Have a valid passport.

Have a visa card, e.g. Revolut Card. It’s common to pay by credit card everywhere by handing it out to the waiters.

Get a visa/ESTA via the app. An ESTA costs 40 $ and is valid for 2 years. Apply for it latest 72h before your flight.

Book a flight but note that making travel arrangements before your registration has been confirmed will be completely at your own financial risk.

Pack comfortable walking shoes.

Get a voltage converter and a plug adapter for the US. The voltage in the US is lower than in Europe.

Get an eSim.

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

You will not have much time for visiting the city while working as a delegate.

Buy a metro pass when you land at the airport. It costs 35 $ and includes the route city-airport as well as unlimited metro for 7 days. If the automat asks for your zip code, you can put 00000. Otherwise, you can also pay contactless at the turnstiles in the metro stations.

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”.

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. 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.

Always go to a bathroom when you have the chance. Public toilets are super rare.

For entering the Statue of Liberty, pre book an appointment at least 2 months prior. https://www.statueoflibertytickets.com/Statue-Of-Liberty-Tours/

See the Statue of Liberty 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.

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

See an NBC Live Show.

With the Class Pass, you can join lots of Yoga and Pilates Classes for free.

Visit the Grand Central Station and enjoy the ceiling. Take a Gossip Girl picture.

Cross the Brooklyn Bridge at sun rise (in April at 6:40) and enjoy the skyline of Manhattan.

Check out the 9/11 Memorial Museum. There is fountains now, where the Twin Towers were before called Ground Zero. Tickets for the free Admission Monday are being released every Monday at 7 am for Monday 17:30-19:00.

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

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

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

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.

See Times Square. Every midnight, there is a free art exhibition shown on the billboards.

Walk through High Line Park for 2-3h.

Walk through Central Park.

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.

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

See the huge Louis Vuitton Trunk in the streets.

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

Enter the New York Public Library for free. You can also book a guided tour.

Stroll through Wall Street.

Take pictures with the yellow taxis.

Eat like a typical New Yorker: Pastrami Sandwich, Pizza Slice, Bagel.

Shop at Target for makeup and Crest Whitening Strips.

Buy a Patrick Ta Blush and Rhode Blush at Sephora.

Check out TJ Maxx.

Check out Victoria’s Secret.

Check out Skims.

Buy a Stanley Cup, they have lots of limited editions.

Buy a prom dress.

Check out Abercrombie & Fitch for the exclusive New York collection.

Check out Whole Foods, a huge organic supermarket.

Go to Macy’s, the world largest store.

Visit the Starbucks Reserve Store.