How to Ride the New York City Subway

A DETAILED guide on how to ride the subway in New York City. Topics include: General New York City Subway Information, planning your trip, tickets, getting in the station, finding your train, riding the train, exiting the station, transfers, and wash your hands! The NYC Subway has 472 stations serving 27 subway lines and runs 24 hours a day. Routes are identified by letters (A,B,C), or numbers (1, 2, 3). In many stations you can’t simply get out of the train and go the other direction. You have to exit the station and re-enter. Make sure you are going the correct direction.

Uptown is typically “North”
Downtown is typically “South”

Express vs Local Trains:
Local trains stop at every stop
Express trains skip stops
The map will show white circles, which are express AND local stops. Black circle only local trains.
New to the subway? Just take the local trains.

Planning your trip:

Get an app: Citymapper
Google Maps works too
Or look at the subway map -- free printed ones are available

Tickets: Buy a metro-card for $1, and load it up. Each subway ride is $2.75. Or a single ride ticket is $3.

You can buy or load the metro-card at any subway ticket machine with cash or credit card.
Cash machines are big, but only return $9 in change. Credit/debit machines are small.

There is no “daily” card, but a weekly unlimited ride card is $32

Getting In the Station
Entrance that are always open have green lights
Exit only or part time entrances have red lights or no lights
Be careful of single direction entrances

To get in the station you’ll swipe your metro-card on the turnstile. Either waist high, or full height turnstile. Swipe at a medium speed, then push the turnstile.

Wheelchair, stroller ask the station attendant to open the gate.

Finding your train

Look for the route (letter or number) and direction. In big stations you may be walking for up to 15 minutes.

Make sure its the correct direction, Uptown/Brooklyn is typically “up” (North), Downtown/Brooklyn is “down” (South)

Riding the train
Don’t bother listening to the announcements, think new york accents, lousy microphones, and lousy speakers make it hard to hear. It’s best to count your stops. Know the name of the stop just before yours.

Don’t stare at people
Don’t get on an empty car. It either smells, or the AC is broken.
Remove your backpack, if you’re sitting put in on our lap.
Stay awake… you might miss your stuff, and your stuff might get stolen. Yes, pickpockets operate on the NYC subway.
If you’re standing, hold on to the railing. Locals might not be, but they are used to the motion.

Exiting the station
Simply push on the turnstile, you don’t need to swipe out

Transfers
Your Metrocard swipe is valid for two hours for transfers to buses from the subway, bus to bus, OR bus to subway. But not SUBWAY to SUBWAY. You need to take a “bus” to make this work.

Finally
Wash your hands or use some hand sanitizer when you leave the subway. Definitely don’t eat anything until your hands are clean.

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[DukeBX]

5:20 don't bother listening to the announcements? Actually it's good to keep an ear open as sometimes sudden changes occur (might skips stops or next stop might be last stop) while on the train. Some trains use automated voices while others have a live person saying what stop is next. Depends on the train. No app will tell you in real-time if there's a delay up ahead, whether that be a police investigation or the always fun "sick passenger" announcement. If you're a tourist, you should pay even more attention. The Wifi also works only when the train pulls up to the station. It dies when it goes inside the tunnel. All stations are Wifi enabled. If anything, ask an MTA attendant or the train conductor before boarding, if you have any questions.

[sinistralwing]

As a native NYer who watched this for the lulz, I have to agree with Jose. Not listening to announcements is why I see dazed and confused tourists constantly wondering why they ended up in X when they were trying to go to Y. The 4/5/6 and 1/2/3 lines are the biggest culprit for changing up which line they're using or suddenly a local train is going express because of signal problems, etc. And the thing about terrible speakers really only applies to the older trains. The newer trains with electronic boards all have good speakers and you had best pay attention.

In general the biggest piece of advice I have for tourists coming here period is pay attention. Especially during rush hour. You're here on vacation but we're trying to get to work or go home--please step to the side if you need to look at your phone, not deadass in the middle of the platform. And don't be afraid to ask somebody if you need help, seriously. Contrary to what you've seen on tv and in movies, we're not rude folks--it's just that etiquette rules work differently in a densely populated city of 8 million people. Most of us don't mind helping. I'm damn near 40 and been riding the trains my whole life. I know the system like the back of my hand, and I know it can be intimidating or confusing for people who aren't used to its quirks. I work near the WTC and whenever I see people looking lost I offer help. Most of the time they're shocked, lol. But you've not had a real NYC experience until you get 3 people arguing over the best way to get to somewhere after a tourist asks somebody how. We all think we know everything about this town and we don't mind showing it, lol.

[Gemashke]

Here's one more Subway personal safety tip from a Bi-Coastal Resident (New York & Los Angeles): If you are riding the subway late at night or feel uncomfortable riding the subway, get on the car where the Conductor is located (Towards the center of the train). Thieves/Violent people tend to avoid these cars since there is an official MTA Staff Person there who can call for help, etc if something should happen.

[michaelsalmon]

Ahead of our trip to NYC we watched this video and found it extremely helpful. The section on how to purchase/load a Metrocard was especially useful, as was the note to pay attention to the "uptown and downtown" signs. And Citymapper! Invaluable. Well done.

[vapor]

I have lived in North Jersey my entire life literally 15 minutes from the city and I still don't know how to take the Subway. Or don't feel confident enough on my own. Unfortunately, I have to go to Brooklyn on my own and this video was the saving grace I needed. Thanks!

[jonatasmiranda]

Thank you very much, my brother is tryning to live here, and does not think about buying a car yet. I will show this video for him. Thanks from Brazil

[eighties]

Just got back from a jam-packed 4 day trip to NYC/Manhattan. The City Mapper app was GOLDEN both for walking directions and for subway directions. Thanks for the info! Saved our trip! And sanity!

[kev]

Don’t stare at anyone = Truth. Invest in head phones as well.

[ernestrichardson]

"Don't eat anything until your hands are clean" Words to live by!!!

[tacitdionysus]

Don't look at people. Don't talk to anyone. Beware of thieves. Hardly any toilets. Use sanitiser. Don't eat. No coverage in tunnels. No location indicators in carriages. Yikes; makes Sydney's trains (176 stations, 506 miles) and integrated light rail, ferries and buses sound like heaven, even with a cost of up to $15.80 (about US$11.00) a day.

[rsemsp]

why am i watching this i live in florida

[Max]

By far the most detailed video on using the markers to identify needed routes. Great job! Wish I'd found your video on the first day of my trip.

[marzhayez]

I remembered going to NYC for a day . I got so thirsty and asked one of the person in the carts does he take debit card 💳. He said no where are you from ? Me - Florida . Him- handle me a free water bottle. So nice of him 😊that’s why I love NYC friendly people .

[RONEFFECT]

Thank you King. gonna be using NYC transit to go to sporting events.

[emmanuelchan]

Still months away from our planned trip to NYC, but already downloaded the app. Thanks for the tips!

[bigcityguy]

From a New Yorker, I am so glad someone has done their homework on NYC, you don't know how many do not and do not know the Vanacular for New York, from a New Yorker.

[kimberlyobrien]

much more information than I was looking for. Thank you

[rajeevk.pathak]

So lucid... so informative... so succinct! ... A visitor to the Big Apple ---NYC--- would otherwise get intimidated, but NOT if s/he has watched your superb, brilliant narration with "hands-on" demos, beforehand ! Please keep up the Good Work !

[jugaluf]

Great video. I’ve lived in nyc for 20 years. I never noticed the green and red lights outside the stations=)

[sbee]

There's a lot you left out. The
congestion, crime, homeless, the many street performers -music, dancers amongst other things you wasn't expecting. Wouldn't be NYC without out it!!