Last year I was in New York with my family and wanted to do something fun during our short stay there. I wasn’t a smart traveler who planned their entire itinerary weeks in advance (although I wish I was), instead, I preferred to go with the flow. New York is the city that never sleeps, so there was bound to be endless opportunities for fun right around every corner, right? Whilst that is true, my options were limited since I was on a budget.
The subway was a $3 one-way ride around anywhere in the NYC area, so that wasn’t bad. But where was I going? What were the must-see sights?
I began to do my research before embarking on my daily adventures (at the hotel that morning might I add, last-minute much?!).
Statue of Liberty? Requires paid admission, just to go inside.
The MET? Another not-so-cheap admission fee to walk around indoors on a sunny day (and no student discount rate!?)
Jimmy Kimmel at the NBC studios? Required advanced reservations for the not-so-live show.
The only things that were attractive enough on my budget were Central Park and Times Square (free and outside). So that’s where we headed.
Once we got to Central Park we discovered that it was big. Very big.
“Oh look, they have bikes for rent, what a great idea!” I said. Then I saw a $30 per hour rental. Times three people? No thank you.
After walking in the heat for hours we changed course and went inside The (beautiful) Plaza Hotel for air conditioning and to think about what to do next (how surprising, a plan!)
I then opened my email to see that I received a message from Groupon.com about deals in my area (how did they know!?).
I browsed nearby deals and found the perfect sightseeing tour, “a 75-minute New York Water Tour Downtown Liberty Cruise” and only $17!
I was already signed in to my account so all I had to do was select purchase and off to the harbour we went.
It was great; we had our thrill and saved money too. My lesson learnt was that savvy planning is essential when you have a limited amount of time and budget to explore with. Groupon has a wide range of fun and exciting experiences available in your city!
Go to www.groupon.com or download their app, browse for deals filtered by Nearby, Goods, or even Getaways, buy and enjoy!
