NYC in 1-2-3 steps

Follow three steps to enjoy a trip to New York City on a reasonable budget:

1. Getting there:

Get to the city at one-way rates from $104. This current sale rate requires a ten-day or more advance purchase notice. The rate is valid on Monday-Thursday trip with other days of the week sale priced from $129. Travel must be finished on or before May 24.

Participating AirTran and Delta permit the purchase of one-way rates. American and Continental require a round-trip ticket purchase.

Buy tickets through Feb. 8.

AirTran, American and Delta serve New York-LaGuardia Airport with frequent, daily nonstop flights. Or, choose to go into the Newark, N.J. Airport on nonstop Continental flights.

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2. Getting into Manhattan (and back to the airport):

Most travelers prefer flying into LaGuardia Airport, the closest to Manhattan at 18 miles.

If the budget is tight, travel into the city using the bus/subway combo for just a few bucks. It's not an easy route, but one Web site spells out the directions simply. Check it out at www.nysubway.com/airport/laguardia.html.

A simpler way to go is with shared ride services. GO Airlink NYC is a reliable and affordable choice for both the leisure and business traveler. Shared van serivce, for up to 11 passengers, is priced at $15.54 one-way. A family or group of up to six persons might enjoy a luxury SUV ride into town at $89.98, or about $15 per person. Tips for the driver are additional. Make reservations online at www.goairlinkshuttle.com.

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3. Staying there:

An amazing offer of $139 per night gets you a stay in a Studio Stuite at the Affinia 50, located within a 15 minute stroll to Central Park, Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Station or Fifth Avenue shopping.

Nightly rates for this oversized room are regularly $260. But stays from Feb. 1 through March 13 (blackout Dates: Feb. 12, 14, 19) are $139 for a suite outfitted with a full kitchen, refrigerator and microwave.

For $10 more per night, opt for a larger junior suite with a separate seating area and a pull-out sofa bed. Sprawling one-bedroom suites are $179 per night with this deal (regularly $370).

Hotel perks include a Club Room with a fireplace to relax in after a day of sightseeing and complimentary daily activities such as chair massages and wine tasting. The hotel also offers guests a six-choice pillow option and the use of an Experience Kit. A Kit of your choice is delivered in a basket and is free of charge during your stay.

Choose from a Walking Tour Kit which includes an iPod Shuffle or Nano loaded with Affinia Walking Tour and workout playlists; City Walks deck of cards; city guidebook featuring popular walking tours; StreetWise city map; pedometer; and towel.

The StayFit Kit has a yoga mat; stretching blocks; yoga, Pilates, and boot camp DVDs; workout bands; wrist/ankle weights; and StreetWise city map.

The BYOB Kit has a Neoprene wine carrier with wine key; BYOB guidebook; Little Black Book of Wine; discount coupon for a local wine boutique; and picnic blanket.

The Affinia 50 deal must be booked by Feb. 2. Start the booking process at Travelzoo: www.travelzoo.com/hotels/new-york/963318

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4. Bonus step:

NYC Audio Tours App for iPhone and iPod touch hit the App store this month with a comprehensive audio tour guide of New York City. Just like a personal tour guide, NYC Audio Tours will guide you around New York City, describing historical places and landmarks, restaurants, hotels, bars, museums and much more.

NYC Audio Tours App brings together the popular and touristic sights, and the places you never noticed passing by, and presents them in an exciting way. It gives you the opportunity to experience and learn about New York, its history, architecture, historic neighborhoods, outdoor markets, popular bars, fancy restaurants, but also great, cheap holes-in-the-wall, nice little boutiques and cozy places to go. This is what makes this app of interest to visitors and native New Yorkers as well.

This app covers more than 100 historical and interesting places that are grouped according to their locations and are situated within walking distance from one another for users' convenience.

This app combines texts and audio while walking through interesting sights. Extensive audio articles take you to more than 12 areas in New York, from Greenwich Village, SoHo, Theater District, Central Park, Upper East Side and Upper West Side to Little Italy, Chinatown, Wall Street, Brooklyn Bridge, Harlem, and more.

The guide contains hundreds of tourist attractions, restaurants, shops, nightlife, museums and hotels. It also provides address, website address, phone number, prices (where applicable), metro station and hours of operation for every entry.

This smart guide locates you on the map automatically and provides the most optimal route to any point of interest. You can also view any point of interest in the area. This can be done offline with no roaming fees. This app also includes a "Near Me" feature which allows you to find all attractions in a 15-mile radius.

You can use filters to select restaurants, hotels, bars and shops according to their price, location, cuisine, etc. And, the tours include some children-friendly attractions and destinations.

NYC Audio Tours, priced at $4.99, is available for downloading at the iTunes App Store:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nyc-audio-tours/id407417952?mt=8&ls=1#