Guide to the New York City Subway

If you're planning a trip to the Big Apple, transport is probably something you're concerned about if it's your first time using it, because with so many different lines, stations and types of underground, it's easy to get confused. Don't worry! In this guide to the New York underground, I'll tell you everything you need to know to get around like a true New Yorker.

** A single ticket on the New York subway costs $2.90 (around €2.70)**. If you plan to use public transport frequently for your journeys, the most convenient option today is to pay with OMNY (bank card, mobile phone or watch) or, if you prefer, with a MetroCard, a rechargeable card valid for the underground and bus, which is gradually being replaced by OMNY and will no longer be sold at the end of 2025. The unique feature of the MetroCard is that it can be recharged for:

Alternatively, you can also pay with OMNY, the contactless system that allows you to use your bank card, phone or smartwatch. With OMNY, there is a weekly limit: if you reach £34 in travel within a period of 7 consecutive days (counted from your first payment), the rest of your journeys within those 7 days are free.

How to purchase it from the machine step by step

• What happens if I have both credit and unlimited travel on my card? If you have both credit and 7-day unlimited travel on your Metrocard, you will first use up the travel for that week and then start using the credit in pounds. In other words, unlimited travel takes priority over credit for individual journeys.
• Do children pay on the underground? Children under 44" (111 cm) can travel for free as long as they are accompanied by an adult who is paying for their journey. Babies also travel for free until they reach the age of two.
• How do you validate your Metrocard? It may seem obvious, but you need to swipe your card through the turnstile slot at a moderate speed so that the machine's reader can read the Metrocard properly. In other words, not too fast and not too slow.
• What happens if you take the wrong entrance and have to go back outside to find the correct station entrance? If you have chosen the unlimited travel Metrocard, you will have to wait 20 minutes to validate the card again at the turnstile. And if you have loaded the Metrocard with a balance in dollars, another $2.90 (€2.70) will be deducted from your balance. Unfortunately, you cannot request a refund for the wrong journey.
• Can I buy the Metrocard before travelling to New York? Yes, you can currently buy it online or from machines in the underground, although the MTA has announced that it will stop selling and distributing MetroCards from 31 December 2025 and is replacing them with OMNY.
• If I have questions when purchasing it, will someone help me? You will find underground staff at many stations, but if there are none, don't worry, because New Yorkers are very helpful and will give you a hand if you need it.
• If I'm travelling to New York for two weeks, should I buy two cards? No, that's not necessary. Once you've used up your 7-day unlimited travel pass, you can top up the same card with credit or another unlimited pass for another week.
• Can I share my Metrocard with someone else? If you choose the 7-day unlimited travel pass, the card is for personal use only and is non-transferable. However, if you choose to top it up with credit and pay for each journey, then you can share your Metrocard.
• What happens if I lose my Metrocard? Unfortunately, you will have to buy a new card and you will lose all the credit and/or value you had on it. Only the "Unlimited Travel for One Month" MetroCard is protected against theft and loss if you purchase it with a debit or credit card at the underground ticket machines.
• How do I know how much credit I have left on my card? If you have been topping up your card and don't know how much credit you have left, you can check at many underground stations using the card readers, which will tell you your balance, how many days you have left and when the card expires.
• If I have money left on my card, will I get a refund? No, so my advice is to be careful when topping up your card. In any case, the Metrocard is valid for two years, so if you have money left on it, I recommend keeping the card to use on your next trip to the city or giving it to someone else who is travelling to New York.
• Can the Metrocard be used for other forms of transport? In addition to the New York subway network, this card can be used on the bus network and the Roosevelt Island Tramway. If you want to take a ferry, you will have to pay for a separate ticket, as it is not included in the Metrocard. If you would like to know more about the ferry, don't miss my practical guide to the New York ferry.

Once you have your ticket in hand, you'll need some guidance so you don't get lost in the largest underground system in the United States and one of the largest in the world. It has 26 lines, 472 stations and more than 4,000 kilometres of track connecting Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. The only district not served by the New York subway is Staten Island, although you can get there by car from Brooklyn or from southern Manhattan on the Staten Island ferry.

New York subway lines are identified by colours, and each line can be further divided into letters (A, B, C, etc.) and numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.) depending on the direction. To avoid getting lost, it is a good idea to follow these tips:

Be clear about where you are going

When taking the underground, be sure of the direction you want to go, as most lines branch off and trains take different directions. Once you know which line to take, go to the nearest underground station. All stations are marked with signs indicating the entrance to the platforms heading south (Downtown and Brooklyn) or north (Uptown and Queens).

When boarding the underground, pay attention to the signs and signals. Both the signs and the public address system indicate the direction the train is going, showing the last stop on the route or which New York borough it is heading to.

Local trains vs. express trains: how to tell them apart

An important detail to note is that there are two types of trains in New York : local and express. Unlike local trains, express trains do not stop at every station and are much faster, making them very convenient for travelling long distances. It's fantastic because you can cross the city in less than 15 minutes!

Now, how do we know where an express or local train stops? Very easy, if you see a white circle on the map, it is an express train, if it has a black circle, then it is a local train.

Pay attention to the letters and numbers

Each line of the New York Underground has a different colour to identify it, but because they branch off at certain points on the map, to avoid the map becoming a multicoloured rainbow, each branch is given a different name with numbers and letters.

Therefore, when taking the Underground, you should refer not only to the colour of the line but also to the letters and numbers. In fact, New Yorkers are more familiar with the lines by their numbers and letters than by their colours.

And where can I see the letter or number of the underground train to know which one to get on? It appears on the first carriage of the underground train, although it is also displayed outside each carriage so that you can check it. Keep this in mind if you need to ask for directions or a route while underground.

Pay attention to the direction of the underground stations

As I said before, if you look at the New York underground map, you can see that there are underground lines that go in different directions when they branch off two or more times (such as the orange or yellow line).

The first thing you need to know before using it is to correctly distinguish between Uptown and Downtown. Sometimes, in the same underground station, the different entrances have different directions, i.e. on many streets, if you enter from one side of the pavement, you go south, and from the other, you go north.

Therefore, before going down to the underground, I advise you to check the direction so that you don't have to go back out onto the street and change direction, because in many cases, once you are inside the station, you cannot change platforms. The directions that the New York underground can take are: Downtown and Uptown (South and North) or Westbound and Eastbound (West and East). Sometimes you will also see signs indicating the district or neighbourhood to which they are travelling:

Transfer between lines?

Looking at the New York subway map, you might think that you can't transfer between lines unless they are marked as intersecting. But this is not always the case, as the map shows black lines that indicate the existence of transfer tunnels that make it easier to change lines and avoid unnecessary journeys.

I suggest you download the New York subway map in PDF format to your phone. That way, you can always have it with you and consult it whenever you need to, even when you don't have an internet connection.

However, if you have data on your mobile phone, I recommend downloading an app in Spanish with the official New York subway map, as you will not only find the map, but you will also be able to calculate the best route to take, the time until the next train arrives, and see any incidents on the lines, among other things. Here is an option for iOS and Android; if you prefer the official MTA tool, you can also use The Official MTA App.

The New York subway runs 24 hours a day, every day of the year, although some station entrances may be closed at night.

The frequency of trains varies depending on the line and the time of day:

• Rush hours: between 2 and 10 minutes, depending on the line.
• Midday and early evening: between 8 and 16 minutes.
• Night (early morning): approximately every 20 minutes.

As actual frequency varies by line and operating conditions, it is recommended that you check the official MTA app for real-time schedules and changes.

The New York subway is not so different from other subways around the world in terms of rules of use. However, as a traveller, it is always a good idea to keep in mind some basic rules to make travelling on the transport network easier.

The streets of New York are fascinating; there is always something new to discover in the city that never sleeps. There are countless tourist attractions above ground, but not many people know that beneath it lies a secret place known as the City Hall ghost subway station, which for a long time was shrouded in darkness.

Just its enigmatic name alone makes you want to find out what it's all about, right? All you have to do is hop on the New York subway and take line 6 to the end of the line, as the train still runs through this station. After Brooklyn Bridge, you will pass through the ghost station of City Hall and see it from inside the carriage.

Unfortunately, you cannot get off at the station to see it, but at least the underground runs at such a low speed that with a little skill you can take several photos of this little piece of New York history, which tells us about the origins of this public transport system at the beginning of the 20th century.

What is the ghost station of the New York Underground like?

City Hall was never a very popular station among New Yorkers, as most of them got on and off at the nearby Brooklyn Bridge. Over time and for various reasons, it was finally closed to the public in 1945. Perhaps this has allowed it to remain in such good condition, as have the original stained glass windows, chandeliers and glass panes that decorate it. In fact, many find it similar in style to the décor of Grand Central Terminal.

Another way to take a look at the ghost station of City Hall is from above ground. In the middle of City Hall Park there is a space reserved for pets. If you look closely, you will see an iron opening from which you can peer inside the structure. Amazing, isn't it?

The elegance and style of the design were striking. City Hall had windows that let in natural light and vaulted ceilings covered with tiles, clearly influenced by Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino, whom the New York Times dubbed "the architect of New York" after his death for his famous "Guastavino tile" and his great contributions to American architectural design.

But the ghost station of the New York subway is not the only secret place in the city. There are many original things to do and unique corners to explore! In the article 10 secret places and original things to do in New York that you can't miss, I tell you about some of them.

And if all that sightseeing makes you hungry, then I recommend you take a look at the article The 10 best places to eat in New York to find out where to treat yourself, or book a food tour in New York. You're here to enjoy yourself and have fun!