Planning a one day visit to New York City can be tricky, especially for first time visitors.

Right off the bat, the best advice i can give is rather than trying to do too much (i get the temptation), the best thing to do is really pick 2-3 things at most that you care about most, and focus on those. Otherwise you will be running all over the city, getting stressed by people and traffic, and not accomplishing any of what you set out to see.

The other thing that surprises many, is the sheer size of the place. And i'm not talking about the buildings. We often think of New York, Manhattan in particular, as an island, which it is. It also happens to be 13.4 miles / 21.6 km long, and unless you're an expert at navigating the subway here, then traffic will really slow down your journey around. I would know, i live here.

If on your visit to New York, you have your heart set on making the historic ferry journey from Battery Park on Manhattans southern tip over to arguably the city's most recognisable monument, as well as the original landing point for many of the country's early immigrants, then this post will give you all you need to know, and how to do it all for less than $30 a person.

TIP:

If seeing The Statue of Liberty isn't right at the top of your list of NYC places to visit, then don't try to fit it in with the other things you are interested in- this comes closes to an all day trip with the travel time, the wait times in lines, and the time you spend at the sites.

The good news is, ships sail past the Statue on both the way in and out of New York, so to maximise your day, ask your ship staff what time you will be sailing past in the morning, likely to still be dark or close to, so get up early to see her all lit up, as well as the lights on the financial district- it's worth it!

PRE PLANNING:

There are multiple ways to spend your time on Liberty Island. They all involve taking the ferry over, but there are two things to think about in advance: I would highly recommend booking your tickets in advance if you are on a time restriction, and secondly, know what tickets you want- there are varying options. Do you want to simply go over on the ferry and get up close to the statue? Or do you want to go all the way up to the crown? One option can just be done on the day, the other needs weeks of planning.

To plan in advance, start here:

https://www.statueoflibertytickets.com/

TIP:

If you are visiting in the shoulder season, and don't plan on going up the crown, then you will get cheaper tickets on the day at the ticket office, rather than booking in advance. Tickets on the day are $18.50 for adults, $14.00 for seniors (62+) as opposed to $25.50 for adults, $21 for seniors online. The price difference is due to the online service fee. It might be worth it however to you to pay the service fee, as it will save time on the day waiting in line at the ticket booth, as then you can walk straight up to the security checkpoint.

*** (Prices as of September, 2019).

The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Ferry Ticket

GETTING THERE FROM THE CRUISE PORT:

You have a few options of getting to/from the Manhattan Cruise terminal, which depending on your docking berth, will be located between 47th and 56th Streets along the Hudson River, down to Battery Park where the ferries leave from. The distance between the two is approximately 5 miles / 8 km's.

Manhattan Cruise Terminal To Battery Park

BY TAXI:

There is an abundance of NYC yellow taxi's waiting outside the cruise terminal for passengers to exit the building to begin their days adventures.

Taxi fare estimate for a ride at 9am, according to www.worldtaximeter.com, would be $27.48, and take 28 minutes. Prices would vary between $24-$30 depending on time and traffic.

BY RIDESHARE APP (UBER, LYFT etc):

For those with phone service or a mobile internet connection, you could request a ride share. The UBER website estimates this fare being $34.02 for an UberX.

Reference: https://www.uber.com/us/en/ride/

BY SUBWAY:

By far and away the cheapest form of transport, with single ticket rides costing $2.80 at the time of writing. If you plan on riding the subway, download a free subway app onto your smartphone in advance- both available on the App Store and Google Play.

You can also research the New York MTA here: http://web.mta.info/maps/submap.html

The downside of this cheaper mode of transport is that the closest station to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal is 50th St, which does have a direct line to South Ferry, the station closest to Battery Park where the ferries leave from.

The below map indicates by the star marker the cruise ship terminal, and then the closest station as well as South Ferry Station are circled.

So you have a few options:

1. Walk to Times Square (about 1 mile), and then take the '1' train down to South Ferry.

2. Take the 'E' train to World Trade Center, and see that area, then walk down from there.

3. Take the 'C or E' train to 34 St Penn Station, and then walk over to 34 St Penn Station '1,2,3' Line. This would most likely be the most time efficient method of public transport, however the catch here is that i believe you need to exit the station, meaning paying two fares to get to South Ferry, totalling $5.60 each way per person.

TIP #1:

If you are planning on riding the subway, please note that the majority of NYC do not have escalators/elevators. Yes some do, but don't relying on them being there if you essentially need them: stairs are most likely going to be your option in/out of stations.

TIP #2:

If you are in a travelling party of 4, and are weighing up the subway and are thinking about option 3 above, 4 people x $5.60 per person is $22.40 total for subway fares. At that point, i'd recommend paying the extra $2 for a taxi simply for the convenience of door to door transport and time efficiency.

ONCE YOU GET TO SOUTH FERRY / BATTERY PARK:

It is only a short 5-10 minute walk from South Ferry Station to Castle Clinton for the ferry tickets if you used public transport, and if you took a taxi or ride share, you'll already be there.

BUYING TICKETS:

If you haven't purchased tickets online in advance, make your way to Castle Clinton to the ticket booths. This is quite simple as signage is good in the area.

This is the first example of the waits. There are wait lines to purchase the tickets, so if time management is important to you, it might be worth those extra couple of dollars of online processing fees to skip the below and head straight for the security checkpoint.

TIP:

Bathroom opportunity alert! There are public facilities inside Castle Clinton that you may wish to take advantage of, as you may have a long wait before your next opportunity.

GOING THROUGH SECURITY:

Whether you purchased your tickets in advance or on the day, once you have them the next step is the security checks. This is potentially long wait number 2.

Long wait lines outside the security building before getting on the ferry

What you'll start to notice here is not only do you need to factor in time for being in these lines (who would have thought the Statue of Liberty was a popular place to visit!?), but also take note of the lack of cover in these places- the ticket line, the security line, and then also the outdoor seating on the ferry as well as being on the islands themselves, you will be exposed to the sun on a hot day, so plan and prepare for that.

TIP: Bring a hat, water and sunscreen!

Once inside the security building, be prepared for security checks that mirror those you'd experience at an airport. An important note here is. that while backpacks are allowed, large bags are not. There are no storage options prior to boarding the ferry, but once on Liberty Island you may notice there are small storage lockers. The reason for this is that backpacks are not permitted inside the monument, so those with tickets to go up the. crown will have to store those at ground level.

THE FERRY RIDE:

The Statue of Liberty V docked at Ellis Island

Ferries depart from Battery Park every 15-20 minutes beginning at 8 30am. There are typically 3 floors with accessible gangways to the lower floor. They have restrooms and a concession store on board.

If it's a nice day, try getting a spot upstairs for some great photo opportunities.

The ferry tickets are all round-trip tickets, and the ferries follow the same pathway:

So this means that if you were planning on just going to Ellis Island, you can't go directly there, you do need to go to Liberty Island first, but you are allowed to stay on the same ferry and go to Ellis Island from there. Alternatively, if your plan was just a visit to the Statue, you do need to take a ferry back via the dock at Ellis Island also.

A full round trip on the ferry is approximately 75 minutes.

LIBERTY ISLAND:

The first stop on the ferry route is Liberty Island.

Once you come off the ferry you walk through the entrance gates and into the courtyard area. Here you'll find restrooms, food stalls, gift shop, the State of Liberty museum, and the booth to pick up the complimentary multi-lingual audio guides.

Entrance courtyard and audio guide booth on Liberty Island

Once on this island, it is nice, flat and compact, quite pleasant to wander around and explore. Even if you aren't going up the crown, the grounds are expansive, and there is a boardwalk all the way around the Statue, giving visitors the opportunity to take photographs from any angle.

ELLIS ISLAND:

The next stop along the journey is Ellis Island. Often secondary for many in this day trip, Ellis Island provides one of New Yorks most culturally enriching experiences.

The ferry docks right outside the Museum of Immigration.

Proximity of the ferry pier to the Museum of Immigration

Once inside the museum, you are first greeted in the lobby by the following sign:

This will indicate the various exhibits including the Registry Room and Citizenship Gallery, and also point you in the direction of the gift store, restrooms, cafe and elevators. For additional assistance, there is an information desk with National Parks staff inside the building entrance to the left. While you may not have planned to. initially, more often than not people find themselves spending more time here on Ellis Island than they did on Liberty Island.

There is more to the island than just the museum though. Take the time to wander around the pathways and lawns of the island, and enjoy the scenic views looking back to Manhattan.

TIP:

Because of all thats on offer on Ellis Island, be time conscious. During afternoon peak hours, there can be wait times for ferries back to Battery Park, and the last thing you want to do after a good outing is be stressed about that lingering cruise ship all aboard time. Peak times usually are between 2pm and 4pm.

Wait lines for ferries to depart Ellis Island for Battery Park

SUMMARY:

Upon departure from Ellis Island, then it is time to make the return journey back to Battery Park.

Once back to Battery Park, essentially you are taking the same transportation routes back to the cruise terminal as you took to get there.

THE JOURNEY:

1. Plan in advance. Decide whether or not to book tickets online or get them on the day.

2. Take either a taxi, ride share or subway travel to South Ferry (Battery Park).

3. Go through ticket/security process to board the ferry.

4. Most importantly- enjoy the islands!

5. Make the return journey back to the cruise port.

THE FRUGAL EXPERIENCE:

So here's how i would recommend, if time allows, how to have an iconic New York experience on the cheap. This doesn't factor in food/drinks, so perhaps have a big breakfast, and make sure to take water with you. If you need need additional food/snacks, i'd recommend getting them before going to the islands, as they are sports game prices once you're there. That being said, if you do need a. pick me up, personally i think the better options are in the food hall on Liberty Island.

After arriving at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal:

1. Take the subway to World Trade Center and walk to Battery Park.

= $2.80

2. Purchase ferry pass to Liberty and Ellis Islands.

= $18.50

3. Return back to the cruise terminal via subway (closest station 50 st.).

= $2.80

TOTAL DAY OUT = $24.10

FINAL THOUGHTS:

- Check the weather in advance. Lack of coverage means rain and/or hot sun could impact your experience if you don't prepare for it.

- The day can be wheelchair accessible, just don't take the subway!

- Be patient. It is a globally popular tourist site. Last time i was here i arrived at Battery Park at 11am, and didn't board the ferry until 12 30pm. Just think- people will wait longer for a ride at Disney!

- Arguably the most important: Make sure to charge your camera in advance!

So there you have it!

One further suggestion - it never hurts to do extra research and planning, so be sure to check out the official website for facts, tips, and pre bookings:

https://www.statueoflibertytickets.com/

Enjoy the day!

NYC On your Own: Liberty and Ellis Island

PRE PLANNING: