By carpooling
There are approximately 600 km between Montreal and New York, for approximately 6 hours by road. You can contact drivers on the carpooling site Amigo Express for example. The round trip costs about $120.
By bus
The Greyhound company offers regular trips of around 8 hours for a minimum of $170. Some buses travel at night and arrive in New York early in the morning. Quite practical for saving on accommodation.
By train
I have heard many times that the train journey between Montreal and New York is splendid. There is only one train per day ,the price is approximately $160 round trip.
By plane
This is the means of transport we preferred to get to New York. The flight only lasts an hour and we managed to find a round trip for $210. You can compare flights on Easyvoyage for example.
What visa do you need for a trip to New York?
As French people, we do not need a visa to enter American soil as part of a tourist trip. However, we need to apply for an electronic travel authorization : ESTA (Electronic System of Travel Authorization). This request can be made on this official website at least 72 hours before travel. The request costs approximately $15 per person.
If you are arriving in the United States by land from Canada: you do not need an ESTA. You will simply be stopped at the border to fill out a form and pay an entry fee.
Traveling by subway in New York
Yes, there are two or three little things to know so as not to get lost in the jungle of the New York subway.
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First of all, I advise you to buy the 7-day unlimited MetroCard as soon as you arrive in New York. It costs around $35 and allows unlimited bus and metro travel. Even if you only stay 3 days in New York, know that the card pays for itself after 13 trips.
When you come across a subway entrance, pay close attention to the direction of the line . At the entrance to the metro entrance, the direction “uptown” or “downtown” is often written. If it says “uptown” but you are going south, you probably have to cross the street to find the right metro entrance
There are “express” trains and “local” trains . Express trains only stop at stations indicated by a white dot on the metro map. “Local” trains stop at all stations.
On weekends, it is not uncommon for certain lines to be closed or for there to be route changes . You must therefore pay close attention to the small white signs displayed in the stations.
Two other little tips. Pay close attention to messages from drivers on the metro, as stops are not always written and sometimes trains can change their original route en route. (Yes, it happened). And finally, always take a metro map with you , because there isn’t always one in the stations!
Book an Air Bnb in Brooklyn
When we think of New York, we especially think of Manhattan, the peninsula surrounded by Jersey City and Brooklyn. It must be said that all of New York’s biggest attractions are mainly located in Manhattan, but New York is actually divided into 5 boroughs : Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Staten Island.
For this trip to New York, I had booked two Air Bnb accommodations in the Brooklyn neighborhood near the Nostrand Avenue Subway station. It’s a fairly residential area but with some good restaurants. Accommodation is not very expensive but in return, it takes between 45 minutes to 1 hour to reach the heart of Manhattan.
Now that we have taken stock of the things to know for a first trip to New York, let’s get down to business with my essentials and good addresses for visiting New York.
