Travel Guides

Based on information we've collected over many years of travel, these are our City Guides for the places we've been. They may not be iPhone apps or feature Dorling Kindersley cutaways, but they have the info you need to hit the ground running and get a good dinner on the first night, or get directions for places only locals normally go.

EUROPE

• Paris (updated for 2014)
• Strasbourg (new for 2014)
• Lyon
• Brussels
• Berlin (updated for 2014)
• Dessau
• Cologne
• Munich
• Rome
• Amsterdam
• Switzerland (coming soon)

SCANDINAVIA

• Oslo and Bergen
• Copenhagen
• Stockholm
• Helsinki

NORTH AMERICA

• New York (updated for 2014)
• Washington (new for 2014)
• Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Long Beach
• San Francisco (updated for 2014)
• Toronto
• Montreal

If you have any updates, comments or questions, let us know at the usual address, adamcreen@hotmail.com

Paris Travel Guide

Travel

Eurostar from St Pancras

http://www.eurostar.com/uk-en

Standard Premier often available, with meal and drinks included

When arriving at Paris Gare du Nord, turn left and follow signs down to the Metro

You can join the long queue at the ticket office, or just carry on to the much quieter ticket machines about 100 metres further on

Hotels

Holiday Inn Express, Paris-Canal de la Villette

http://www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/gb/en/paris/parlv/hoteldetail

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g187147-d940178-Reviews-Holiday_Inn_Express_Paris_Canal_de_la_Villette-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

great views over the canal basin, free breakfast, close to Parc de la Vilette & Cité des Sciences

one block from Riquet on line 7 or from Laumiere on line 5

there are supermarkets between hotel and each station, or for a larger shop, use the Monoprix at Castorama only 5 minutes away

Adagio Aparthotel Philippe Auguste

http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-8364-adagio-access-philippe-auguste/index.shtml

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g187147-d559408-Reviews-Adagio_Access_Paris_Philippe_Auguste-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

at Philippe Auguste Metro, turn right at top of stairs and cross pedestrian crossing and bike lane; the road in front of you is Rue Pierre Bayle, and the Adagio is at the top of the road on the corner

Tourist Cards

Travel card: Paris Visite

http://www.ratp.fr/en/ratp/r_61654/parisvisite/

1, 2, 3 or 5 days (not 24 hour periods, but actual dates, can purchase in advance)

Metro, bus, RER, funicular at Montmartre, SNCF Transilien

small discounts at Arc du Triomphe and other sights

get Zone 1-3 as this covers everywhere apart from Versailles and Disneyland – it’s cheaper to buy separate tickets to those

best iPhone app: SNCF Transilien – gives real-time suggestions for travel routes

https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/sncf-transilien/id451963011?mt=8

Museum card: Paris Museum Pass

http://en.parismuseumpass.com/

60 museums and monuments free for 2, 4, or 6 days (Sundays usually free anyway)

You do not need to queue to go into the museum (well, only with other Museum Pass holders!)

It is not valid for temporary exhibitions, so if there’s something you particularly want to see, you may have to pay full admission anyway

Note that some museums are shut on Mondays and others on Tuesdays, so check carefully.

There is a “City Passport” which combines both of these, but is not as good value. It additionally offers a free Bateaux Mouches boat trip, and a Cars Rouges bus tour, which may sway you, but we didn’t find it worth it.

http://booking.parisinfo.com/z6200e2x26827m466g3514_uk-paris-city-passport-paris-pass.aspx

Tourist Information

There is a tourist office near Opera at 25 rue des Pyramides

Gare de l’Est has a small welcome centre, and so does Gare du Nord/Gare de Lyon

Food

Les Cocottes de Christian Constant

135 rue Saint Dominique, 75007 Paris, 2 blocks from Eiffel Tower

http://www.maisonconstant.com/les-cocottes/en/

fantastic tiny restaurant serving every dish in a Staub cocotte (ceramic dish) from starters to puddings, no reservations necessary or possible

opens at 6.30pm so for a drink beforehand pop into Le Campanella at the East end of the street

http://www.lecampanella.com/

Sightseeing

Paris Plages (riverside beaches), July to August

along the Seine, and at Porte de la Villette, near Metro Stalingrad or Jaures

http://www.paris.fr/english/visit/highlights/paris-plages/rub_8208_stand_34146_port_18969

café, dancing, lanterns, showers, deckchairs, petanque, pedalos

Eiffel Tower

Metro Trocadero and walk across Pont d’Iena, or one of the RER or Metro nearby

http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/en.html

buy tickets online to avoid ridiculous queues, it’s definitely worth getting tickets to the top

Louvre Museum

Rue de Rivoli, Metro Palais-Royal–Musée du Louvre

http://www.louvre.fr/en

The ultimate Parisian art gallery. There’s too much to see in a day, so plan your visit on the website and pick an artist or period to track down

Musée D’Orsay

1 Rue de la Légion d'Honneur, RER Musee d’Orsay or Metro Solferino

http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/home.html

An amazing building, and an art collection split into the high art (Roman-style nudes) and the low art (Impressionism and working-class nudes)

Eurostar tickets give you 2-for-1 entry

Notre Dame Cathedral

Place Jean-Paul II, Metro Cité, RER Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame

http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/spip.php?rubrique2

free entry

Conciergerie

2 boulevard de Paris, on Ile de la Cité, Metro Cité

http://conciergerie.monuments-nationaux.fr/en/

A royal palace used as a prison during the French Revolution, with a recreation of Marie Antoinette’s cell

Bateaux Mouches boat trip

http://www.bateaux-mouches.fr/en/peniches-paris/boat-route-map-15.html

€13.50

Boarding and landing are at the North-East corner of Pont de l’Alma

Sacre Coeur

Metro Anvers

http://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com/english/

A beautiful church at the top of a very steep hill! Climb if you want, or use a Metro ticket on the funicular, or take a bus to the top.

Maison Européenne de la Photographie

5-7 rue de Fourcy, Metro Saint-Paul

http://www.mep-fr.org/english/

The French equivalent to London’s Photographers’ Gallery, with a variety of exhibitions. Free on Wednesday evening.

Pompidou Centre

Place Georges-Pompidou, Metro Rambuteau

http://www.centrepompidou.fr/en

Great views from the top, a permanent collection of modern and contemporary art, and guest exhibitions

Institut du Monde Arabe

1 rue des Fossés-Saint-Bernard, near Pont de Sully, Metro Jussieu

http://www.imarabe.org/

A beautiful building, with exhibitions and displays from Arab cultures

Arc de Triomphe

Place de l’Etoile, RER line A and Metro Charles-de-Gaulle-Etoile

http://arc-de-triomphe.monuments-nationaux.fr/

Always worth a climb in order to see Haussmann’s city layout of radial streets beneath you

Shopping

Carrousel du Louvre

http://www.carrouseldulouvre.com/W/do/centre/accueil

Entrance to this underground shopping centre is on the Rue de Rivoli, along the north side of the Louvre, next to the archways leading through to the Museum courtyard

Also has an international food court with good deals

Top shop: Delfonics, the best Japanese stationery - http://delfonics.fr/top.html?lang=en

Artazart

83 Quai de Valmy, Canal St Martin’s West bank

http://www.artazart.com/fr/

Almost every craft, artist and design idea seems to be in this extensive design bookstore

La boutique Pop Market

50 rue Bichat, Canal St Martin’s east bank

http://blog.popmarket.fr/infos/

A great gift shop, with lots of design ideas from France and overseas

Day Trips

La Défense

RER line A and Metro line 1 to Grande Arche de La Défense

This cluster of modern skyscrapers has its own charm, and is worth visiting as the equivalent of LA’s Downtown or London’s Docklands

When outside, you will see CNIT as a domed shopping centre to the North, and 4Temps as a block to the South. Both have lots of high-class shops.

CNIT has a “rest area” where every seat has its own power socket, so take your charger and replenish your phone while you chill.

http://www.les4temps.com/W/do/centre/accueil

To the East is a view all the way to the Arc de Triomphe. To the West is the Grand Arche, which sadly since 2010 has been closed to the public, but is impressive in its scale.

Restaurants nearby include our recommendations Vapiano and Chipotle, as well as many other cafes and international cuisine.

Palace of Versailles

http://en.chateauversailles.fr/homepage

get a ticket valid to Zone 4 or 5, and take RER C to Versailles Rive Gauche – the trains often have Versailles-inspired decoration!

There are 2 other stations using SNCF Transilien: Versailles Rive Droite (from Saint-Lazare and La Défense) and Versailles Chantiers (from Montparnasse) – all are within 10 minutes walk of the palace

Though it means an early start, if you can get there by 9am you will avoid the queues. Arrive after 11am and you will have a long wait. Though rucksacks are meant to be checked in, after security just show them to the cloakroom attendant and you should get waved through. Food and drink are not meant to be allowed but checking is perfunctory.

See the apartments first, which will take a few hours. In the gardens, there are cafes and toilets, on each side, just past the steps and the fountain, at the edge of the hedging.

If you have time after your visit, the town of Versailles has many interesting buildings.

http://www.versailles-tourisme.com/en/practical-information/city-map.html

Strasbourg Travel Guide

Getting here:

The direct train from Paris Gare d’Est is a TGV non-stop, taking around 2h20 and costing £35 second class, £60 first class, each way. The tram stop at the station is 3 levels down – check which platform takes you into town so you don’t go the wrong way!

Travel deal:

If there’s 2 of you, get a Trio ticket from the ticket machine. This lasts 24 hours from first validation, for 3 people, on all the buses and trams. It costs €6. That’s right, only €6 for 3 people!

For one person, there is a €4.10 ticket called Alsa+ which does the same thing.

http://www.cts-strasbourg.eu/en/online-store/fares/tickets/

Hotel:

We’ve got three for you, which you choose depends on how adventurous/cheap you are!

Hotel Hannong, 15 Rue de 22 November

http://www.hotel-hannong.com/en/hotel-strasbourg.html

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g187075-d228816-Reviews-Hotel_Hannong-Strasbourg_Bas_Rhin_Alsace.html

A luxury boutique hotel, which my sister stayed in. Over £100 a night, but literally inches away from all of the high-end shops, close to tram stop, and has reduced deal for next door’s very safe

car park.

Adagio Aparthotel, 106 Avenue de Strasbourg

http://www.adagio-city.com/gb/hotel-8406-adagio-access-strasbourg-illkirch-ex-citea/index.shtml

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g227612-d665170-Reviews-Adagio_Access_Strasbourg_Illkirch-Illkirch_Graffenstaden_Strasbourg_Bas_Rhin_Alsace.html

Only 20 minutes tram-ride from the city centre, literally at the main tram stop. Under £50 per night, this is our cheap-but-great recommendation. Has internet and self-catering facilities too.

Holiday Inn Illkirch, Boulevard Sebastien Brandt, Parc d'Innovation, Illkirch

http://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/us/en/illkirch/sxbsu/hoteldetail

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g227612-d227987-Reviews-Holiday_Inn_Strasbourg_Airport-Illkirch_Graffenstaden_Strasbourg_Bas_Rhin_Alsace.html

This is out of town, in a research park in nearby Illkirch. We stayed here because of the great deals you can get on Reward Nights from IHG – 15,000 points for a Junior Suite – trust me, this is a bargain! The room had 2 TVs, a king-size bed and separate lounge. The hotel is a 10 minute walk from the tram stop Campus D’Illkirch, which is on the A line 25 minutes out of town.

If you decide to stay here, let us know and we’ll give you info on food, nearby shops and clear directions. It’s not hard!

Tourist Information:

There is a tourist office in the rail station. This has all of the information you need.

There is also a tourist office at 17 Place de la Cathédrale, which has a souvenir shop as well. You can get 30% discount in the shop with the Strasbourg Pass (see below).

Both open 9am – 7pm.

http://www.otstrasbourg.fr/en/

Strasbourg Pass:

This could well be the best value pass ever. For €15 you get:

Free entry to one museum (worth €7) and half price entry to another

Free boat trip (not between 2pm and 4pm inclusive) worth €12.50

Half-price ride on mini-train showing sights around town

Free cycle hire for half a day

Free viewing of Cathedral’s astronomical clock as it chimes at 12.30pm (arrive East Door 11:35am)

Free entry to Cathedral tower – a big climb but worth it!

http://www.otstrasbourg.fr/en/leisure-activities/strasbourg-pass.html

Eating:

Alsacien specialities:

Choucroute is a plate of sauerkraut (big enough for 2 people) as well as sausages and other meats. Flammeküche or flams, a wafer thin pizza made with onion-cream sauce, Baeckeoffe, beef and pork stew cooked, with potatoes and carrots, usually served for two or more persons and Fleischnackas, mixed beef meat presented like spirals and served with salads.

Flams, rue des Frères near the Cathedral. A sort of Pizza Hut version of flam. Strictly for tourists after an easy life or families who want a fun cheap eat. It is not great, but serves a great variety of flams and their “all you an eat” deal is a good one. Try to find somewhere more authentic, though.

http://www.flams.fr/restaurant_strasbourg.html

Le Foyer Des Pêcheurs

The BEST place for flams is out of town, in a small forest near the Campus D’Illkirch tram stop. It’s walkable but is unlit at night, so you may want to take a taxi. They cook their flams in an outdoor oven, while you sit under the stars, and keep bringing you food until you beg for mercy. An Alsacien delight.

1 Chemin du Routoir, 67400 ILLKIRCH

Tel: 03 88 66 14 85

foyerdespecheurs@orange.fr

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g227612-d6383529-Reviews-Au_Foyer_des_Pecheurs-Illkirch_Graffenstaden_Strasbourg_Bas_Rhin_Alsace.html

Maison Kammerzell is next to the Cathedral and is a tourist trap par excellence. The half-timbered building dates back to 1427, and the décor includes pre-WW1 murals. The food is local specialities, but it’s not the best you can get. Ask your hotel for their top tips.

http://www.maison-kammerzell.com/maison-kammerzell-article127.html

For a healthy and delicious lunch, OUR top tip is Vertuose, 19 rue d'Austerlitz

http://www.vertuose.eu/petite-restauration

Salads, wraps, sandwiches, wine … all with excellent service. To eat in (or outside) or to go, you will love your lunch and your body will love you too!

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g187075-d3457326-Reviews-VertuOse-Strasbourg_Bas_Rhin_Alsace.html#REVIEWS

Other places we used for an easy bite:

McDonalds – in the city centre just SE of Place Kleber

Café de l’Ill – outdoor café on Place du Marche aux Cochons de Lait

Kohler Rehm – outdoor café in Place Kleber

Comptoir Kanter – nice café in the main station with a good breakfast offering

Sights:

Boat trip: Batorama tours are available from the quay behind the Palais des Rohan. They last about 90 min and go through Petite France and up to the European institutions.

http://www.batorama.com/getting-here

Mini-train: a 40 minute ride, starting in Place Gutenberg, taking you through the historical parts of town, which you can visit on foot later.

http://www.otstrasbourg.fr/en/leisure-activities/visits-and-activities-in-the-town/different-ways-to-visit/F223007633_by-mini-train-strasbourg.html

Cathédrale Notre Dame: with a 142 metre tower (the highest in France).

The tower has over 330 steps and is worth it. The Astronomical Clock in the cathedral is open all day, but rings noon at 12.30pm (don’t ask). The cathedral closes when it is ringing, you have to queue separately.

Nearby on place du Château is the Musée de l'Oeuvre Notre Dame – a museum of medieval religious art related to the cathedral (closed Monday)

All museums are open 6 days a week from 10am to 6pm

Palais des Rohan:

Museum of Fine Arts, the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Applied Arts (all closed Tuesday)

nearby, the Historical Museum (closed Monday)

Musée Alsacien, quai Saint-Nicolas: (closed Tuesday). This museum features articles from the daily lives of Alsatian peoples from the 13th to 19th centuries: clothing, furniture, toys, tools of artisans and farmers, and religious objects used in Christian, Jewish, and even pagan rites. The exhibits are in rooms connected by wooden staircases and balconies in adjacent houses around a central courtyard. A fantastic historical visit.

Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, 1 place Hans-Jean Arp (Closed Monday)

Works by Kandinsky, Max Ernst and Picasso, and temporary exhibitions. It is also home to the first-floor Art Café with views across the canals, good food and cheerful service

Petite France: the area of the city between the rivers, home to some of Strasbourg's prettiest and most photogenic streets and buildings, with half-timbered townhouses. On Saturdays there is a fleamarket stretching from Petite France to the Palais des Rohan, in front of the Bourse.

Take tramline E to Droit de l’Homme and walk from here to see:

Parc de l’Orangerie: avoid the zoo, which is small, instead look for the storks nesting around the Orangerie building.

European institutions: Council of Europe (Le Palais de l'Europe) (1977), built by Henry Bernard; European Court of Human Rights (1995), built by Richard Rogers; European Parliament (1999), built by Architecture Studio

Place Kléber, the largest in the city and home to the renovated L'Aubette building with its 1920s De Stijl interior, which is only open Wed-Sat 2-5pm

www.laubette.com

Shopping:

Shopping centres:

Place des Halles, 24, place des Halles, with over 100 shops and restaurants north of the city centre, tram stop Ancienne Synagogue Les Halles.

Rivetoile, opened at the end of 2008 at Place d'Etoile, at Etoile Bourse tram

Auchun hypermarket and other shops, at Baggersee tram stop on the A line south of town.

Gingerbread: an Alsacien speciality. The best shop for it is Pain d’Epices, 14 rue des Dentelles, run by Mireille Oster. She has over 15 different flavours of what would be unfairly described as gingerbread – the name Pain d’Epices really means honey spice cake. You will buy all of your take-home gifts here!

www.mireille-oster.com

Women Bishops - the battle for the Synod

Today's news reports (Guardian, Church Times) describe the possibility of the first female bishop in the Church of England being appointed by the end of 2014. In November, the General Synod voted overwhelmingly to welcome the new women-bishops proposals, by 378 to 8, but the opposition hasn't been as obvious there. Instead the House of Laity, comprising members of the deanery synods or chosen by and from the lay members of religious communities, has managed to stop it happening so far. Legislation narrowly failed to gain a two-thirds majority among lay representatives at the synod.

Why did this happen? Because evangelical pressure groups are doing their best to swing the vote their way by encouraging their supporters to put themselves forward, first as PCC (church council) members, then as deanery synod members, and then finally as House of Laity members. This was very obvious in November when I wrote to the Guildford Diocese members, who replied that they would vote the way their conscience led them, not in the way the majority of the congregations in their diocese felt.

This is like an MP having overwhelming feedback from her constituents on a policy issue, and a free vote in the House, and still deciding to put her own personal point of view across.

We received two letters this week about the Church of England. The first was a very exciting one about the appointment of the next Bishop of Guildford.
The Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) will meet twice this summer to discuss and propose potential candidates for the role. As part of its deliberations the CNC – made up of the two Archbishops, six members of General Synod, and six diocesan representatives – will consider views from the diocese. If you have a candidate in mind or a view you would like to express you are invited to write to these diocesan representatives. Members of the public are also invited to take part in a public meeting in Guildford where everyone is welcome to express their thoughts on the needs of the diocese.

The really encouraging thing was the diocese’s Statement of Needs drawn up by the diocese’s Vacancy in See Committee to provide a description of the diocese and set out a desired profile for the new bishop. It is written in entirely gender-neutral language:

Person Specification
We seek a diocesan bishop who will lead us and work with us to ‘Grow Communities of Faith and Engagement’. We believe such a person will have and be able to demonstrate the following qualities:
4.1 A deep and confident personal faith Our new bishop will have a presence which makes the living God real. Love of God, humility and a life of prayer will equip the bishop as a godly and courageous leader. Theologically literate, and confident in scripture, our bishop will be a clear teacher of the faith, valuing and delighting in the differing traditions within the Church of England.
4.2 A clear commitment to mission and growth The new bishop will have demonstrable experience of leading effective mission, characterised by sustained new growth. The bishop will be committed to working with and building on existing initiatives, as well as offering fresh insights, challenging where necessary. An understanding of and empathy with parish life is seen as essential; experience as an incumbent is desirable. The bishop will affirm and encourage the development of the work of schools, chaplaincies and other sector ministries.
4.3 An ability to lead and to manage change creatively
We are looking for a creative leader, ambitious for the gospel, who will seek to inspire and enable rather than to direct, and to work collaboratively, sharing episcope. The bishop will have the breadth of vision to engage with those outside the ‘walls of the church’, as well as recognising how the diocese and the national church can reinforce and enrich each other. The bishop will be able to think about mission strategically, with experience of turning thinking into effective action. Senior staff experience (not necessarily as bishop, dean or archdeacon) is desirable.
4.4 A confident and competent communicator The bishop will be comfortable engaging with a wide cross-section of people, at ease with new forms of technology (including social media), and able to connect with young people and the 21st century world. Able to communicate in a compelling way with those who worship regularly, as well as those of other denominations and faiths or none, the bishop will need to work with the media and be a clear thinker with a warm and engaging delivery. Experience in working with the media is desirable. The bishop will be able to engage in dialogue across difference and to interpret one to the other.
4.5 A gifted pastor to clergy and laity A person of wisdom and integrity, the new bishop will be able to listen to and get alongside both laity and clergy. We look for a bishop who will encourage, motivate and empower others, building up confidence and self-esteem, and affirming them in their ministries, whilst expecting high standards and challenging complacency. The bishop will be able to recognise and utilise the talents and significant abilities of clergy and laity, supporting and encouraging vocations to all forms of ministry, fostering innovation where appropriate.
4.6 In favour of women’s ministry The diocese will welcome a woman as bishop when that becomes possible, although a small number of people and parishes would find this difficult to accept. The majority of people in the diocese hope that our new bishop will be unreservedly in favour of women’s ministry at all levels of church life, whilst maintaining the highest possible degree of communion and contributing to mutual flourishing across the whole Church of England.

And that final paragraph is heart-warming. I'm so pleased to belong to a diocese that may well have a male bishop later this year, but clearly wants one who is open to a successor being female, and is a diocese committed in favour of women's ministry.

Which makes the other letter we received all the more worrying.

This is from the Chair of the General Synod's Evangelical Group (EGGS):

Dear friends
The Church of England is often described as ‘episcopally led and synodically governed’. So it is in the Synodical structures that evangelicals must champion evangelism, advocate good strategy and contend for the gospel.
It is likely that – in the next couple of years – decisions are going to be made in synods of a magnitude which may either threaten or fracture both the Church of England and the Anglican Communion. It is therefore imperative that evangelicals participate at every level in the Synodical structures.
In April 2014 at APCMs in each and every parish lay representatives for deanery synods will be elected. They in turn will elect the lay membership of General Synod in 2015. On behalf of the EGGS committee can I therefore encourage you to nominate and support good evangelical candidates for these forthcoming lay deanery positions and thereafter encourage those elected to consider standing themselves in the 2015 General Synod elections.
Synods may not have the obvious ministry appeal of running Christianity Explored or praying for healing on the streets, but Synodical decisions do have the potential to build a church and culture in which these things are both supported and expected to be part of normal church life. It is also through involvement in the Synodical structure that evangelicals can influence the planning for and financing of church planting, the future shape of ordination training and the election of Crown Nomination Commission representatives who appoint diocesan bishops. In other words, there is much to be gained by full engagement with the Synodical system.
If however standing for deanery, diocesan or General Synod is not for you, we nonetheless ask for your prayers for those for whom it is appropriate to do so.
Yours in Christ
The Rev John Dunnett
Chair of EGGS (Evangelical Group on General Synod)
On behalf of the EGGS committee
(emphasis added)

So as a "good evangelical" I would need to push the candidates that would be against women's equality, against women bishops, and against anything else that doesn't fit their narrow worldview. Because if you don't, the Church of England will fracture, and who will be doing the fracturing? Yes, evangelicals.

I'd be very interested to hear your point of view on both of these letters.

New York Travel Guide

We're finally updating our very first 2004 travel guide, to the 2014 New York guide. It's longer than most, so if you want to download it, use this link.

New York

Getting into Town (and back again)

At JFK, ignore the taxi touts. They will lie to you and cheat you.

You could take a SuperShuttle bus, but book in advance and only talk to the uniformed guys managing the Ground Transportation Desk. They will drop you to your door for a reasonable rate, and you get an early chance to see some sights on the way. You can also book your return trip at the same time.

http://www.supershuttle.com/Locations/JFKAirportShuttleNewYork.aspx

But why pay over the odds? It’s so easy to get to Brooklyn or Manhattan for the price of one subway ride, plus the airport train.

Get on the AirTrain at JFK Terminal 7 towards Howard Beach, this has an additional $5 fare

Buy subway ticket (or use MTA pass – see below)

Get on the back of the A train here and go through to Broadway Junction.

Get off here, go up the stairs, go up the escalator, and over to the L Platform towards Manhattan.

At the end of your holiday, you may leave your suitcase at your hotel. But what if you’re in an apartment? There’s only one solution:

Luggage Storage – Schwartz Travel

http://www.schwartztravel.com/

visit

355 W 36th St, between 8th & 9th Ave. – 2nd Floor

Close to MSG, Penn Station (West Side) & Port Authority

A.C.E. Subway stop, next to the Wyndham Hotel

Open Everyday: 8am - 11pm

or

34 W 46th St, between 5th & 6th Ave. –  4th Floor

Close to Times Square & Grand Central Terminal

Same Building as Via Brasil & Subway

Open Everyday: 8am - 11pm

Travelling from Penn Station back to JFK:

Take LIRR train, get off at Jamaica Station, $7 – it might cost more but it’s much quicker

Take AirTrain, get off at Terminal 7, $5

Somewhere to Sleep

It used to be so easy to rent an apartment in NYC. Now the law forbids holiday lets unless the landlord is resident. Don’t take the chance – you could arrive and find that your let was illegal.

We can’t recommend particular hotels, but we can recommend where we stayed:

http://www.flipkey.com/brooklyn-vacation-rentals/p381750/

Conselyea Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn

2 minutes walk from Lorimer St subway stop on the L train

Because Brad and Sean (both professionals, with a lovely daughter) live in one of the 4 apartments, it’s perfectly legal. We took the 1^st floor apartment, but you have 3 floors to choose from. There are supermarkets nearby and the kitchen is fully equipped. Check it out!

Getting Out

MTA 7-Day Unlimited Ride Card, $30 for unlimited subway and local bus rides until midnight on the seventh day following first usage

http://www.mta.info/metrocard/mcgtreng.htm

Use the subway. Use buses. Get on a ferry. Get on the Roosevelt Island cablecar. Explore!

Eating In or Out

On the corner of Bleeker Street and Broadway is Han’s Deli (245 Broadway) which has a self-serve salad bar and a hot buffet, with vegetarian, noodles, meat, and lots beside. You’d get more organic stuff at a Whole Foods but if you’re after a quick and cheap dinner, fill up a big container! We went back several times.

http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/hans-deli-new-york-2

Reputedly the best pizza in town ... John's of Bleecker Street, 278 Bleecker St.

http://www.johnsbrickovenpizza.com/

Noodles as good as Wagamama and just as stylish can be found at Republic, 37 Union Square West

It gets busy but if you don’t mind a short wait it is worth it. Delicious starters, Pad Thai, and more.

http://www.thinknoodles.com/findex.html

When we heard about Rice to Riches we couldn't believe it. A cafe that just sells rice pudding? But dozens of flavours… even a small portion will fill you right up.

37 Spring St at Mott St

https://www.ricetoriches.com/

Two Boots Pizza, Grand Central Station Dining Concourse, Lower Level

Even when everything is shutting down for the night, Two Boots stay open with some of the wackiest (and drunkest) patrons around. The TV shows the sports channels (we caught another baseball game, not as much fun as being there though) and the pizzas were amazing. Adam had “The Dude” – a Cajun bacon cheeseburger pizza pie! They have other locations around town, and a concession at Citifield.

http://www.twoboots.com/TW2008/Gc08/Gc08.html

Whole Foods Market

Choose from fresh salads, Asian food, sushi and curries. Put your choice in a plastic box and pay by weight.

Union Square South and other locations

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/unionsquare

Original SoupMan (aka Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi)

259A W 55th Street (between Broadway and 8th Avenue)

Fantastic fresh soup, go for the clam chowder, comes with bread and fruit and an NY attitude!

http://originalsoupman.com/our-story/our-leader

A selection of diners we have tried:

Bowery Diner

241 Bowery opposite Prince Street, just north of Bowery subway station

A bit different from the rough and ready diner, the food is little bit nouvelle though still delicious, and prices aren’t too pricey

http://www.bowerydiner.com/

Skylight Diner

407 W 34^th Street at 9^th Avenue, near Penn Station

http://www.skylightdinernyc.com/

Westway Diner

614 9th Avenue (between 43rd and 44^th Streets), near the Port Authority Bus Station

http://westwaydinernyc.com

Comfort Diner

214 East 45^th Street (between 2^nd and 3^rd Avenue), between Grand Central Terminal and the UN

http://www.comfortdiner.com/manhattan/

Brooklyn Diner

212 West 57^th Street (between Broadway and 7^th Ave), near Central Park

155 West 43^rd Street and Broadway, just off Times Square

http://www.brooklyndiner.com/information

Shop Til You Drop

Big Department Stores:

Barneys New York, 660 Madison Ave at 61^st St

Bloomingdale's, 1000 3^rd Ave at 59^th St and Lexington

Macy's, 151 W 34^th St at 7^th Ave

Saks Fifth Avenue

get a tourist discount card from these (showing your passport) with limited discounts

FAO Schwarz

767 5^th Ave at 58^th and 59^th St

http://www.fao.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=3810526

best toy shop in New York

Crate & Barrel

650 Madison Avenue at E 60^th St

611 Broadway at Bleeker St

979 3^rd Avenue at E 59^th St

451 Broadway at Grand St

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/Stores/soho/str633

amazing homewares

Old Navy

503 Broadway at Broome St

144 W 34^th St at 7^th (Fashion) Ave

http://www.oldnavy.com/products/new-york-ny-store-5928.jsp

GAP-quality clothes but at much cheaper prices – stock up on tshirts, jeans, chinos and more – don’t buy all at once and you get a discount coupon on your next purchase!

Have a Rest

Bryant Park, 6^th Ave between 40^th and 42^nd Streets. Round the back of the NY Public Library. Free wifi. Nice café.

Symphony Plaza, 8^th Avenue and West 56^th Street. Perfect if you are eating soup from the SoupMan – see above. Not too noisy and good seating. Watch the office workers and tourists pass you by.

Special Tips

Easter Sunday

Williamsburg Ascension Church, 127 Kent between Franklin St/Manhattan Ave

(walk or take line G to Greenpoint Avenue)

http://www.ascensionbrooklyn.org/

very welcoming, with post-service reception & desserts

or

Church of the Ascension, Fifth Ave at 10th St, Manhattan

http://ascensionnyc.org/

traditional service (people dress quite smartly here) and a great welcome

then

Easter Parade 10am

Fifth Av from 49^th to 57^th Sts

bonnets optional!

Seinfeld

Maybe like us you're a Seinfeld fan. In which case you have GOT to go on the Kramer's Reality Tour. Kenny Kramer, Larry David's ex-neighbour and the inspiration for Cosmo Kramer, runs his bus tour with all the Seinfeld sights. Book well in advance!

http://www.kennykramer.com/home.html

Baseball Game

This is unlike any other sport anywhere. Forget the game. It’s like a combination of pantomime, rounders, eating, patriotism, and more eating. Don’t worry about the scoring system. Or the fact that despite lasting for 4 hours the score is only 6-2. Just go, eat, enjoy, and eat some more!

Let’s Go Mets! http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/ticketing/index.jsp?c_id=nym

Here Come The Yankees! http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/ticketing/index.jsp?c_id=nyy

Must-See Sights: Manhattan

Museum of City of New York

1220 Fifth Av (between 103^rd-104^th)

Subway 6 to 103^rd St, open 10-18, $10

http://www.mcny.org/

Grand Central Terminal

Tours: Audio Tour $7 from GCT Tour windows 9am-6pm

Municipal Art Society – tour window on Main Concourse – 12.30pm every day $20

http://www.grandcentralterminal.com/

Empire State Building

350 5^th Ave at W 34^th St

8am-2am $25

Whatever time of day or night you decide to go, you have got to do this once!

http://www.esbnyc.com/

United Nations Building

1^st Ave at 46^th St

10am-5pm

$16 for a tour, but we showed our passports and went in, saw some great exhibitions, visited the shop and café, and didn’t really need to see the General Assembly. Expect school groups aplenty.

Check http://visit.un.org/wcm/content/ as they are having building work done until 2015.

Federal Reserve Bank

This is one for nerds, the exhibition is good, the tour a little slow, but you get to see the gold deposits and the history of the US banking system.

Book a tour 2 weeks in advance at http://www.newyorkfed.org/aboutthefed/visiting.html

Meet at 44 Maiden Lane with ticket and passport

High Line

www.thehighline.org/about/park-information

Best idea ever – an elevated railway that was ready to be demolished is turned into an elevated garden walk high above the Manhattan streets. See New York from a different angle, enjoy the space, the quiet, and the plants.

The south end is near 8^th Ave subway on the L line. The north end is not really near anywhere, but Penn Station is closest.

It’s also handy for Chelsea Market, which has nice shops and eateries.

http://www.chelseamarket.com/

MOMATH: The National Museum of Mathematics

11 East 26th Street on 5^th Ave

A pricey nerd visit but if you’re reading this you might be just the type!

10am–5pm, 7 days a week, $16

http://momath.org/

New York Public Library, Schwarzman Building

5^th Ave at 42^nd St

10-6 Tu We 10-8, Su 1-5

Free tours at 11am and 2pm daily

http://www.nypl.org/locations/schwarzman

9/11 Memorial

http://www.911memorial.org/

You must get tickets in advance, and you purchase them at a different place to the memorial itself:

The Preview Site is at 20 Vesey Street between Church St and Broadway, round the corner from St Peter’s Church

If you haven’t bought tickets online, you can get them here, but there’s a queue. It opens at 9am so it’s worth getting there beforehand. If you need to pick up breakfast, there is two great Pret A Mangers just round the block: 100 Church Street, or 179 Broadway.

When you have your ticket, it’s 5 minutes walk to entry at 1 Albany Street at Greenwich St.

Daily, 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

The whole place is a building site so allow time to get through the traffic, and cross safely.

Lower East Side Tenement Museum

http://www.tenement.org/

103 Orchard St (Broome-Delancey), Lower East Side, 10-18, $22

It offers tours of an apartment building recreating the 1870s and 1930s.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

http://www.metmuseum.org/

1000 Fifth Av (82^nd St), Upper East Side, Tu-Su 9.5-17.5, Fr Sa 9.5-21, Subway 4,5,6 to 86^th St

They claim it costs $25 but it REALLY is optional. HONESTLY. Pay what you can afford, or what you think it’s worth. If you’re only popping in for a break, don’t pay full whack. They won’t be rude to you when you say “I’d like to pay this much”.

Guggenheim Museum

http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york

1071 Fifth Av (89^th), Upper East Side, 456 to 8^th St

Fri-Wed 10-18, Sa 10-20

$22

Whitney Museum of American Art

http://whitney.org/Visit

945 Madison Ave at 75^th St (take 6 train to 77^th)

Wed-Sun 11-6 (Fri to 9)

$18, or pay-what-you-wish Friday 6-9pm

MOMA – Museum of Modern Art

http://www.moma.org/visit/index

11 W 53^rd St between 5^th & 6^th Aves

1000-1730 and Fridays until 2000

usually $25, free Fridays 4pm to 8pm, but the queues for this are horrendous – easier to pay!

Design store across the street, and another at 81 Spring Street in Soho, which are open M-Sa 1000-2000 and  Sunday 1100-1900

Must-See Sights: Brooklyn

New York Transit Museum

Boerum Pl, Tu-Fr 10-16 Sa Su 12-17,

Subway lines A,C,F,R to Jay St/MetroTech, or subway lines 2,3,4,5 to Borough Hall, $7

http://www.mta.info/mta/museum/

The only subway museum that’s actually a whole subway station in itself – with carriages from the past centuries on the original tracks!

Brooklyn Museum of Art

http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/home.php

200 Eastern Parkway at Washington Ave

Artists & Fleas

http://www.artistsandfleas.com/projects/markets

70 North 7th Street between Kent & Wythe Avenues, 3 blocks from the Bedford Avenue L train

Indoor market near East River State Park (see Smorgasburg below)

Brooklyn Public Library

Grand Army Plaza, corner of Flatbush Avenue and Eastern Parkway

http://www.bklynpubliclibrary.org/locations/central

SHOPPING:

Atlantic Terminal Shopping Mall

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Terminal_(shopping_mall)

Atlantic Ave at Flatbush Ave (Metro 2,3,4,5 Atlantic Av at Barclays Center)

best buys: Old Navy, Target, Uniqlo

826NYC/Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co

http://www.superherosupplies.com/

372 5^th Ave at 5^th St, Brooklyn

Part of a literacy project, your kid can also buy all of their superhero needs! Seriously!

Spoonbill & Sugartown bookstore

http://www.spoonbillbooks.com/

Bedford Avenue between N 4^th and N 5^th Aves

10am-10pm

Williamsburg browsing streets:

North 6^th Street

Metropolitan Avenue

Bedford Avenue

Berry Street

Wythe Avenue

Franklin Street

EATING:

Smorgasburg

an open air food festival that happens each weekend from Spring to Autumn

http://www.smorgasburg.com/

East River State Park at N 7^th St and Kent Ave

176 Lafayette Avenue (between Clermont and Vanderbilt)

80 North 5^th Street at Wythe Avenue (Winter only)

Also hosts a great fleamarket, Brooklyn Flea

Corner Burger

http://www.cornerburger.com/

381 5^th Ave, Park Slope

10 different versions of poutine, including the classic Montreal original – chips, gravy and curds

Junior's Cheesecake

http://www.juniorscheesecake.com/our_restaurants/brooklyn/

386 Flatbush Avenue Extension and DeKalb Avenue

home to the original 'New York Style' cheesecake

Kellogg’s Diner

http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/kelloggs-diner-brooklyn

514 Metropolitan Avenue, at Union Avenue, near Lorimer St subway

The diner near our apartment, which provided breakfast, dinner, shelter from the rain, and a great place to meet the local community. Great corned beef hash!

Dar

http://www.dar525.net/

525 Grand Street, at Union Avenue, near Lorimer St and Metropolitan Av subways

authentic Mediterranean cuisine

Must-See Sights: The Islands

ELLIS ISLAND

Ellis Island is more than just a stop on the Liberty Island ferry. Immigrants to America were kept here until processed, and even quarantined if necessary. It’s worth at least half a day’s visit, if you’re interested  in the history of American immigration, and you want to search for your own relatives.

http://www.ellisisland.org/genealogy/ellis_island.asp

Book tickets in advance at http://www.statuecruises.com/

STATEN ISLAND

Staten Island Ferry

Whitehall Terminal near South Ferry subway

free trip with great views of Statue of Liberty

http://www.siferry.com/

When you arrive on the island, talk the footpath to the right of the terminal and walk up the hill turning left onto Wall Street. You will shortly reach the Island Museum on your right. This is like stepping back in time. There’s a “Wall of Weird”, a fluorescent mineral room, and some original sketches of the ferry from 100 years ago.

http://www.statenislandmuseum.org/

For details of other sights on the island, such as a fort and Historic Richmond Town, go to http://www.visitstatenisland.com/

CONEY ISLAND

This of course isn’t an island you get to by boat. Instead, take the F, D, N or Q lines from Manhattan or Brooklyn and get off at Coney Island Terminal, or other stops W 8th St NY Aquarium, or Brighton Beach (see below).

Damaged by storms in 2012, there is an enormous amount of heritage to visit here. We took bus 74 to the end of Mermaid Avenue, at the west end of the island, and then walked back along the (very windy) Boardwalk promenade. When you’re up to W 19^th St, head inland and check out some of the more famous attractions:

Nathan’s Famous Hotdogs

http://www.nathansfamous.com/

1310 Surf Ave

Coney Island Museum

1208 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, NY  at W 12st St

www.coneyisland.com/museum.shtml

There are two big amusement parks, Luna Park and WonderWheel, right next door to each other. Both have lots of rides and stalls, and different pricing points. What you need to know: the free restrooms are in the Lunapark. FREE LOOS! You’ll need them. Thank us later.

If you carry on walking East past the Aquarium, or catch the subway another couple of stops, you come to Brighton Beach. This is not only chock-full of Russian émigrés, but has some amazing shops full of Russian gifts, clothing, books and DVDs. Check out St Petersburg at 230 Brighton Beach Avenue.

http://www.ruskniga.com/

http://www.FromRussia.com/

Must-See Sights: Queens

Queens has lots to offer, even if it seems relatively out of town.

The Queens Museum of Art has a fantastic scale model of Manhattan and the surrounding area - try to find your hotel! It also has good temporary exhibitions. Corona Park, Queens

http://www.queensmuseum.org/

Explore round the rest of the Park, site of the 1965 World's Fair. Marvel at the Unisphere. Flushing Meadows is nearby, where the tennis US Open happens each year.

There’s a Zoo, and also the New York Hall Of Science http://www.nysci.org/location/

Then get back on Line 7 and go to Flushing. This town has fantastic sights and shops, and one of the oldest buildings in New York, the Bowne Meeting House. http://www.bownehouse.org/

The best place to eat is Szechuan Gourmet, a really good Chinese restaurant. 135-15 37th Ave, between Main St and Princes St, 718 888 9388.

http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/szechuan-gourmet-flushing