See New York City on the cheap in mid-winter

Maybe you’ve started a bit of holiday shopping? Remember that your loved ones want to be with you and not with some electronic gadget. So this year why not give the gift of a getaway together? If you plan the trip properly you’ll do it for far less than you’d imagined.

One suggestion is to visit New York City for a winter weekend. Yup, it’ll be cold and you’ll need to travel with a winter coat, gloves and warm walking shoes, but it’s a great season to save big (on shopping too)! Plus, it will make slipping into museums by day and theater by night all the better.

One of the biggest expenses of an NYC trip is the hotel. But five budget-rated hotels (all quite decent) are offering a mid-winter promotion at per night, double or single occupancy, from $160. Kids ages 13 and under stay free.

The deal is good at the five Apple Core Hotels which include the Comfort Inn Midtown, the Hotel at Times Square, the La Quinta Manhattan, the Red Roof Inn Manhattan, and the Ramada Inn Eastside.

The $160 rate is valid on stays from Jan. 2-Feb. 14 and includes accommodations, breakfast daily, and one Filled-With-Love and kid-decorated stuffed animal from the Toys “R” Us in Times Square (a must-do attraction for kids of all ages) - a $15 value but worth much more once brought home.

Valid on bookings made online at http://www.applecorehotels.com

Another huge way to save on the city’s top six attractions - Empire State Building Observatory, American Museum of Natural History & Rose Center, Guggenheim Museum, The Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Cloisters

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises or the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island - is with the purchase of a Citypass.

The ticket price for adults is $74.00 (attraction admission purchased separately would be $134) and $54 for young people of ages 12-17. http://www.citypass.com/city/ny

CityPass ticket booklets are valid for nine days from first use.

Visit this link - http://www.citypass.com/traveler/ny.html - for some classic NYC travel tips on dining, shopping and sightseeing.

More savings: More money-saving tips at Your Money.