New York holidays

Having been the setting for many TV shows and films, New York's iconic landmarks will be recognisable to most travellers. The Art Deco Empire State Building towers above the city and visitors can enjoy a panoramic view from the observation deck on the 86th floor. Another popular tourist activity is to take the Staten Island ferry to visit Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty - an added bonus of this trip is the view you can enjoy from the water of the downtown skyline. And, no trip to New York would be complete without going to Central Park where you can relax in the Beatles-inspired Strawberry Fields, rent a row boat or skate on the Wollman Memorial Rink.

Shoppers go on holidays to New York every year to visit stores such as Macy's, Bloomingdales and Saks, or just to browse in the shops on Fifth Avenue. And there are also smaller boutique shops scattered around the city as well as vintage stores and designer outlets. Just remember not to go over your baggage and tax-free allowance when cramming all of your goodies into your suitcase, or all of your work bargain hunting could be wasted. There are over 250 hotels in New York, according to the official tourist board; ranging from budget hotels to the lavish luxury hotels that cost thousands of dollars a night to stay in.

There are plenty of places to eat to keep your energy levels up while shopping and sightseeing, and New York's multi-cultural population means that there's a diverse range of food of offer including options in Little Italy and Chinatown. If you are too busy to stop for a sit-down meal, grab a hotdog, a pretzel or another tempting treat from one of the many street vendors.

Culture lovers will enjoy wandering around the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the edge of Central Park and the Museum of Modern Art. And families and theatre fans will be spoilt for choice by the range of shows on Broadway as well as smaller plays Off Broadway.

While in can be tempting to spend all of your time in Manhattan on a trip to New York City, remember that the city is made up of five boroughs - Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. If you have time explore the outer boroughs you could see the seaside resort of Coney Island (Brooklyn), the Yankee Stadium (the Bronx) and The Bronx Zoo.

If you are planning a trip to New York this year and need some help, read our fact file below and use TravelSupermarket's search tool to find the cheapest deals.


When to go

Weather
There is always something going on in New York so there is no real season to avoid. However, bear in mind that winter can be extremely cold (sometimes dipping below freezing) and summer can be humid with temperatures peaking at 30C.

Events
New York City Restaurant Week; bi-annually in the new year and summer months; city wide: This is the time to dine in the city's most expensive restaurants as many of New York's exclusive eateries offer fixed-price menus. Book in advance to ensure you get a table.

Groundhog Day; February 2; Staten Island Zoo: Watch the groundhog, Staten Island Chuck, predict whether New York will have a short winter or have to wait another six weeks until spring. There is the option to have breakfast at the zoo and to see Chuck throughout the day.

St Patrick's Day Parade; March 17; 5th Avenue: Now the biggest street parade in New York, the annual St Patrick's Day Parade has been taking place in the city since 1762. Watch the traditional marching parade - no floats or motorised vehicles are allowed - then drink a pint of Guinness in the pub to toast to the health of the saint.

Shakespeare in the Park; July; Central Park: Free Shakespeare plays are performed in Central Park over summer with tickets given out on a first-come-first-served basis from 1pm on the day of the performance. Arrive early if you have your heart set on a certain performance as some keen theatregoers turn up to queue as early as 6am.

Flights to New York take around 8 hours from the UK, arriving at either JFK International Airport (JFK) or Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).