New York is a very busy, hustle-bustle city, in which it is important to get around as effectively as possible. If everyone in the city drove a car the traffic would be endless, but thankfully the New York Metro system mitigates this problem. Once you get used to the transit system you can get around New York so easily.
To start your journey on the transit system you will likely have to walk to your nearest train station, depending on your location in the city it may take anywhere from a 5-15 min walk. Because there are several entrances to the same station, it is likely that wherever you are you will stuble upon an entrance that will take you to your desired train. When deciding which station entrance to take be sure that you check the train numbers/letters that that station services, for example one station may service R, Q, T, 1, 2 train while another station around the corner services the N, Q, R train. You determine which train you need to take based on the different locations that they serve; thankfully, there is no need to remember where every train goes because apps such as the Metro App or Google Maps will tell you which train you need depending on the destination you enter.
Once you find the correct station entrance, you will have to pay to get through the turnstiles to get to the train tracks. The average price for entrance is about $2.15, regardless of how far you are going on the train. You can pay using your phone in the same way that you would use Apple Pay; you just need to have a valid credit/debit card connected to your phone’s wallet and the turnstile device will read your card as payment. If you don’t want to go the route of using your phone to pay for entrance, there are machines in the station where you can buy a Metro card that you can use to gain entrance. A Metro-card is a reusable card that one preloads money onto that you swipe to pay your way through the turnstile. With a MetroCard you can decide how much money you put on the card each time you reload it; you can load only enough for a round trip, or you can take advantage of one of the deals in which you upload a larger amount of money for a certain number of rides. Once you pay for entrance and get through the turnstile, you need to now find which train you need to get on. Be sure to follow signs toward the direction you want to travel in; for example, you can either choose to go on the trains heading Downtown or the trains going Uptown. Once you determine which direction you are going follow signs to that area, where you will find signs detailing which train numbers/letters are located at that track. There may also be signs telling you which train is coming and how long it will take for them to arrive; however, this is not located at all train stations. While you wait for your train, be sure to stay back from near the tracks, behind the yellow line that is painted the floor nearest the tracks. Once your train arrives, check that the train number/letter is the one you need and then enter the train after allowing riders to exit the train. Once on the train find a seat, if you’re lucky enough to find one, and relax for the ride; you may need to stand for the journey, be sure to hold onto the handholds if you must stand. Finally, make sure to pay attention to what stop you need to get off at because though they make announcements about what stop you are at the intercom sometimes it isn’t clear enough to hear.