Gray Line Sightseeing Tours

I am going to New York City in February and want to go on the double decker bus tours. I%26#39;ve been looking on the website and want to do the All Loops Tour where you can go on the Uptown Loop, Downtown, Brooklyn and Night Tours. Its only valid for 2 days, so was wondering which loops are the best and if any are good to just sit on for the whole loop to quickly cover that part of the city. how long would it take to just sit through the whole loop?

Gray Line Sightseeing Tours

You can manage all the loops in 2 days if that%26#39;s what you want to do. The big issue is weather. The best views are upstairs which is open and gets very cold and windy in bad weather. You can do any of the loops without getting off. Their website says each of the loops is 2-3 hrs.

The downtown loop covers most of the major sites. Here%26#39;s a map that shows what%26#39;s covered on each of the loops

coachusa.com/CoachUsaAssets/files/91/map.pdf

There%26#39;s another tour called NY Party Shuttle. You might check that for comparison. Some folks here have posted they like it a lot and those buses are closed and smaller. The bus stays with you while you get out so less flexibility but also less waiting in the cold maybe. ;)

Gray Line Sightseeing Tours

Just got back from NYC a week ago. We took the sightseeing tour and we really didnt like it.

1st, if you go inside the bus you only see 10% of the attractions, so we went on top and froze.

2nd if you plan on using the gray line as a transportation method it takes for ever to get to where you want to go. The third day we took the subway, the taxi or just walked and we got to see alot more.

3rd well....we lost our tour guide at one of the stops...lol

Have fun :)

I%26#39;m glad to hear phanster giving first hand experience. I%26#39;ve never done one of these but I can%26#39;t imagine doing it in Feb (or now). And people do make the mistake of thinking they can use these buses for transportation for those days they have use of them. It just doesn%26#39;t make sense. You%26#39;ll wait forever. And yes, I%26#39;ve heard it%26#39;s almost impossible to see much from inside. That%26#39;s why I suggested the NY Party shuttle but there are downsides to that as well. It doesn%26#39;t cover as much territory, you%26#39;re moving at their speed not your own... There%26#39;s also the Marvelous Manhattan tours which someone here raved about.

kingofnyc.com/Marvelous_Manhattan_Tour_Optio鈥?/a>

Last month when I was in New York, I did all of the loops and LOVED it! If you%26#39;ve never visited NYC, and don%26#39;t know where all the major attractions are, I recommend taking a bus tour. If you have to choose one, go with the Downtown loop. You%26#39;ll see more attractions.

The last day we road the double decker bus, it got cold. It wasn%26#39;t as enjoyable when we were up high freezing our britches off! It might be rough for you in February. If you do it then, make sure to wear several layers of clothing and something to cover your head and ears. I%26#39;d go with a ski mask!

It takes about two hours for the Downtown loop. They stop to let people on and off which makes it slower to get around.

A C.....

Well, now you%26#39;ve gotten the REAL NY experience. No one seems to agree, but they%26#39;re all nice about it!

I have never taken one if these buses in NYC, but the Uptown Loop passes my front door on West 86th Street every day.

Here%26#39;s the real deal.....in the winter the people look ABSOLUTELY MISERABLE if they%26#39;re sitting up top. The people inside cannot be seeing much, or so it seems.

Bring a big down filled jacket, gloves, a scarf and a hat. Warm shoes and socks.

Or follow some of the other suggestions for getting around and seeing the city.

Have fun.

Joe in NYC