Another New Yorker weighing in on the "don't do it" side. I think you'd waste your money AND your ti

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Just wondering you opinion on the above topic - Did you find the Hop on Hop Off (HOHO) informative? and worth the money? (+-$45 pp) or a few forums say just go with local transport - subway/buses for (+-$2) and do it ourselves?
I have used HOHO in London and Paris and think it is a good way to see the sights and worth the $$ You get dropped off at all the "must sees." I have never done it in NYC since that city is in my back yard so to speak.
As many people know, I don't think the HOHO buses in NYC are a good deal for most travelers. If you are capable of walking and taking the subway and buses, you can see a LOT more on your own. A better investment is a walking tour or even a guidebook or (ideally) both.
But there are two mitigating factors. If you have mobility issues and just want to see the city (i.e., not get off), then the HOHO bus is a good alternative, albeit an expensive one. But if you are coming around the Christmas holiday period from late November through the end of the year, you should absolutely NOT take a HOHO bus under any circumstances. cheap car rentals nj You will spend the majority if your time stuck in traffic and will not see much of anything.
I would never take a HOHO bus in either London or Paris, either, cheap car rentals nj so please keep that in mind. Cities that have excellent public transit and that are good walking cities make the worst destinations for HOHO buses.
Frankly I think HoHo buses are a wsste of time and money anywhere. But when I go to a new place I have already picked out many things I want to see and do. And I have found (very limited exeprience) that the "guide" provides nothing more than in a very basic guide book.
You also have traffic (awful at the best of times) and weather to contend with - since you can really see anything only from the top of the bus. I much prefer to visit the inside of sights cheap car rentals nj than just get a quick view of the outside cheap car rentals nj froma semi-moving vehicle.
Another New Yorker weighing in on the "don't do it" side. I think you'd waste your money AND your time. I see lines of people in front of my office building waiting and waiting for buses - sometimes they can't all fit on the one that finally arrives cheap car rentals nj and have to keep waiting for the next one. There is no protection from the elements while you're cheap car rentals nj waiting. Plus, as mentioned above, once you get on a bus you'll most likely spend a lot of time stuck in traffic.
And I don;t see the attraction of watching cheap car rentals nj me and my neighbors go to the bank or the drugstore (yes the HoHos are up at 96th and Broadway - god knows why - with people snapping away nothing of any possible interest).
Even though I just did one in Philly and really enjoyed it, I agree with the nots here. NYC is just too large of an area while Philly is a lot more condensed with less traffic. cheap car rentals nj Its easier to go from Pt A to PT B on your own. Just do research cheap car rentals nj and have a plan ahead of time.
We did one the first time we went to NYC and enjoyed it, this was the up town loop that went through Harlem. We also did the Brookyn loop but nearly froze to death.( It was early April), and took forever because of the traffic.
I think if you want an overview, a tour that is not hoho like onboardtours.com or the bus tour from freetoursbyfoot.com are better, especially cheap car rentals nj as the weather gets colder. (Hoho buses a open top) Realnewyorktours.com using subway and walking to take you around, is another good option.
cheap car rentals nj As always useful and informative replies. Thank you for your time. I have taken all onboard and as 2 couples early 40's with no mobility problems and still 5 months to plan. I think we will go it alone. I will look into the suggested walking tour sites though, as from experience I think its important to try and learn a bit of history about the area/attraction/country you visit. Thanks Again.
Thanks jen13ln - I am a procrastinator from way back so 6 months out from the trip I definately have not made up my mind And I have 3 others with me so I am just gathering all info and majority will rule. Thanks for adding your opinion cheap car rentals nj I am still exploring all options and will check out your suggestion too.
Well for someone who doesn;t like to walk - the HoHos may make sense. However, by not walking you are missing much of the flavor of the City. And, as a native New Yorker, walking is the best was to see any city. When we go to europe we plan on walking 6 to 10 miles per day - depending on what we are doing that day.
I think HOHO is a great way to get an overall feel for NY. I love to walk and still loved HOHO to get a feel and orientation for NY. We then went back to the places that we wanted to spend time. For me - well worth it!
We were in NY just a month ago and the downtown tour wasn't good due to all of the traffic. Our ticket included cheap car rentals nj the uptown tour which we did the next day and I have to say that was very pleasant. Next time I'm in NY I will not do this again, it's so easy and cheap to get around on the subway.
We were just there and we did not do it. I will say this: because there's now a variety of competing cheap car rentals nj HOHO buses, there's hawkers all over Time Square with coupons cheap car rentals nj for discounts (about -$10) for them.
Because we had my mom who is 85 and while mobile and spirited, this may have been an option because she found it pretty hard going up and down all the stairs in the subway. Subways are not the most ADA friendly. I also had issues since I recently busted up my knee.
Surfergirl, our bus came within a couple of blocks of the 911 Memorial and they announced a stop for that. If you get another chance I urge you and all visitors to NY to see that. Be sure to reserve tickets on line as there could be a very long wait if you don't.
I had been to NYC about 15 times before I ever went on a HOHO bus. I enjoyed them, especially the Downtown bus. I wish I had done this earlier because I saw some interesting areas that I may not have otherwise seen that I now frequently visit.