Out & About on Long Island & NYC

NYC Double Decker "Hop on-Hop-off" Bus Tours

FYI for anyone like us that have never been to NYC before...the double decker "hop on-hop off" bus tours are AWESOME and well worth the money! However...DON'T purchase your tickets before you get into the city. First and foremost your DS or DD will be free if they are wearing their "whites" and if you purchase your tickets in advance you will not receive a refund! Second, if you purchase your tickets online you will have to make your way to one of their buildings to redeem your vouchers. If you wait until you get into the city, there are ticket vendors on most corners. You can purchase your tickets from them and then hop right onto the next bus that comes along. Trust me...it's worth the extra $5 to buy them on site rather than over the internet! The street vendors are much more personable than any of the office "customer service" staff that we encountered! Finally, it will take many, many hours to see everything on these tours - if you choose to "hop-off & on". The Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island will take you a half-day easily. Plan on 48 hours to see everything that is included on each tour. We only made it through the downtown loop (LOVED IT) and 3/4 of the night loop (I think there are six different loops to choose from.):thumb:
 
Beware of KINGS LIMO

If looking for a limo/taxi service for your DS/DD beware of Kings Limo. I called them two days prior to Thanksgiving break, prepaid for a ride for DS to EWR (not cheap) to catch flight home for short break. Again, this was prepaid, set up for a 3pm pickup, seemed like a done deal on the phone (so I thought).
DS hustles after last class to get to front gate, goes to numerous Kings Limo vehicles parked outside gate and drivers refused to take him to EWR saying they were only going to LGA or JFk. I got on phone with dispatcher/shift manager complainiing about my son not having a ride at assigned time and he said he had multiple vehicles there. I explained they rufused to go all the way to EWR, so he apparently did not have a car there for my son. He said that sometimes the drivers dont want to make the drive to EWR when they can make more money on much shorter trip to LGA. After nicely expaining to him that usually when someones prepays for a ride somewhere, to be picked up at a specified time, they kind of expect a car to be there to take them to the place THEY ALREDY PAID FOR. Again he says 'yes sir I had multiple cars there'. Again I explained that he might have had cars there, but not one that would take my son to the place WE ALREADY PAID YOU FOR. This logic seemed to complicated for him to understand, or maybe people from Texas just expect too much. Unbelieveable. Needless to say I ended up trying to reach through the phone to get my hands on this......person. Bottom line they actually had to send a person from the office to go get my son, 45 minutes late on the pickup, and my DS missed his flight. No apology to me, no fee reduction, nothing other than the charming personality on the other end of the phone.
So, just had to post this warning to all. Would advise all to use any other car service other than Kings Limo.
 
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