Guide: New York City's Subway

New York City is one of the biggest tourist destinations in the world. Combine the tourists with the residents, and you have an awfully large amount of people in one city. With many people traveling by automobile, driving can be a time-consuming process. Many people opt to use the New York subway system instead. For most tourists, this will be the first time they use a subway.

If you are staying in New York City for more than a day, accept the fact that you will be in the subway more often than not. Avoid the hassle of just loading the bare minimum onto your Metrocard each time you use the subway, and get an unlimited use Metrocard. Metrocard's are available for purchase at subway station booths.

Don't assume you'll always know where to go. Make sure to plan ahead. There are many different trains which go to different places. Use the online service HopStop.com to get routing information. By entering your origin and destination, HopStop.com will show you the easiest subway routes to take to arrive at your destination quickly and easily.

While experiencing the popular New York subway for the first time may be thrilling, it's novelty will eventually wear off. To help pass the time, most stations have newspaper stands. Be sure to pick up a newspaper or two and keep up with the latest events. You'll be there before you know it!

If you got kids in tow, try to sit in the front car of the train. It will offer everyone in your group a great view of the track. (Plus, it'll keep the kids quiet!)

As always, you should keep safety in mind. If you are traveling at off-peak hours (night), stay alert and be discrete. Don't flash cash or credit cards. While waiting for your subway train to arrive, make sure to be in the "Off Hour Waiting Area". A subway employee will be monitoring the area for your safety.

Other things to remember:
1. New York City's subway no longer accepts tokens. You need a Metrocard to ride the subway.
2. If you have questions on which train to take, ask a train conductor. He can be found in the middle car of most trains.
3. Make sure to have your own subway map. Many times you will not be able to find one when you most need it.
4. If your reading this, your probably going to ride the New York City subway soon for the first time. Relax. Have a great time. You'll do fine!