You wouldn't normally associate the term 'holiday' with New York. It's the kind of place you take a break or a trip, but the reality is that many people visit for plenty more than a couple of days and it's not too difficult to find cheap holidays to New York. It's a shopping Mecca, an entertainment paradise and a sightseeing sensation. One thing's for sure though, a New York holiday is bound to knock your socks off.

How to get there
New York is one of the most competitive routes from the UK to the US and at certain times of the year you can get New York flights for a very good price. British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Continental and American Airlines all regularly have great value direct fares from London. There are also direct flights from Manchester, Belfast and Glasgow. However, the reality is that if you want to find cheap holidays to New York you need to find cheap hotels in New York too and that's often the tough bit. There are plenty of operators who will sell you a package holiday to New York such as Virgin Holidays and websites such as ebookers will allow you to 'self package' a flight and hotel together which will often save you money.

When to go
Holidays to New York can vary dramatically depending on what season you choose to go in. Summers are very hot and humid, particularly July and August, and probably best avoided given that they are also one of the most expensive times to travel. Conversely winters can be bitterly cold but there is the annual attraction of Christmas shopping holidays to New York which, along with very cheap flight prices in November and December does tempt many people from the UK every year. Probably the best time for New York holidays is January when the Christmas rush is over and hotel prices drop dramatically. Aside from that, if you don't fancy the cold but still want a cheap holiday in New York try April, May or September for the best of both worlds.

What to do
It's almost impossible to know where to start when compiling a list of attractions for holidays to New York. There are the must see iconic buildings such as the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and the Flatiron building, all monuments in their own way to the history of the skysraper. Then there are the shops from the chic boutiques of Grenwich Village to the world famous department stores such as Macy's and Bloomingdale's. Central Park is a great place to take a little break from the clamour of the city although you shouldn't expect to get away from it all! To cap it off why not take the ferry out to Statten Island to see the Statue of Liberty and take in the immigration museum on the island itself. All that and we've not even mentioned Chinatown, Times Square, the theatre district on Broadway, hip and happening Soho and so much more. The truth is that whatever you want out of your holiday New York is bound to have some of it in store. And if you ever tire of the bright lights you can always find cheap car hire in New York to explore more of the State or take a road trip down the East Coast - perhaps even all the way to Florida!