YourFriendIn gives you the committed attention of a real New Yorker who listens to your needs and helps you plan your trip. This works three ways:

1. The two of you discuss your trip freely, answer questions and explore ideas in your own private discussion forum.
2. Your friend maintains a completely personalized New York guide, written exclusively for you, that provides a detailed reference for your trip.
3. You both construct a detailed itinerary that matches your interests and includes expert feedback and suggestions.

This all happens online, at your pace, from the comfort of your home.

Use both! YourFriendIn doesn't replace other research tools. It helps you make sense of them.

Guidebooks, online forums, etc. are great resources. But they still leave you responsible for putting your trip together in a way that suits your needs. And that takes work.

YourFriendIn makes this work easy. Just consult with your friend on anything you like. They'll help you build clear, detailed plans that work right for you. So you're not stuck figuring it out yourself.

No. Your friend can not make reservations for you. Airline tickets, hotel rooms, theater tickets, etc. remain your responsibility.

However, your friend will gladly share recommendations and refer you to appropriate reservation desks.

It goes on until you feel you're ready for your trip. Whether this takes three days or three months is entirely up to you. It all depends on how much planning you like to do.

Your account stays active from the moment you sign up until the moment you finish your trip. So there's no harm in starting early. You'll start getting useful feedback right from the beginning.

Your friend is a real New Yorker with extensive experience with the city.

They're chosen from a pool of volunteers who've been methodically tested for their knowledge, experience and reliability in helping others. Each has demonstrated a sincere enthusiasm and love for New York. So the advice they give is authentic, sincere and steeped in personal experience.

On signing up, you'll be matched with the person who best fits your background and interests. This becomes "your friend". The two of you then work closely together as you plan your trip.

If you think you'd make a good friend, please email locals@yourfriendin.com.

You and your friend chat through messages on your discussion forum and comments on your guide / itinerary. The former is like using email. The latter is like commenting on a blog. All your discussions are private.

You'll get an email every time your friend does something. So you'll always know when there are updates to your trip.

For schedule and privacy reasons, telephone and in-person access is unavailable.

Your friend has years of experience living in New York. They know the city thoroughly and understand the challenges visitors encounter.

We intentionally seek people with sincere enthusiasm for New York. So while standards are set and enforced, your friend's real authority comes from their sustained interest in exploring and enjoying their city.

And your friend has friends too. So they can get a wide variety of experiences from their personal network.

Your friend is fully responsible for giving you all the help you need.

This is very different from an anonymous discussion forum. Your friend follows your plans from day to day, understands your needs and pays attention when you have something to say.

So they'll make sure you get timely answers and get properly prepared in time for your trip.

Just email help@yourfriendin.com. We'll set you up with someone more appropriate. Or, if you prefer, we'll cancel your account with a full refund.

Whatever questions you like. The point is to bring the answers to you so you don't have to search for them.

Common questions include "How can I do everything I want in the time I have?", "Where's the best pizza in New York?", "What's a good Broadway show for me and my family?" and "When are the Yankees playing and how do I see them?".

There really are no limits. See here for some examples.

Your friend responds to your messages within 0 to 24 hours.

As your friend learns more about you, they'll start integrating your interests into your guide. Here you'll find complete descriptions of your interests with pictures, maps, directions and everything else you'll want to know

Your guide usually becomes available 1 to 3 days after signing up. It continues to evolve until your trip begins.

Your guide is a clear, well-organized reference to everything you care about in New York. It includes detailed descriptions of all your interests, personalized suggestions built around you, and the practical information you'll need to conduct your trip smoothly.

You'll see custom neighborhood maps, tips on where to eat by your hotel, step-by-step subway directions, and special museum exhibits on display during your visit. And much, much more.

But in the end it's up to you. Your friend is always revising your guide according to your feedback. So the more time that goes by, the more closely it matches your interests. By the time you're finished planning it's the definitive reference for your trip.

See some examples here.

Your itinerary is a clearly defined schedule of the activities you want to do.

You and your friend develop your itinerary together. You make sure it has what you want to do. Your friend makes sure it's reasonably structured and offers a comfortable pace. Your friend also provides directions, time estimates and tips and suggestions for each activity.

Like your guide, your itinerary evolves as your plans develop. You're free to make it as structured or as flexible as you want.

See some examples here.

Absolutely! Everything is set up to always keep you in charge.

Your friend gives you ideas when you want them. But when you know what you want, just say so. They'll help you turn your ideas into practical plans.

Your account remains active from the moment you sign up until the moment your trip finishes.

So there's no harm in starting early. And you'll have support even while you're in New York.

Yes!

You should work out most of your plans before your trip begins. But as long as you can access a computer, you'll still have full access to your friend throughout your trip.

This is helpful for handling unexpected changes you can't predict ahead of time.

You can change your plans whenever you want however you want. This is normal and expected. Your friend will adjust their recommendations accordingly.

It's okay even if you don't have any plans. Your friend will gladly help you figure out what makes sense for you.

You can cancel your account any time for any reason (even if you decide to cancel your trip). You'll receive a full, hasle-free refund under all circumstances.

Email support@yourfriendin.com for help.

YourFriendIn was founded in 2007 by a long-time New Yorker and enthusiastic traveler who has always enjoyed showing friends around New York. He wanted a way to extend this experience to everyone, regardless of whom they know. This is the result.

We are a local, independent company with no obligations toward anyone but our customers. We do not take payments from outside sources.

We all live and work in New York. Our offices are in Brooklyn, a short walk from the Brooklyn Bridge. It's a nice walk.

We'd love to hear from you! Get in touch any time at info@yourfriendin.com.

We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts here and we'll get back to you promptly: You can also email help@yourfriendin.com.