Hotels in New York City, New York - USA

Apart from equipping yourself with a decent map, perhaps the most obvious way to orient yourself to the city is to take a bus tour . These are extremely popular, though frankly you're swept around so quickly as to scarcely see anything. Still, the tops of double deckers are a great place to figure out what's where for later explorations. In general, an all-city tour over two days will cost $30-$45, although you can also have half-day or limited-area tours for around $25. Buses run seven days a week, from (approximately) 9am to 6pm, with special rates and times for evening tours.

Best bets are City Sightseeing (Coach), 1040 6th Ave, NY 10018 (tel 1-800/876-9868 for tickets and locations. Terminal: 8th Ave and 53rd St), and Gray Line Sightseeing Terminal , Port Authority at 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue, NY 10019 (tel 1-800/669-0051 for tickets and locations).