What’s the old saying…”All roads lead to Rome”?

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Or at least they did. A more appropriate phrase for the 21st century would be “All roads lead to New York”. Because it’s true; if anywhere is the modern equivalent of Rome, it’s New York; the centre of today’s western world, cultural hub of an empire, the place all the songs are about, where all the films are set and all dreams come true, the city that never sleeps.

Well…don’t you want to see what all the fuss is about?

A trip to the centre of the universe doesn’t have to cost the earth. There are plenty of cheap flights to New York from all over the UK and, once you get there, you can live on pretty much any budget.

There is a broad selection of hotels in New York, with prices ranging from cheap to crazy and you can find a great deal if you do the legwork before you go.

There are some great attraction passes available for visitors to the city, like the New York pass which gives you up to 7 days of unlimited access to the city’s tourist sites, including places like the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty for a set price. Many of New York’s museums and galleries also have special discount or free admission days. It’s all about knowing when and where to go, so do your research before you leave!

Few holiday destinations offer a wider variety of cheap eating options than the Big Apple. For breakfast, why not try another edible icon of the city by getting yourself a bagel; cheap, filling and a New York staple. For lunch you could get a huge pizza slice for next to nothing, and for dinner head to Chinatown, where a decent meal won’t set you back by much.

If you’re dying to see a Broadway show but can’t afford the $100 ticket prices, try to get some last-minute or standing room-only tickets on performance day. These tickets are available at the box office and are often a quarter of the normal price! If the New York Philharmonic is more your thing, time your visit during the summer to include one of their free summer concerts in one of the city parks.

There is also a volunteer programme which runs throughout the year, known as Big Apple Greeter, which pairs New York residents with visitors to the city. The greeters offer multilingual free tours and guides. Some tours even include a free transport pass which will get you all over the city for nothing for a whole day! Nothing’s cheaper than free! There are also a number of tourist attractions and lesser-known locations well worth a visit with no entrance fees. Central Park is a great spot to hang out on a sunny day and watch the city go by. The Staten Island ferry is also free and offers some great views of the harbour and the Statue of Liberty. You can even get a tour of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, complete with vaults of gold bars for the princely sum of $0.

So there you have it: New York on a budget. Between cheap flights, cheaper food, and free tours, you can afford to live it up in the big city without having to spend the big bucks.