Being flat and laid out in a grid system, Midtown Manhattan is a perfect walking district. Given its heavy traffic, on foot can also be the fastest method of travel. To calculate a distance from place to place, keep in mind that 20 uptown/downtown blocks and 10 crosstown blocks equal approximately one mile. If you prefer another method of getting around, however, there are 3,700 buses, 714 miles of subways, 12,000 taxis and limousines, and countless feeder roads. There are also ferries, helicopters, bicycles, and frequent Amtrak and commuter rail services.

NYC’s buses operate throughout the five boroughs on more than 200 routes. Within the Midtown district you are usually only a few blocks from a bus stop. The cost is $2 per ride, no matter the distance. You can pay your fare with a MetroCard, a token, or exact change in coins. The driver does not give change and fareboxes do not accept dollar bills or pennies. There are 3,500 MetroCard merchants throughout the city including NYC’s Official Visitor Information Centre and many subway stations and hotels. Routes run uptown/downtown and crosstown from 6am until shortly after midnight. Waiting time between each bus approximately 5-15 minutes, depending on the time of day. There are many transfer points, making it easy to get to most destinations. In Midtown Manhattan, these crosstown transfers are at the following streets: 23rd, 34th, 49/50th, 57th. So, for example, if you take the bus up First Avenue to 34th Street, you can change to a bus going west, to 5th Avenue at the Empire State Building.

Subways are a fast, easy, and inexpensive way to get around the city. Trains run 24 hours a day and waiting time between them is normally just a few minutes, depending on the time of day. The 714-mile New York City subway system has 468 stations serving 24 routes - more than any other system in the world. It operates 24 hours a day, is safe, and is used daily by more than 3.5 million people.
Directions to any Midtown landmark or hotel will usually instruct you to take either an uptown or downtown train – though there are also several crosstown shuttles. Many subway entrances specify Uptown Only or Downtown Only, meaning trains on the platform accessed by that specific entrance will be going in only one direction. Generally, subway stops for uptown are on the east side of the street, downtown on the west. Streets ascend in number as they run north. For example: If you're at 14th Street and your destination is 50th Street, you'll be going uptown (to get to Midtown).

New York City taxis are yellow and may be hailed on the street or found at taxi stands at major hotels and transportation hubs. A taxi is available when its white rooftop number light is lit. The usual way of telling the driver where you want to go is by naming the cross street and the avenue. For example, “34th and 5th” means 34th Street and 5th Avenue. As you get closer to your destination, you can let the driver know the exact street address so s/he can work out where on the block it is. Taxis have meters. The total cost depends on the distance travelled and time spent in the cab. Any bridge or tunnel tolls will be added to the total charge and drivers might ask that you pay the tolls as you go through them. Taxi drivers are usually given a 15% gratuity on top of the final metered fare. Do bear in mind that only yellow taxis are permitted by law to pick up without prior arrangement. It is likely that you will be overcharged if you use a non-yellow medallion cab.