Sightseeing In The Big Apple
Imagine seeing New York City in a calm, easy-going, even manageable mode.
No rushing around on the streets, no flagging down a taxi for a wild ride through Manhattan, no rushing to catch the subway. Having the Big Apple’s biggest sights all within easy reach, ready to be savored like a deli sandwich from Carnige, a pizza from Jon’s, a cold pint at The Irish Bar.
It’s Gray Line’s hop-on/hop-off tour. It stops at major areas and attractions throughout the City and, rather than being part of the hustle on the street, people are witnessing it all from atop a double-decker bus.
Passengers simply get on the bus at one of the locations (marked by a Gray Line double-decker sign) and either take the entire route or depart wherever they like as often as they desire within a chosen time period.
These are a great way to meet other singles in the City, by the way. And also for bar hopping.
Common in many European cities, it’s only natural it would be in the most European city in the USA.
Grey Line Tours City Loops
The Downtown Loop makes stops at Greenwich Village, Times Square, Empire State Building, as well as the Union Square shopping district, Soho, Chinatown, Little, East Village, Rockefeller Center and the World Trade Center site.
The Uptown Loop stops at Lincoln Center, Dakota Apartments, American Museum of Natural History, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Grant’s Tomb, Apollo Theater, Harlem Market, The Museum Mile, Guggenheim, Metropolitan Museum, Central Park and Fifth Avenue.
More than just a piece of transportation, the tours feature a knowledgeable driver who points out landmarks, provides cool information about them and can be as entertaining as a Broadway show. For instance, riders are informed that New York’s famous nickname, “The Big Apple” originates to Latin jockeys who would come to race in the area; it was later revived in a 1980’s ad campaign.
Taking the Gray Lines Bus Tours is a fun and effective way to get exposed to all the different areas of “The City.” Its top attribute is the ease of hopping on and off the bus. It’s a heck of a lot more fun than cabbing it and a lot easier than walking it. At around 40 bucks, riders get a whole day’s worth of transportation to all the top spots in the city, a mere fraction of the cost of a cab to get from one side of the City to the other.
These European riders get the PubClub treatment on their Gray Line Tour.
“Gray Line Tours offered an easy solution to seeing a lot of the City in a short time and gave me the chance to hop off at my favorite spots and, of course, my favorite pubs, ” said PubClub.com’s on-the-scene reporter, Laz, “There are also a ton of tourists on board making for great company from all parts of the country and world. Gray Lines gives you plenty to look at both on and off the bus. A bus load of fun!”
Most buses run mornings and afternoons, such as 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Gray Line offers 16 tours – some of which include boats and a helicopter – and range in prices from $39 up to $254 (on-line purchase price). There is a bus to Brooklyn, a Night Tour (in a motorcoach; these are not hop-on/hop-off). The All Loops Tour that includes the Uptown Loop and more.
Even for those not necessarily interested in seeing the sights can use it as transportation. This is quite a common practice among locals across the Pond in London and, depending on where one is going and the number of stops, it can be cheaper than continually taking taxis. There’s even a 48-hour package for $49 and a 72-hour tour starting at $59.
There is also a Holiday Light Tour that runs from Thanksgiving through the early New Year.
For reservations and specifics of each trip, visit Gray Line NYC’s website at: www.newyorksightseeing.com.
PubClub agrees – these tours are indeed a great way to see big cities. Glad you enjoyed the article. Cheers!
A bus tour definitely seems like a good way to see a big, crazy city like New York. I want to see the hustle and bustle of the city life without actually being a part of it. It’s good to know that the bus stops at all of the main tourist attractions as well. Thank you so much for this helpful information on New York City bus tours.