New York

What do you imagine when you think of New York? Probably bulging roads, cars honk, the lights radiate from the mighty skyscrapers. That‘s exactly how New York is. And in the midst of all the noise, an oasis of silence - Central Park lets forget the hectic city life and gives you the opportunity to recharge your batteries.

Although we only spent a few hours in New York, we tried to see everything. But in addition to all these clichés we have noticed one more thing - the incredible friendliness of New Yorkers. New York is definitely still on our bucketlist. Hopefully with more time next time.

Entry to and from Cuba is not possible, not even for German tourists. Only in exceptional cases and with permission it is possible. If you‘re traveling to Cuba from the US, you‘ll need to collect all the evidence, activities, and contacts and keep it ready for five years.

Entry requirements in the US may change at short notice. So check out the current regulations before you travel. You need your passport for entry, as well as an ESTA or visa. The documents have to be valid until the day of departure.

The application for the ESTA is subject to a fee. Inform yourself about the regulations and residence permits. Entering the US is a bit more difficult and is tightly controlled. Always have enough time at the airport as well.

If you travel to the US, you must definitely be vaccinated against measles. WHO has declared that omitting the vaccine as a „threat to global health“. However, no vaccinations are required when entering from Germany. If you come from countries with a yellow fever risk you have to be vaccinated against it. The standard vaccinations are definitely always recommended. It is also recommended to vaccinate against hepatitis A and B, rabies and typhoid.

In the US, medical care is no problem. However, always allow time and do not underestimate traffic and distance. However, treatments are expensive and must be paid for immediately. Look for a foreign travel health insurance before your trip and arrange enough credit on your credit card.

Food is a really difficult topic when it comes to traveling to the US. Of course, there are tasty burgers and every kind of candy you can imagine. But the food is way too sweet and greasy in my opinion. I was most shocked by the fact that you simply get every food packed in plastic.

Even at breakfast you only get paper plates and cardboard cutlery. I had to put the cereal into a cardboard dish. Maybe we were too short in the US to figure out what Americans‘ eating habits are like. But the few days have already shaped us.

There are millions of ways to travel in New York. The simplest is the taxi. However, this often takes the longest, since the city consists of a single jam at peak times. Then there is the bus, the rail, the ferry, the bicycle or even a helicopter. The aerial tram and the hop-on hop-off bus.

We always used the subway for longer distances. For shorter distances we always walked because this is the best way to get to know a city. And we were surprised how small the city actually is. Well at least the distances between the main spots are not that far.

In New York you have to expect big extremes. In summer it gets very hot and humid. Through the skyscrapers, the air can not escape and it gets very stuffy. Winter is often freezing. An icy wind blows through the streets, mountains of snow paralyze the entire city.

The best time to explore New York is from April to July and between September and October. Also the decoration at Christmas attracts many visitors to the city and it is a unique atmosphere in the air.

In the US, you pay with US dollars and the credit card is indispensable. Almost all credit cards are accepted, often you can even pay only by credit card. Even the smallest amounts are paid in this way. Bank cards with V-Pay logo will not be accepted.