15 MOST Common NYC Tourist Mistakes (And How To Avoid Them) !

What are some of the most common mistakes tourists make visiting New York City for the first time?
tch my other NYC Playlists for even more ideas + tips for your next trip here.

NYC 15 MOST Common Tourist Mistakes Chapter List:
00:00- Intro
00:36- 15. Avoiding Public Transportation from the Airport
01:27- 14. Not Leaving the Manhattan Bubble
02:05- 13. Not Wearing Comfortable Shoes
03:03- 12. Sticking Only To The Most Popular Spots
03:43- 11. Not Carrying Enough Cash
05:04- 10. Eating at Chain Restaurants
06:32- 9. Crowding the Sidewalks
07:21- 8. Trying to Do Too Much
08:05- 7. Subway Trouble
09:29- 6. Tipping
10:53- 5. Not Checking The Weather
11:41- 4. Spending Too Much On Broadway Tickets
12:19- 3. Not Looking Up What's Going on in NYC
12:47- 2. Paying Too Much For Hotels
13:35- 1. Not Using the Bathroom Before Leaving Your Hotel
14:08- Bonus: How to Ask For Directions

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[BenavUC]

1.- Not using the bathroom before leaving the hotel
2.- Paying too much for hotels
3.- Not looking whats going on in NYC
4.- Spending too much money on broadway tickets
5.- Not checking the weather
6.- Tipping (You must tip at restaurants)
7.- Subway trouble (which subway card to buy)
8.- Trying to do too much
9.- Crowding the sidewalks
10.- Eating at chain restaurants
11.- Not carrying enough cash
12.- Sticking only to the most popular sites
13.- Not wearing comfortable shoes
14.- Not leaving the Manhattan bubble
15.- Not taking public transportation from the airport

[JTtheTalkingHead]

NYC Pro tip

Bring a powerbank for your cell phone. ESPECIALLY when you don't know the city. You're gonna be taking pictures and using GPS for navigation and this will EAT your battery whole.
*p.s.* The Nintendo Store on 5th has a free public charging station with about 10 outlets stuck into the barrel beside the Donkey Kong statue on the first floor.

Also; Stay away from "Rays Famous Original Pizza" on 7th just outside of Times Square. $6 a slice and it has the true taste of New York... literally... tastes like a New York City sidewalk.

[barbarabaker]

Two additional tips:
Make two lists of things to do - - One for rainy days, and one for OK -to-be-outside days.
The unlimited Metro card is great for hopping on and off buses - not just subways.

[alphaxion]

Here's a simple one for Brits using the subway on their first trip to NYC: You don't need to boop/scan out, just use the gate to leave as the subway is a flat fee per journey and doesn't need to calculate the cost of your ride.

My personal tip: Take the time to just wander down streets and don't be afraid to explore, I've found myself in random bars chatting to random people such as the time I talked with a stage-hand for Book of Mormon in between shows, all because I thought "that side street looks interesting" and detoured from the route I was taking.

[kathleenshiel]

Just back from NYC and visited New York Public Library (42 st - Bryant Park). It has appeared in many movies including "The Day After Tomorrow". They do free tours and the inside is amazing.

[leilasylla]

Also for the bathroom tip: Please don't give a hard time to the workers and ask them personal questions like "Where do you go then" because where they go is not your concern. It's just a health law that in order to have public restrooms restaurants need to have at least 20 seats or more.

[paedahe]

Don’t forget to listen to “The Beastie Boys” while in NY. Especially “To the 5 Boroughs”. This adds to the authenticity on your trip.

[BKLNHobo]

1. I wouldn't recommend AirBnB in NYC as a lot of them are either illegal or sketchy. Hotels are safer.

2. Make sure that AUTOMATIC GRATUITY is not included on the restaurant bill, or you may be tipping twice.

3. For food, you have to do at least one brunch, a diner, a steakhouse and a seafood restaurant. Ethnic food is good too, if you avoid tourist traps like The Olive Garden.

[missayawk]

Reduce your fluid intake or practice holding your bladder before you get to NYC....YOU WILL BE TESTED.

[anitasmith]

You're right about the wind drag. I live across the river (Hudson) in Jersey. The tall buildings tend to pull the wind downwards. One offbeat thing to do is ride the Staten Island Ferry on a clear night. The view of the NY skyline is incredible. I do terribly miss the Twin Towers, though.

[teresahoward]

Another tip for saving on hotels is to look at a flight/hotel bundle through the airlines or hotel chains. On our last trip to NYC in January, I found an amazing deal on Marriott Vacations for both of our flights + 5 nights in a Marriott Courtyard hotel 2 blocks from Penn Station for $864! The flights we were on were about $175 R/T each, which comes out to, before taxes, our rooms were under $100 a night! To get the best rates, you will want to be a member of the hotel or airline loyalty program and be logged in while you do your search!!

[chaswood]

Dude, you've got the best travel vids, even though I've only seen ONE destination in your vids! Dude you're killing me!
!!!!

[MJ-]

Thanks for another informative video, Jon.

Definitely with you on the comfortable shoes tip. On our first visit to NYC I brought walking boots (also to allow for winter, with it being February), and my feet were ruined after 4 days of walking.

Second visit in August last year, and I invested in a pair of Nike Air Max sneakers, and my feet were a whole lot better. We also underestimated how far we'd walk. Last August, we were there for 7 days, and walked approx. 65 miles in that week, and that still included using the subway to get around, too!

We're visiting NYC again this coming December to take in the Christmas build up, and having stayed in midtown Manhattan last times, were staying in Brooklyn this time. We cannot wait to come back.

[juvenciosilvasilva]

I was in NY last year and it was an amazing experience. I will probably go back there next year to enjoy that lovely city. Thank you for everything. Greetings from Spain.

[PaimasCPGaming]

I just came back from my 8-day trip to NYC - its been a great time!

The first 3 days I traveled around Mid-/Downtown by simply using the Subway. Easy getting around quickly and see the typical toruistic things.

The other days I started to explore more the outside just like Harlem, Flushing Meadow in Queens, some streets in Brooklyn etc. ... and that areas even saved me a lot of money haha (example: 0, 7L beer 4$ Midtown, Manhatten AND 0, 5L German beer even only 1, 15$ in Queens!!!)

I will defintely go back and make more of the daily life stuff and keep little away from the sightseeing spots!

Greetings from Germany! 🤗

[dorisq]

My first trip to NYC was a few years back and we learned that the type of shoes ladies wear make a world of a difference. It was not just about the comfort but also cleanliness of your feet. I had flip flops on the first time and when I arrived to hotel the bottom of my feet were black. That evening and for the rest of my time in NYC, unless we took a cab, I slipped on sneakers! They were more comfortable while walking the number of blocks we did during the day and felt better taking the subways. But, a couple of the ladies would wear their heels and platforms and complain the entire time. No bueno peeps! I tell you keep it smart, comfortable & clean with sneakers or comfortable padded shoes!!

Btw, thanks for this video! I follow you, Action Kid and TheTravelingClatt. You guys are awesome! Ty!

[grahamwatkins]

I agree, take loads of cash, cause everybody wants a tip, from housekeeping down to the guy who gives you directions, plus everybody seems to have a cup for tips.

[maryannecalora]

Just came back from nyc a few days ago, I’m obsessed ! Found your videos so useful, even before my trip was booked as I knew I was always gonna come - I’m going back next week so every time you upload I get even more excited for my trip / love from UK! Only pet peeve I have had with my previous trip is the tipping, as a student ive lost hundreds of dollars of hard earned cash on tipping in the US, i knew of the low wages so I ensured I kept to around 20%, but on the subway I saw there was a new minimum wage law, which is more than what I get hourly, and I get no tips .. I am just now more reluctant to give bigger tips but don’t want to offend anyone 😂 I agree with all of your comments however!! Although I’m embarrassed to say I did eat at Olive Garden Times Square once as I really wanted to try the famous breadsticks and I know you always say to avoid 😭 los tacos 1 btw.. new Favourite!!

[GardenerScott]

Best practical travel suggestions I've seen. They'll be very helpful for my upcoming NY trip. Thank you!

[jackson]

Damn, I wish every big city had a guide like you. So far I've only found Honest Guide Prague and you. Subscribed! Keep up the good work ;)