Great New York City Travel Deals for Couples

New York City is one of the most romantic locations on earth. A well planned trip to this glittering city should include visits to the Empire State Building, a romantic cruise in Manhattan Harbor, a Broadway show, or a romantic horse-drawn carriage ride through the city. New York is a lover's paradise.

However, you don't need to spend a fortune to experience the best that this city offers for couples. Airfare, hotels, dining, and entertainment are all available at discounted rates if you know where to look and who to contact.

Getting There

If you don't live within driving distance to the city, then airfare will be the first expense that you can expect to incur. New York is an international hub, so airlines from all over the world serve New York airports. Airlines flying into New York include American Airlines, Midwest, Delta Air, Air Canada, jetBlue, Northwest, Aerosvit, British Airways, Olympic Airways, Egyptair, Air France, and a lot of others.

Before you jump into exploring sites like Orbitz or Hotwire for airline tickets, first consider whether you're willing to save even more money by visiting New York during non-peak season. In this city, high season is actually in the fall during all of the cultural shows, in October through December. Summer is peak season - you'll have the hardest time finding good deals on flights during this time, unless you've planned far in advance. The best time to find deals on airfare to New York is during the winter season, from January through April. If you aren't averse to cold temperatures, New York City can be very beautiful in the wintertime.

Once you've decided when you want to go, find the best deals by using multiple-site search engines such as Cheapflights.com which shows you prices from all suppliers such as Orbitz, Hotwire, CheapAir, and other sites. Using search engines like this will save you immeasurable time - just compare prices and select the lowest deal!

Where to Stay

New York has absolutely no shortage of hotels that cover the entire gamut of quality and service. From no-frills budget hotels to ultra-luxurious hotels where you'll get pampered, New York has it all. The following tips will ensure that you don't overpay for your hotel stay.

Typically, the it is best to avoid buying from any of the "discount" online dealers, and never purchase rooms using the hotel chain's 1-800 number. The best discount deals can be found on the hotel chain's website - often there are significant Internet discounts available under the "deals" or "packages" tab. These packages often include steep discounts on local transportation, dining, and entertainment.

However, in the case of New York City, there is one exception. While other online dealers have rates approximately $30 above the prices listed at the hotel's website, there is one website, NYC.com which reflects hotel rates at $30 to $40 less than the hotel chain's website during peak season.

Eating and Dining

Of course, fine dining is always central to a truly romantic escape with your significant other. One evening you may want to visit Padre Figlio in Midtown East. The next evening you may be considering experiencing Japanese cuisine at the Hatsuhana Sushi restaurant. Regardless where you dine, meals can potentially consume the bulk of your vacationing budget. A few expensive glasses of wine and a seafood appetizer, and soon you'll discover that your budget is blown.

However, there are ways you can enjoy your visit to this magical city and enjoy all of the fantastic dining that it offers without breaking the bank. The solution is to dedicate a day or two to searching through the many New York City restaurant discount offers available online. These discounts are available through coupons that you can print directly off the web and clip. Take these with you, and save an amazing 15 to 25 percent on your New York dining.

To save you some time, here are a few of the top websites that provide NY dining discounts:

DestinationCoupons provides coupons for hundreds of restaurants throughout the city. A few examples include $5 off a meal at Planet Hollywood, or $10 off per person for a dinner cruise at World Yacht Cruises

Urbansavings provides discounts for dining, entertainment, and shopping experiences. A few of the many restaurant deals includes a 25% discount at John's of 12th Street, 15% off at Maharaja Indian Restaurant, or a free bottle of wine with every $20 3-course dinner.

DiningFever presents web visitors with an extensive list of impressive discounts including 20% off dining at Pepolino Italian restaurant, 20% off at Delmonico's Restaurant, or 20% off at Chiam Chinese Cuisine.

City Guide Magazine helps tourists find their way around New York City, and an entire section is devoted to discounts. These include 10% off at Dangerfield's, 15% off at Club Groove, and free $10 game play at Dave and Buster's.

Restaurant.com features one of the most extensive lists of dining discounts. The website features a list of 265 offers in New York, which you can purchase at a discounted rate, such as a $25 gift certificate at Apartment 138 for $10, a $25 gift certificate at Baku Palace for $10, or a $25 gift certificate at Bean Post Pub for $10. Purchase quickly when you spot a deal, as the supplies of certificates are limited.

Where to Play

When you are visiting New York with your significant other, and you want to plan the perfect romantic escape - the activities that you plan can make or break the experience. Unlike dining discounts, entertainment discounts in New York are scattered throughout the Internet, but if you take the time to research, you're likely to discover a long list of discounts for entertainment throughout the city. The list below should provide a kick-start for your research.

BellaOnline provides an entire list of where you can obtain New York Theater discounts, including the Theatre Development Fund TKTS same-day Broadway Tickets, senior and student discount tickets to Carnegie Hall, free or low-cost shows at Julliard School, and senior discounts at the Metropolitan Opera.

Entertainment Book - Another great way to save money is to purchase the Entertainment Book for New York City. It features over $17,000 in savings with hundreds of NYC discounts on dining, shopping, and attractions. Purchase your copy early. Most editions sell out by mid-year - so reserve next year's edition as soon as possible if you plan to visit New York next year.

The New York Pass - If you plan to visit New York for longer than just a few days, consider buying 1, 2, 3 or 7-day New York Passes. The savings are tremendous. The passes provide you free entry to many of the cities major attractions like the Skyride and New York Aquarium. You receive a free guidebook and get special discounts on theater tickets, tours, and shopping. Buy yours online for the best rates.

New York Citypass - Purchasing a CityPass is similar to the New York Pass in terms of which attractions you can access and the additional shopping discounts, except it is somewhat less expensive, and the number of visits to city attractions is limited.

Your Private Affiliations - Don't forget to check with the various organizations you might be affiliated with such as credit unions, schools, and credit card companies. Check if the company you work for is part of Working Advantage, which offers significant dicounts on travel throughout the year.

Plan, Travel, Relax

After you've done all of the necessary work required to plan your romantic escape to New York City, simply sit back and enjoy the trip. With your coupons, discount tickets and passes in hand, you will be able to rest assured that you're experiencing the best that New York has to offer, and you're doing it at about half the cost. Once you're in New York with the one you love, take the time to soak in the sights, sounds, and pleasures of this beautiful and romantic city.