In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United States
Queens
Base in Long Island City or Astoria for Manhattan access, or in Flushing for food and LGA; 2 nights covers the highlights, 3–4 if you eat your way through.
Queens is New York's most diverse borough and its two airports (LGA, JFK) sit inside it. It is not a sightseeing checklist: it is food neighbourhoods, a World's Fair park, two stadiums and a beach, all on the subway. Stay here to cut hotel costs and still reach Manhattan in 15–30 minutes, or come for a full day of eating in Flushing and Jackson Heights.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat and humidity), late Aug–early Sep (U.S. Open crowds and hotel prices)
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $60–100 excl. bed · Mid $120–200 excl. bed · High $250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · NYC non-emergency 311
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Dim sum or a bowl of noodles in Flushing | $10–20 |
| Subway or bus ride | $2.90 (check) |
| Taxi or rideshare, LIC to Midtown | $25–45 |
| Museum entry (Moving Image, Queens Museum, Noguchi) | $10–20 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $15–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LGA · LaGuardia
- In northern Queens; no rail link — bus plus subway, or taxi. M60 bus to Astoria and Harlem.
- JFK · John F. Kennedy International
- In southern Queens; AirTrain to Jamaica or Howard Beach, then subway or LIRR.
Typical fares
- AirTrain JFK → Jamaica
- about $8.50, then subway fare (check)
- Subway ride
- $2.90, free transfers within the system (check)
- LIRR Jamaica → Penn Station
- about $8–11 peak, 20 min (check)
Get around
The subway does most of the work: the 7 line runs from Long Island City through Jackson Heights to Flushing, the N/W serves Astoria, the E/F reach Jackson Heights and Forest Hills, and the A runs to the Rockaways. Buses fill the gaps east of the subway. The LIRR is faster than the subway for Jamaica and Forest Hills. Taxis and rideshares are useful for LGA runs and late nights.
See and do
Known for
- Flushing Meadows-Corona Park and the Unisphere
- Flushing's Chinese and Korean food
- Jackson Heights' South Asian and Latino blocks
- Citi Field and the U.S. Open
- Rockaway Beach
- Museum of the Moving Image
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Manhattan | 7, N/W, E/F or M/R to Midtown; LIRR from Jamaica or Forest Hills | 15–45 min depending on start |
| Brooklyn | G train between LIC and Williamsburg, or LIRR to Atlantic Terminal | 20–40 min |
| The Bronx | 7 to Grand Central then 4/5, or M60 bus from Astoria to Harlem | 45–70 min |
| Staten Island | Subway to Lower Manhattan, ferry, then bus or train | 1.5–2 h |
Sleep
- Long Island City
- One or two subway stops from Midtown; the fastest Manhattan commute and the biggest hotel cluster.
- Astoria
- Greek and Egyptian food, bars, 20–30 min to Midtown on the N/W. Quieter at night than LIC.
- Flushing
- Best food access and closest to LGA; 7 train to Manhattan takes about 35–45 min.
- Jamaica
- Airport hotels and the LIRR/AirTrain hub; practical for an early JFK flight, thin on evening life.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Excuse me | Excuse me |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the subway? | Where is the subway? |
| To this address, please | To this address, please |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Queens Boulevard has a long record of pedestrian deaths; cross at signals and use station underpasses where they exist.
- Addresses use the neighbourhood, not the borough (Flushing, NY; Woodside, NY) — give the full neighbourhood when booking or telling a driver.
- Subway rides are tap-and-go with a contactless card or phone; fares are per ride with a weekly cap (check current fare).
- Hotel prices spike during the U.S. Open (late Aug–early Sep) and around Mets home games.
- Some airport-area hotels in Jamaica are poorly maintained despite star ratings; read recent reviews before booking.
Queens is a normal big-city borough: violent crime is not the everyday risk. Watch traffic (Queens Boulevard especially), keep your phone out of sight on the subway, and check the beach flags at the Rockaways before swimming.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Queens yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Flushing Meadows-Corona Park and the Unisphere
- Flushing's Chinese and Korean food
- Jackson Heights' South Asian and Latino blocks
- Citi Field and the U.S. Open
- Rockaway Beach
- Museum of the Moving Image
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Discover Queens Visitor's Center: www.shopqueenscenter.com/Visit
- MTA: www.mta.info/
- Port Authority of New York and New Jersey — AirTrain: www.panynj.gov/airports/en/jfk-airtrain.html
- Wikivoyage: Queens, revision 5247247 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5247247
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Queens
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most embassies and consulates-general are in Manhattan; check your country's listing before you travel.
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/queens). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.