Tips on Cheap Bus & Subway Tickets? (Liberty: buy, live in)

[Mary.Ray]

We are on an extremely tight budget and have to save wherever we can. Staying in Hackensack, busing into City a few times for a couple days. There are four of us. Does anyone know how we can get any FREE bus or subway tickets and/or is there any way to save money on them?

Mary

[straightshooter]

there are no free bus or train tickets. you can buy an unlimited day metrocard (which will allow you rides on trains and buses) for $7. otherwise, each individual rides costs $2/ride.

[Viralmd]

If you find out about free transportation, please tell everyone on this board...because we'd LOVE to have free public transportation!

There are several options for MetroCards - you can check at any subway station where you buy them from the machines.

[Green Irish Eyes]

Originally Posted by Mary.Ray

Does anyone know how we can get any FREE bus or subway tickets and/or is there any way to save money on them?

Mary

FREE??? Awwwwwww, c'mon now -- you gotta be realistic .....

There are different types of MetroCards, as we've mentioned: all-day cards for $7.00 (good if you're going to ride 4 or more trips in one day), or cards where you buy five rides and get one free. Those are the only deals you're going to get.

If even the MetroCard is too expensive, then you're going to need to confine your sight-seeing to a fairly small geographic area so you can walk everywhere.

FYI: The Staten Island Ferry is free, and will take you close enough to the Statue of Liberty for some pretty good pictures -- but it'll cost you a subway fare to/from the ferry terminal at South Ferry.

[Mary.Ray]

I read in The Cheap Bastard's Guide to NY that you can get FREE walking tours from volunteers who live in the City and with that you may also get a FREE MetroCard - Welcome to Big Apple Greeter

There are certain requirements though. You have to make the request for the tour 10 days in advance, and you have to be staying in the City. We're staying in NJ.

Mary

[Green Irish Eyes]

Originally Posted by Mary.Ray

I read in The Cheap Bastard's Guide to NY that you can get FREE walking tours from volunteers who live in the City and with that you may also get a FREE MetroCard - Welcome to Big Apple Greeter

There are certain requirements though. You have to make the request for the tour 10 days in advance, and you have to be staying in the City. We're staying in NJ.

Mary

Actually, you have to request a tour 3-4 weeks in advance (and there are FAR more requests than there are available volunteers) and while they may give you a free MetroCard -- it'll be FOR YOUR TOUR, not for sightseeing on your own. And, yes, you have to spend at least two nights in the City.

[009]

Originally Posted by Mary.Ray

We are on an extremely tight budget and have to save wherever we can. Staying in Hackensack, busing into City a few times for a couple days. There are four of us. Does anyone know how we can get any FREE bus or subway tickets and/or is there any way to save money on them?

Mary

No such thing as free. In NYC, the closest thing to it is called "Theft of Service". Either get a ticket by transit cops if traveling by subway or kicked off the bus by the operator. Don't know how NJ Transit plays the game.

There are a few NJ Transit bus routes that travel between Hackensack and NYC. Avoid commuter rail since it'll cost you the more. Any route that goes to George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal will probably cost you less and you have connection to the 1, A and C trains there. The only route that I know that goes to Port Authority Bus Terminal is the 165 bus, but that has a few different sub-routes that go express and turn on some street and possibly skip your stop.

I suggest the GWB to the subway route. Even though you won't get to Midtown as fast, but it's probably the most economical. Check out MTA.info and NJTransit.com for more info...

[Sarah2k9]

OMG. Check the date, would you?