Travel Gal Kim Swidler

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Senior Travel:Traveling to Manhattan By Taking Baby Steps

If you’ve read my blog before, you know that I love traveling to Manhattan, and that I’ve been there with my family, friends and by myself many, many times.

But I’ve spoken to so many people, especially senior citizens whom I like to call “Golden Travelers”, who would like to go but are intimidated by the Big Apple.

I agree that visiting this exciting city with its many restaurants, museums and Broadway shows can sometimes feel like riding a roller coaster, but, in the Albany area, we live only about 2 1/2 – 3 hours away by train, bus or car. Why miss out on one of the greatest travel destinations in the world?

So how about traveling to New York by taking baby steps? In this and upcoming posts, I’m going to suggest relatively easy ways to visit and enjoy what that great city has to offer.

GETTING THERE: The first step is to actually get there. I’ve traveled by car, Amtrak/MetroNorth trains and the megabus to Manhattan, and they all have their advantages. I think the easiest, most controlled way to get there though, would be on a bus such as one provided by Yankee Trails.

I like the train because you have several schedules to choose from and the bathrooms are much more accessible, but for our purpose, I’d choose  a bus company such as Yankee Trails for a variety of reasons:

1) It takes you to a set destination and picks you up close to, if not exactly, at the same central location-(Bryant Park right off of Fifth Avenue on 42nd street for shopping and Times Square for Broadway plays).

I feel that the location of the Megabus stop and Amtrak (8th and 32nd street) might be little bit out of the way unless you’re going to Macy’s or an event at Madison Square Garden.

I like being dropped off  at the Bryant Park location because the park has a small but beautiful public bathroom facility located very close to the handicapped entrance to the New York Public Library. You’re also half an avenue away from the Fifth Avenue shopping area.

2) The bus drivers have generally traveled to New York City quite often, and they can  provide you with information and answer questions about New York City.

3) The bus drivers usually carry cell phones with them. Granted, they’re not hired to be your babysitter, but,  if you have a problem or a question, you can call them while you’re in the city. So Don’t Forget To Ask For The Driver’s Cell Phone Number.

4) You can leave items such as books and sweaters on the bus at your own risk. After dropping you off, the bus driver generally travels to an area outside of Manhattan until its time to pick you up.

I’ve left a small cooler on the bus because there’s always some delicious item that I want to take home, but might spoil before I get there.  Again, there are no guarantees, but I’ve never had a problem leaving things on this bus.

5) The price is relatively reasonable. $52.00 for adults/$48.00 for children. And  if you sign up for their e-mails as a  “preferred customer” they’ll send you discount coupons.

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12 responses to “Senior Travel:Traveling to Manhattan By Taking Baby Steps”

  1. I wish my husband and I had known about this when we visited New York City last summer. We booked our hotel (http://www.newyorkcityhotelroom.com) and our transportation to and from the city ahead of time, but didn’t give much thought about how to travel while we were there. We used the subway as much as possible but we still had a lot of walking. It would have been great to have a bus pick us up and drop us off.

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  2. Great article Kim. I’m so glad I could be of assistance with providing information about the many, many tour options to NYC that we offer and how it really is the best way to go if you’re the least bit apprehensive about visiting this spectacular city. From Broadway Shows to Museums to Shopping, we have something for everyone.

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    • Thanks Jeff. Please let us know if Yankee Trails is ever running trips that are genealogy/history related.

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  3. I’ve used all the methods mentioned to get to NYC, although lately I’m partial to Megabus. They’ve either run close on on-time or even early for every trip I’ve taken and some of those trips haven’t cost me a cent. The only negative is that their schedule is limited…four trips down and four trips back daily…last one out of the city back to Albany is at 6:20 pm.

    Amtrak is now pretty much used for late night return trips, Yankee Trails is great for day trips(especially if you get on their mailing list and get their coupons) and Metro North…yes, it’s under $30 round trip but I usually don’t feel like taking the hour-plus drive to Poughkeepsie.

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    • Thanks for the breakdown, Jim. I think we’re all interested in finding out how you were able to travel on the Megabus for free.When I traveled on the Megabus, it wound up costing around $48.00, and everyone I interviewed on the bus paid around the same amount.

      Another way that Megabus can be useful is as a back up if there’s a problem with Amtrak. I’ve had a few experiences where the scheduled Amtrak train has had a problem, and I’ve had to run to the Port Authority Bus Terminal (Don’t get me started on some of the horrible experiences I’ve had on those buses) to get home.

      The Megabus ticket office is across the street from Penn Station on 8th Avenue and you get dropped off in Albany/Rensselaer at the Amtrak station-where you left your car.

      This only works, of course, if you planned on leaving before 6:00 pm.

      If this happens, DON’T FORGET TO ASK AMTRAK FOR A REFUND . If the train is over an hour late, you can usually get at least a partial refund in the form of a voucher.

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  4. My pleasure. I love, love, love New York City and since I have to work on a budget, I’m always looking for different and more economical ways to get there, find hotels, find discounts for Broadway shows etc etc etc.:)

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  5. Once or twice a year, Megabus offers 100,000 free seats that covers their entire footprint. I lucked upon the last offer and a bunch of friends from work and I were were able to book a number of trips for free…actually 50 cents, since they charge a handling fee. The free trips tend to go fast, obviously. Just keep an eye on the website.

    When my daughter and I went to NYC during her break from school two weeks ago, we got stuck with the $48 round trip too…figured it was because it was such a heavy travel week but neither bus was close to being full.

    Actually thinking of taking the bus to Toronto mid-summer. Drive to Syracuse and catch the Megabus from there….looks like the round trip will be about $50.

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  6. My pleasure. I love, love, love New York City and since I have to work on a budget, I’m always looking for different and more economical ways to get there, find hotels, find discounts for Broadway shows etc etc etc.:)

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  7. Hi, my name is Donna Schien and I am tour coordinator for Wade Tours located in Schenectady, NY. We provide luxury motorcoach transportation to Bryant Park in New York several times a week for ONLY $50 per person round trip. We are running a NYC or Boston Shopping Special on 8/7/10 that is ONLY $25 per person round trip. I believe we make the trip more comfortable by making a rest stop along the way. I don’t believe Yankee Trails make a rest stop so you are stuck on the coach for 3 straigt hours without time to strech your legs and grab a bite to eat. I think our trip would be more favorable for seniors.

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