visit(s)
Very informative, thank u 👍
SUPER helpful - hi from Australia
Thank you for mentioning accessibility. I'm heading that way in a month and rented a mobility scooter and this is a concern I had.
Thanks! Great video!
After watching your video, I bought a pair of the Soundcore earbuds. Really good product.