7 galleys that can ruin your trip to New York

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1/ Beware of the expired passport

This is the first thing to do before even starting to look at the prices of plane tickets and hotels: check that your passport is valid. And if the tourist office of the United States explains that a valid passport is enough, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs even advises to have a valid passport at least 6 months after the date of return to France.
If you have just received your passport, also be careful that it does not contain any mistakes. The misadventure recently happened to a member of the forum who recovered his passport with his misspelled first name. This is to read here on the New York Forum.
In short, before organizing your trip, make sure you can leave!

2/ Don’t miss your flight

Don’t laugh: I know people to whom misfortune has happened. By dint of grabbing a few minutes here and a few minutes there before going to the airport, we forget to take a margin in the event of a traffic jam on the road to the airport or a disruption in public transport. But the plane won’t wait for you!
On the day of your departure to New York, I recommend that you leave well in advance. It is better to turn around the airport a bit, shopping or re-reading your guide, rather than staying at the dock, with the added bonus of a lost plane ticket.
Same thing when returning from New York: allow enough time to reach the airport. You have several solutions to take advantage of an organized airport transfer in New York.

3/ Avoid the cold snap

During the flight, always have a sweater or jacket close at hand: aircraft air conditioning units have the unfortunate tendency of often being cold. Now is not the time to catch a cold!
Above all, plan to carry a small first aid kit so that you can nip in the bud any germ or weakness that could spoil your stay. I advise you in particular to take doliprane, spasfon and smecta (in the event of a burger that is not in good shape), Fervex (or other medicines against the common cold) and anti-blister dressings. Don’t forget sunscreen in the summer either. Don’t let a sunburn ruin your vacation!

4/ Take the hotel reservation

Before leaving for New York, print and carry your confirmations and vouchers, in particular the confirmation email sent by the hotel at the time of your reservation. If ever the hotel reception had incorrectly recorded your stay, or the category of your room, you will immediately have something to answer!

5/ Take care of your belongings

Far be it from me to want to scare you, but let’s assume that warning a tourist is worth two! If New York is generally a very safe city, this does not prevent pickpockets from trying their luck, like everywhere else in Europe. Do not leave your suitcase unattended at the airport, on the street and in the hotel lobby and avoid tempting thieves. Leave your passport at the hotel, in your room safe or in the middle of your clothes. And don’t walk around with all your cash on you. Quite frankly, these instructions are as valid for New York as for Paris, Lyon or Brussels.

6/ Respect the law

In the United States, the law is applied very strictly and we do not mess with the rules. It is therefore recommended to follow the regulations and prohibitions to the letter. I am thinking in particular of this French tourist who absolutely wanted to climb the cables of the Brooklyn Bridge to take a picture, despite the bans. What do you think happened to him: embarked in prison and several days of community service, with the added bonus of legal and legal fees as well as additional expenses for the continuation of the stay there.

7/ Raise the limit on your bank card

Even if you’ve planned your budget perfectly in New York and think you’ve brought enough dollars, you still have to be able to deal with the unexpected. Make sure that your credit card limit is high enough so that you can withdraw a substantial sum in the event of a problem.
I also recommend that you leave with two bank cards referring to two different accounts.

With that, don’t forget that you are going on vacation, that New York is one of the biggest cities in the world and that you can always find help in case of a problem. It’s not the desert, far from it! Do not hesitate to send me an e-mail in case of questions: [email protected]. My final tip: enjoy every second in the Big Apple! And don’t hesitate to come and say hello to us on the forum new york, before, during or after your trip! 🙂

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