There are very few truly free things in life but in New York, you can experience one of them. The Staten Island ferry plies a commuter route between Battery Park on the southern tip of Manhattan Island and Staten Island and it costs absolutely nothing to ride on it

It’s famous as the best way to get a free view of the Statue of Liberty, which is west of the route that the ferry travels. However, this is the reason most tourists go on the ferry, so there will be a bit of a rush if you’re boarding from Manhattan. Dad and I find it best to wait for the return journey when people have got bored on that view and it’s less crowded on the side of the boat facing the statue

The terminals at both ends are big but the crowds are pretty big too, so get there early and shuffle to get on board. You have to disembark at each end and reenter the terminal to board the ferry for your return journey

 They only carry passengers but bicycles are allowed on board. Amazingly, the service runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The crossing takes about 25 minutes

 The ferries are yellow in colour, making them easily recognisable. It’s worth a trip even if the Statue of Liberty isn’t that close