How to Ride the New York Subway

Nobody wants to look like a tourist when they arrive in NYC, but reading the subway map can be hard for a visitor. Follow these tips to get around as easily as possible.

Tickets

There aren’t any day passes in New York, so single rides will cost $2.75, while an unlimited week-long pass will cost $31.

Jargon

Most of the lines also have an express train, which skip over stops to get to your destination faster. Express is signified by a white circle on the map, whereas local lines have a black circle. The trains are marked with different numbers/letters, so don’t just take the Blue line, know that the A is Express and the C and E trains are local.

Navigation

If you need to transfer, check the map to make sure which lines go through which station. Black or white bars indicate stations with transfers, and the letters indicate which lines are available. The last step is to find your platform, which isn’t helped by New York’s indecipherable subway signs. To find the correct platform, ignore the destination and look for uptown (north) or downtown (south) and the line letter.

Planning

Riding the subway has gotten way easier thanks to the MTA’s new TripPlanner website and app. Remember to get a paper map though, as you won’t be able to get an Internet connection underground.