Bring at least 2 visa card, e.g. Revolut Card. It’s common to pay by credit card everywhere by handing it out to the waiters.

Apply for an ESTA via the app at least 72h before your flight. An ESTA costs 40 $ and is valid for 2 years. To fill out the form, you already need to know, the address of your first hotel.

Book a flight. There is a good priceworthy option to fly directly from Frankfurt (FRA) to New York (JFK) with Singapore Airlines, one of the best airlines in the world.

Pack comfortable walking shoes. You will be walking a lot. Dress in layers and bring a light jacket.

Bring a power bank, you'll use your phone a lot.

Get a voltage converter and a plug adapter for the US. The voltage in the US is lower than in Europe. Without a voltage converter, your blow dryer and hair styling tools will be completely useless. Save some space in your luggage and leave them at home.

Get an eSim, e.g. T-Mobile, AT&T.

Pack some warm clothes. April in New York will be cold.

Print all documents regarding your ESTA, hotel reservation and flight and carry it with you in your hand luggage. Additionally keep a digital copy.  At the airport, be prepared to explain why you are going to the US, how long you’ll be staying and where, whether you’re traveling alone, what your job is and whether you have family in the US.

In the plane, you will have to fill out a form for customs. https://www.usatipps.de/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/cbp-form-6059b-german.pdf

For the long distance flight, make sure you bring: a sleep mask, a neck pillow, grippy socks, snacks, a hoodie and noise canceling head phones.

Since 2026, the Metro Card doesn't exist anymore. With the new OMNY system, you tap your phone/credit card on the turnicates. 1 ride costs 2,90 Dollars. After paying for 12 rides in 7 days, all subsequents rides of the week are for free. New York is bigger than you thin. Without a subway, you don't get far.

You can take the JFK Airtrain to Jamaica and then the E subway train to 42nd St, which is 1 block away from Times Square via the street or an underground passageway. The subways in New York rarely have escalators, so be prepared to carry your bulky luggage down the stairs if you decide to take the subway from the airport.

Uptown and Downtown entrances of the subway are different. Double check signs before going down. Uptown trains go up New York, while Downtown trains go down New York. On the subway map, black dots symbolize local trains that stop everywhere, while white dots symbolize express trains that skip stops.

For your orientation, you should know that all the streets that cross New York vertically are “Avenues”, while all the horizontal streets are “Streets”. Every street to the right of Fifth Avenue is indicated with an “East”, every street to the left is “West”.

Always go to a bathroom when you have the chance. Public toilets are super rare. You can find them in supermarkets.

Preparation:

1. (For entering the Statue of Liberty, pre book an appointment at least 3 months prior. I didn't make it. https://www.statueoflibertytickets.com/Statue-Of-Liberty-Tours/)

2. You can buy tickets for a broadway show on the same day for a cheaper price in the TKTS App in the morning https://www.tdf.org/discount-ticket-programs/tkts-by-tdf/tkts-live/#tkts-tab-lincoln-center

3. Reserve tickets for the New York Aquarium on Monday for Wednesday.

Tuesday:

1. Visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met), an art museum with art from all over the world. The entrance is free for the last 30 min before closure every day. Take a Gossip Girl picture on how you sit in the steps.

2. See the cherry blossoms in Central Park. To not be disturbed by the people go there for sunrise, before 8 a.m. Walk through the 4km long Central Park. Start at 5th Avenue and go towards "The Mall". You will pass "The Pond" and "Wollman Rink". Take a picture at "Bethesda Terrace". Go straight towards "The Lake", have a look at the Loeb Boathouse, an expensive restaurant and walk left so that the lake is alsways on your right hand towards Bow Bridge. Cross The Ramble and keep left so you see the Lake till you arrive at The Lake Viewing ARea. You'll have a view on The San Remo. FOllow the signs towards Strawberry fields, the famous memorial for John Lennon. There you can take the subway at Station 72 St.

3. Have a view on the skyline of New York from the Top of the Rock, the viewing platform of the Rockefeller center. It is more interesting than the view from the Empire State building. Go one time slot before golden hour. A sight seeing platform, Top of the Rock in Rockefeller Center is best for beginners.

4. (See the Radio City Music Hall.)

5. See Times Square in the evening. You can take good pictures from the red stairs of the TKTS. Every midnight, there is a free art exhibition shown on the billboards.

Wednesday:

1. Cross the Brooklyn Bridge at sun rise (in April at 6:40) from Brooklyn (York St F) to Manhattan (High St A, C) without masses of tourists. And visit Brookly Bridge Park where you can take a photo at "Old Pier 1".

2. Take a picture of the Manhattan Bridge in DUMBO ("Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass") from Washington Street. CLose to that you can also photograph "Jane's Carousel".

3. If you have reserve tickets for the New York Aquarium on Coney Island at Monday, you can go Wednesday from 15:00 for free.

Thursday:

1. Visit the Grand Central Station, the biggest train station in the world, and enjoy the ceiling. Take a Gossip Girl picture. Look at the green ceiling with golden stars in the main hall that is attached the wrong way around. In the Whispering Gallery you can hear from across the room what people say because the sound travels on the ceiling.

2. Enter the New York Public Library for free and without a ticket from 10-20h. You can also book a guided tour. The most famous building is the Stephen A. Schwarzman Vuilding. The most famous room, the Rose Main Reading Roomm in the 3rd floor.

3. See the Statue of Liberty around sunset from the waterside for free by taking the Staten Island Ferry from the Whitehall Terminal. It leaves every 15-30 min. On your way to Staten Island, sit on the right sight and on the way back on the left side to have the best views.

4. (Take a boat from Battery Park via Liberty Statue to Ellis Island. On the Ellis Island, a symbol for immigration to the US in the 19th and 20th century, you can find a museum of immigration for 24 Dollar).

5. Walk through High Line Park for 2-3h for free. Closeby is Chelsea Market, a food court.

Friday:

1. See an NBC Live Show for free, https://1iota.com/calendar e.g. The Kelly Clarkson Show.

2. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is a must for modern art. The entrance is free on Fridays from 16:00-20:00.

3. Have a look insight St Patrick’s cathedral for free.

4. See the huge Louis Vuitton Trunk in the streets.

5. (Visit the Morgan Library and Museum for free every Friday 17:00-19:00 where you can see art by European masters.)

Saturday:

1. Stroll through Wall Street.

2. Take pictures with the yellow taxis.

3. Look at the Flatiron Building, an office building from the outside.

4. Enter the beautiful lobby of the Empire State Building for free.

Sunday:

Monday:

1. Check out the 9/11 Memorial Museum. There is fountains on the same layout now, where the Twin Towers were before called Ground Zero. In the boarder, there is the names of the 3000 victims. Tickets for the free Admission Monday are being released every Monday at 7 am for Monday 17:30-19:00. Otherwise, tickets cost 29 Dollar from 9-20h. Next to it is the new world trade center.

Food in New York can be really expensive. Save money by buying food in the supermarkets, trying to catch lunch specials at 11-4pm, going to dollar slice places or using the „too good to go“ app. Portions are much larger than in Europe, so consider sharing or take the rest home. Attention: Some restaurants don’t include taxes in their prices. Be prepared to pay more. Also, 20 % tipping is expected.

Tab water ist often served for free in restaurants if you ask.

Prices on the menus are stated excluding taxes. On top of that, the waiters expect a tip of 15-20 %.

Many Cafes and Restaurants don't take cash, only card. Never travel without at least 2 cards.

Check out Whole Foods, a huge organic supermarket.

Eat like a typical New Yorker: Pastrami Sandwich, Joe's Pizza Slice, Bagel, Krispy Kreme Donut.

Shop in SoHo ("South of Houston"). Take a picture of the Audrey Hepburn Grafitti in 176 Mulberry St and the Tiger Grafitti in 185 Lafayette St.

Walk through Fifth Avenue.

Target for:

1. Makeup,

2. Crest Whitening Strips,

3. Stanley Cup.

Sephora for:

1. Patrick Ta Blush

2. Rhode Blush.

TJ Maxx.

Victoria’s Secret.

Skims.

Starbucks Reserve Store.

Macy’s, the world largest store.