Author: Clara Whitmore

How much money do I need for NYC? New York trip budget per person, per day (sharing a room) CostBudgetMid-rangeComfortableHotel (your half, with tax)$100–130$170–200$300+Food and drinks$40–50$80–100$150+Subway$5$6$6, plus taxisSights and shows$0–25$45–60$130+Total per day$150–200$300–350$600+ Traveling solo? You pay for the whole room, so add the other half of the hotel cost. A solo mid-range trip is closer to $450 a day. Trip to New York cost breakdown Hotels: the biggest cost WhenAverage nightly rate, before taxJanuary (cheapest)About $196Year-round averageAbout $336December (most expensive)About $541 New York adds about 14.75% plus $3.50 per room per night in taxes. On a $336 room, that’s about…

The best things to do in NYC for a first visit are the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, a view from an observation deck, the Met and a Broadway show. Many of the top things to do in New York are free, including Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, the High Line and the Staten Island Ferry. This list has 35 ideas in 4 groups: the top 10, free things to do, fun things to do and things to do in NYC when it rains. Prices are for 2026. Top 10 things to do in NYC 1. Visit the Statue of…

Where to stay in NYC depends on 2 things: what you want to see, and how much you can spend on a room. For a first time in New York, stay in Midtown, close to Times Square, the Empire State Building and most subway lines. On a budget, look just across the river in Long Island City or Brooklyn, 1 or 2 subway stops from Manhattan. Hotels in NYC are some of the most expensive in the country. The citywide average hit a record of about $468 a night in September 2026, before taxes, so the area you choose is…

This NYC travel guide for tourists covers what first-timers need before they travel to New York: how to get from the airport, how the subway works, which area to stay in, what to do and what a day costs. New York is easy to visit without a car, and most first trips work well in 3 to 4 days. Plan your NYC trip: all our New York guides Planning stepRead this guidePick your neighborhood and hotelWhere to Stay in NYCChoose what to see35 Best Things to Do in NYCPlan where to eatNew York Food GuideSet your budgetHow Much Does a…

New Year’s Eve 2026 is Thursday, December 31, and the countdown to 2027 starts at 11:59 PM. The best places for New Year’s in the US are New York City for the Times Square ball drop, Las Vegas for the biggest street party, and Nashville for a free country concert. All 8 places to travel for New Year’s on this list have a free public celebration with fireworks at midnight, so you can pick the best place to spend New Year’s Eve by the kind of night you want. Because it falls on a Thursday, you can turn the trip…

The best warm places to visit in December are Cancún and the Riviera Maya, Los Cabos, Costa Rica, Aruba and Puerto Rico, all with daytime highs in the 80s°F and mostly dry weather. Hurricane season ends on November 30, so December is when the Caribbean and Central America start their sunniest months. Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands don’t need a passport for US citizens. Everywhere else on this list does. Warm places to visit in December at a glance DestinationAverage December highPassport neededUS travel advisoryCancún and Riviera Maya, MexicoAbout 83°FYesLevel 2 (Quintana Roo)Los Cabos, MexicoAbout 79°FYesLevel 2 (Baja…

The best places to go for Thanksgiving in the US fit 3 kinds of trips: big parades, food traditions, and towns where the holiday lights switch on that weekend. Thanksgiving 2026 is on Thursday, November 26. These Thanksgiving vacation ideas work for families, couples and solo travelers. Book soon, because Thanksgiving week is 1 of the busiest travel weeks of the year. Thanksgiving 2026 at a glance Thanksgiving 2026 at a glance Thanksgiving DayThursday, November 26, 2026Biggest paradesNew York, Philadelphia and Detroit, all on Thanksgiving morningHoliday lights startChicago (Nov 20), St. Augustine (Nov 21), Leavenworth (Nov 27)Book nowHotels near parade…

The best Christmas markets in the US copy the German tradition: wooden stalls, mulled wine, bratwurst and handmade ornaments, set up in a city square from late November to Christmas. Most are free to enter and open every day. These 7 are the best Christmas markets to visit in 2026, from the 30th Christkindlmarket in Chicago to a Bavarian-style market outside a baseball stadium in Texas. The 7 markets at a glance MarketCity2026 datesEntryChristkindlmarketChicago, ILNov 20 – Dec 24FreeChristmas VillagePhiladelphia, PANov 21 – Dec 27FreeBryant Park Holiday ShopsNew York, NYOct 28 – Jan 3, 2027FreeChristkindlmarktBethlehem, PALong weekends, Nov 13 –…

The best Christmas towns in the USA are small places that go all in for the holidays: lights on every roof, Christmas markets, parades and Santa on the main street. They’re calmer than big-city Christmas and easy to walk in an evening. These 8 are the best Christmas towns to visit this year, each with real holiday events and 2026 dates, from a Bavarian village in Washington to the town named Santa Claus in Indiana. The best towns to visit for Christmas at a glance TownBest for2026 datesCostLeavenworth, WASnow and lightsNov 27 – Dec 24Medium to highBethlehem, PAChristmas marketSelect weekends,…

Best holiday cities to visit in December These places to visit in December are at their best when the lights go up. 1. New York City The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is lit on Wednesday, December 2, 2026, and stays up through January 9. Seeing it costs nothing. 2. Chicago Christkindlmarket, a German-style holiday market, fills Daley Plaza from November 20 to December 24, 2026. Entry is free. A second market at Gallagher Way in Wrigleyville stays open until December 31. Wear boots with grip. Chicago sidewalks ice over in December. See Best US cities for solo travel. 3. New…