What does a New York city break include, and what does it cost?
Three, four or five nights at the Moxy NYC Times Square or similar 4★, from £699 per person, reduced from £890. That covers return flights from London and your hotel, room only, with ATOL protection under licence 10713 and a £99 per person deposit. Regional UK airports are available at a supplement confirmed at enquiry. Meals, attraction tickets, airport transfers, the ESTA and travel insurance are not included. It suits first-time visitors and couples who want Manhattan without committing to a fortnight of Manhattan prices.
Three nights, four or five?
This is the only decision that really matters on a New York trip, and the honest answer is that most people underbook it.
The flight is around eight hours westbound and longer coming home, and the time difference is five hours. On three nights you spend a meaningful share of the trip in transit or adjusting. Four is the length we would suggest to most people; five is where New York stops being a checklist and starts being a place.
The counter-argument is real, though: New York is expensive once you are there, and the package price is only part of what you will spend. If the budget is fixed, three nights done well beats five nights economising.
What you will actually do
The Moxy sits in Times Square, which is the right trade for a short trip. It is not the most characterful part of the city, but it puts Broadway, the Rockefeller Center and the subway on your doorstep, and Central Park is around twenty minutes on foot. On a three-night stay, minutes saved on transport are the difference between two sights and three.
The classics are classics for a reason: the Met or MoMA, the Empire State or Top of the Rock, Central Park, the High Line, and the Staten Island ferry — which passes the Statue of Liberty and is free.
Beyond midtown is what separates a good trip from a generic one. Greenwich Village and the West Village for walking and eating, Williamsburg in Brooklyn for the skyline view back across the river, Harlem for food and music. Each is a half day and each is the bit people remember.
Fifth Avenue and Broadway are on most people’s lists. Broadway tickets are worth booking before you travel rather than queueing for on the day.
Eating is where New York rewards a little planning. The places that define the city are rarely the ones on the main avenues — a slice at a neighbourhood pizzeria, a deli sandwich big enough for two, a bagel eaten standing up. Reservations matter more here than in most cities, and the good ones open bookings a set number of days ahead rather than months, so it is worth checking the week before you fly rather than the month.
When is the best time to go?
January is the cheapest month, and it is genuinely a good time to visit if you can handle the cold. The city is quiet after the holidays, the museums are empty by New York standards, and everything from hotels to restaurant tables is easier to get.
July is the most expensive and is the least comfortable — Manhattan in high summer is hot, humid and airless between the buildings. December is the most atmospheric if you want the city at Christmas, and is considerably cheaper than July.
May and October are the two months where weather and price are both reasonable, if you would rather not be cold.
What changes your price?
- The month. January at its cheapest against July at its dearest for the same trip.
- Three, four or five nights. The shortest stay is the cheapest of them.
- Departure airport. Priced from London; regional UK airports carry a supplement confirmed at enquiry.
- Hotel and room grade. The Moxy or similar is 4★. Larger rooms, a view, or a hotel downtown or nearer Central Park are quoted individually.
- What you spend once there. The room is room only, and New York is among the most expensive cities in the world to eat and drink in.
Who this holiday suits
- First-time visitors who want the classics without a two-week commitment.
- Couples and friends after a short, intense trip with plenty to do.
- Anyone who would rather walk fifteen miles a day than lie on a beach.
- Christmas-market-adjacent travellers — New York in December is a genuine alternative to Europe.
- Repeat visitors, because five nights lets you skip the landmarks entirely and go elsewhere.
Who might prefer something else
- Want to relax? This is not that trip. New York is walking, queueing and noise, and it is very good at all three.
- If the total budget is tight, the package is only the start — meals, tickets and transport in Manhattan add up fast.
- Prefer a beach too? Our New York and Cancún or New York and Barbados trips pair the city with a week of doing nothing.
- If July or August are your only dates, that is peak price and peak humidity at once.
- If mobility is a concern, New York is a walking city with a subway that is not comprehensively step-free.
- If none of these is quite right, start from our wider selection of city breaks.
- Something similar? Our Milan City Break – 3 Nights Italy is the closest thing we sell to this one.
Ways to upgrade
All quoted at enquiry against your dates.
- A larger room, a higher floor or a room with a view
- A different neighbourhood — downtown, or closer to Central Park
- Airport transfers arranged rather than taken on arrival
- Broadway tickets, observation decks or museum passes booked in advance
- Extra nights, or a second destination added — the Caribbean or Florida both pair well
- A room-only to bed-and-breakfast change where the hotel offers it
What is not included, and what will it cost you?
New York is the trip where the gap between the package price and the total is widest, so it is worth being direct.
- Every meal and drink. The room is room only. Eating and drinking in Manhattan is among the most expensive anywhere, and tipping is expected at a level that surprises UK visitors — generally 18 to 20 per cent.
- Attraction tickets — museums, observation decks and Broadway are all separate, and the popular ones sell timed slots in advance.
- Airport transfers. Not included; the AirTrain and subway from JFK are far cheaper than a taxi.
- The subway, though a 7-day unlimited card is inexpensive and pays for itself on a four or five-night stay.
- The ESTA, $40.27 per person including children.
- Travel insurance, and note that healthcare in the United States is exceptionally expensive without it.
None of that is unusual for a New York trip, but the combination is why we would rather you took four nights with a proper budget than five on a tight one.
Getting there and getting around
Flights are from London, around eight hours westbound and longer on the return, with regional UK airports available at a supplement confirmed at enquiry. New York is five hours behind the UK in winter.
Airport transfers are not included. From JFK the AirTrain connects to the subway, which is much cheaper than a taxi and often no slower in traffic. Once in Manhattan the subway is the fastest way to move, and a 7-day unlimited card pays for itself quickly on a four or five-night stay.
Entry requirements for UK travellers
Checked against GOV.UK foreign travel advice on 17 September 2026. We re-confirm before you travel.
You need an ESTA before you fly under the Visa Waiver Programme. It costs $40.27, lasts two years and covers stays of up to 90 days. Every traveller needs their own, including children.
It applies to transit as well as entry, so it is required even on a routing that only changes planes in the United States. The fee rose from $21, so if you are reusing an ESTA from a previous trip, check it is still valid rather than assuming. Your passport must be valid for the length of your stay.
Booking and protection
This trip is covered by our ATOL licence 10713 and we hold IATA accreditation 91285611. It is held with a deposit of £99 per person, with the balance due before travel.
Prices are per person, based on two people sharing and room only. January and February are the cheapest months and also the easiest to book late; December sells earliest, because everyone wants New York at Christmas at once.
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