Archive for the ‘General’ Category

So you are planning a trip to NYC and need to find the cheapest flights to New York?

Good news! The choice of airlines and frequency of flights available to Irish passengers travelling to New York is greater and cheaper than ever. It does not matter which airport in New York you are flying into as ground transportation/transfers to Manhattan is very efficient from all New York Airports be it JFK Airport, La Gaurdia or Newark. So all you need to do is choose which airport(s) suits to fly out of   Ireland.

Cheap New York Flights…some bargain hunters will scour the internet for hours and hours to find a cheap flight  deal going from a large airport hub like London or Paris. However, after paying for your connecting return flights to London or Paris from Ireland, you are likely to save yourself very little indeed, especially with the new flight taxes introduced this year. If you take into account all the time researching synchronised flight arrival and departure times and prices of two sets of flights, is this unneccesary stress really worth it?

Your best bet these days is to view the Irish website for each of the airlines as outlined in our New York Flight Guide below. You will find that at least one of them is doing a promotional special offer on flights to NYC.  For example, in January 2009, Delta Airlines were doing cheap flights to New York for Euro 289 return all in including taxes, charges, surcharges etc.

New York Flight Guide 2009

AerLingus.com:  daily non-stop service from Dublin and Shannon Airport to New York JFK Airport only 45 mins from Manhattan

Continental Airlines: daily non-stop service from Dublin and Shannon to Newark Airport New Jersey only 45 mins-1 hour from Manhattan

Delta Airlines: daily non-stop service from Dublin and Shannon Airport to New York JFK Airport only 45 mins from Manhattan

US Airways: 1 stop service from Dublin and Shannon to LaGuardia and Newark Airports in New York via Philadelphia

American Airlines: 1 stop service from Dublin and Shannon to all New York Airports via Chicago.

British Airways: connect in Heathrow or Gatwick for daily non-stop service from London to New York JFK Airport.

There is no better way to get around New York than use the subway just like any other New Yorker. This will save you a lot of money and of course is cheaper than taxis and many cases a lot quicker. Sure 20 million New Yorker’s can’t be wrong? You will be surprised the number of times you will use the subway.

Navigating the system is not rocket science and contrary to those 80’s movies (Crocodile Dundee) it is very safe. The key thing to remember is that uptown trains travel north and downtown trains travel south. Once you have mastered this, than you will reap the benefits of being able to get from one neighbourhood in Manhattan to the other in a matter of minutes. Go to your local subway station and ask for a FREE New York Subway Map at the subway station booth. You will need this to help plan which lines to connect to and which is the best stop to hop off. Don’t worry if you lose your map as you can just pick up another for free.

The next thing you need to do is to buy a prepaid MetroCard from the automated touchscreen ticket booths in the station. There are a number of options here, but since most Irish people tend to be in New York for at least 4 days or longer, best go for the 7 day unlimited pass at $12.50 USD rather than buying 4 x 1 day fun passes at $7.50 USD each. The 7-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard is good for unlimited New York subway and local bus rides until midnight, 7 days from day of first use.

One more thing to note is whether your local subway station near your hotel and destination stop is an express stop or a local stop. Reason being is that you can choose to jump on an express train which by-passes all the local stops and gets you to your destination even quicker. Just make sure that your destination stop is also an express stop.

If you ever unsure or have any questions on which is best stop be sure to ask a fellow passenger on the platform. New Yorkers are extremely friendly and helpful! To help plan your trip to New York trip can customise and print your very own New York Guide (shopping, attractions, restaurants and nightlife).

On January 12th 2009 US Immigration introduced a new online holiday visa registration system for all countries on the visa waiver programme (VWP).  Since Ireland is signed up to this agreement, all Irish passport holders travelling to the US without a visa will need to pre-register their travel details online with the Department of Homeland Security through their Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) at the following address: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov

Registration is FREE and must be done at least 72 hours (3 days) prior to departure date. The system will advise passengers whether travel to the US has been authorised.

According to the US Embassy in Dublin, an approved ESTA travel authorisation is:
- valid for up to two years or until the passenger’s passport expires, whichever comes first;
- valid for multiple entries into the U.S.; and
- not a guarantee of admissibility to the United States at a port of entry. ESTA approval only authorises a passenger to board a carrier for
travel to the U.S. under the VWP. In all cases, Customs Border Patrol officers make admissibility determinations at ports of entry.

Please note children and infants must have their own ESTA authorisation. Passengers will still need to complete the green I-94 Immigration Form provided on-board the flight or at the check-in desk and present to customs upon arrival.

An amazing total of 270,000 Irish people visit New York City every year to enjoy the trip of a life time in the shopping capital of the world.
 
You can now join them for a dream trip to the Big Apple and this is your simple guide to saving lots of cash by knowing exactly how you can save money and where you buy must have items at the best price.
 
It goes without saying that New York is the most famous shopping destination in the world. You can pick up anything you want at Macy’s or get the latest cutting edge fashions at Jimmy Choo or Ann Taylor stores on Madison Ave and then take a short ten minute taxi journey to indulge in the dozens of designer boutiques dotted around SoHo. Where else could you be than to be in Marc Jacobs one minute then walk across the road to buy a pair of Manolo Blahnik’s?!
 
Also remember that the euro is still relatively strong against the dollar so there are plenty of bargains to be had even though Irish shoppers can’t claim back sales tax in New York
 
You will simply not believe the prices in New York compared to the cost of the same items in Ireland. A pair of UGG boots which can be snapped up for $180 USD in the UGG Australia Flagship store in SoHo cost over €250 ($312 USD) Irish price.  A pair of corduroy Levis will set you back €75 in Dublin vs $46 USD in New York. So the bottom line is that prices are still a hell of a lot cheaper in the U.S. than at home and you can enjoy a great break away while stocking up on your shopping.
 
It may sound a bit unpatriotic in these tough times but every euro counts and you will undoubtedly get better value for your money on many must have items in New York compared to Ireland.  We all know commercial tourism is a fact of life and this works both ways. OK Ireland may not be the best value for some items but there’s still good shopping to be had here and www.visitnewyork.ie will be doing our bit with a new website to attract visitors to enjoy a trip to Ireland to take in our beautiful country. They may not come just for the shopping but they’ll stay for the craic and amazing scenery.
 
Note, you do not have to pay tax on clothing or footwear so pick up a pair of the latest Jimmy Choo’s or UGG boots  at a fraction of the price of Grafton St. There is however a small tax on jewellery, handbags and electronic goods but prices still come up a lot cheaper than Ireland.

The VisitNewYork.ie team