nyc: I first visited NYC at 13 on a trip from my home in the UK, and since then I've been dying to get back there. Now I'm finally earning my own wageand I'm thinking of both a little escapism from troubles at home and fulfilling a 6 year long urge to revisit. So my first of many questions that are probably to come would be how much money (in any form - cash/travellers cheque) would cover me for a fortnight in the city? Ideally I'd like to stay on Manhattan for familiarity but I think its going to be a little difficult on budget so if location is something to factor in could anyone give me a basic range of both? Cheers guys!|||OK - I'm going to make an assumption that you have saved up some money, and that you live in a middle class lifestyle. But I'll also assume that you're going to travel alone, and do not want to stay in a hostel.... First, let's assume that you find a bargain room on Manhattan Island. The cheapest I've heard of acceptable places to stay costing is $200/night. (And I'd expect to spend more in the central tourist districts.) Second, I'll spend a little more money on food than Rachel Ray does, and assume you'll spend around $50/day there. Third, tourist attractions in NYC add up to a lot of money. But it makes more sense to visit the neighborhoods (such as Greenwich Village, Chinatown, and even Brooklyn Heights) on some days, walking around and exploring. So I'll budget another $40/day there. Fourth, I'll budget $10/day for mass transit. (You'll want to look up the price of MTA's weekly passes - that will save you some serious money, and make things more convenient for you.) So far, I believe that we've budgeted $300/day - $4,200 for two weeks. That number can go up quite a bit if you buy a lot of expensive Tchotchkes (a New York word that few spell right, but almost everyone knows). You'll also note that I have not included any money for "Broadway" shows, or concerts - New York prices for theater and musical perfoemances are some of the highest in the world, and London (from what I've been told) in this area may be a bargain in compatison. There are some very good ways to cut my cost figures and make NYC an affordable trip. First, find someone to share the lodging with. That'll cut your major cost in half. Next, do not eat in the touristy areas of town. Instead, go into an ethnic neighborhood - Flushing has a large Asian community, and you can eat well for a small amount of money. If you want Italian food, stay away from Manhattan's "Little Italy" and go up to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. But ask around for ideas - most New Yorkers have good ideas of where to eat cheap and well.... (Be careful of people who equate quantity of food with the quality of food.) If you can find a way to stay in a good hotel in the outer boroughs near a subway station, you might be able to save some big money. But, being a New Yorker, I'd be very leery of telling someone coming to New York on their first time as an adult, to stay in the outer boroughs before exploring them on a first visit.... The quality varies too much to take a chance. (Read all the reviews you can from the major sites - and try to avoid places with an AAA rating of less than 2 diamonds.) Good Luck!!!!|||For a 2 week visit, a hotel stay would be pricey. I'd recommend checking out Craigslist for a temporary sublet. http://newyork.craigslist.org/sub/|||Hi I would recommend that take a combination of Travelers cheques (go to the travelers express shop and you can now get it in a Debit/Cash card form)/UK Debit/Cash Card & about $100 cash (since you will need some spare cash when you first arrive in the USA).. Two weeks depending if you are doing shopping i would say 500 pounds (spending money) since the NYC is pretty cheap however I would recommend that you do your shopping in brocklyn its cheaper and more options. Also book you accomodation from the uk it will work out better. Oh Shopping wise go to a place called century 21!|||you can spend anywhere from $99 to thousands for a hotel room in NYC and the average price is around $450 -- So you are looking at at least $2300 or so for two weeks and then you are not eating too well and staying at a not so good hotel...... You don't need traveler's checks just use ATM's There is the consolation that the pound is very strong against the dollar at the moment -- but New York IS NOT cheap if you want to take advantage of the great restaurants, musuems and entertainment --