New York is one of those places that can accommodate just about any type of person. If you’re someone who likes to shop, you won’t find a greater location, while at the same time, museum enthusiasts will feel right at home. The environment also straddles two extremes. On the one hand, you’ve got some of the most incredible skyscrapers the world has ever seen, but then on the other, wonderful natural areas that extend for miles. If you have a family, the city will have everything each member could ever want, while for couples, there’s no better place for romance.

Of course, the size and grandeur of the place can be a little overwhelming for first-timers. It’s not uncommon for the excitement around the vacation to turn into unease once you touch down and find yourself in one of the most sprawling cities in the world.

It doesn’t have to be that way, though. Helping you make the most of your visit to the Big Apple, here are 6 tips to ensure your trip remains stress-free.

One of the most important things to get right with a trip to New York is the accommodation. There’s a huge array of accommodation types in this city, and it’s easy for a real dive to be masquerading as a good deal – especially if you cheap out. You don’t have to spend a huge amount of your budget on the accommodation, but there’s definitely a sweet spot, and exactly where that is will depend on where you’d like to stay and what you want to be close to.

For first-time visitors, staying in Midtown Manhattan is usually the best approach. This positions you within walking (or subway) distance of the city's most famous landmarks, and a high-quality hotel in this area will be safe and have everything you need on-site (something like Belvedere Hotel New York, would be ideal, for example).

While you won’t have a problem just rocking up to some cities and going where the wind takes you, New York isn’t one of those. Things move at a very fast pace here, and if you don’t have at least some plan of where you want to go and what you’d like to do, it’s easy to feel lost and confused.

Building a clear itinerary a few weeks before the trip is a good idea, and there’s definitely an art to this. You need to fill it just the right amount to give yourself plenty to do, but not so much that it’s so stuffed full of activities and events that there’s no room for flexibility.

Have each person pick one must-see thing and add it to the list. If you make certain these experiences are had, missing the smaller stuff if you run out of time won’t matter as much.

New York is one of the most expensive cities you can visit, so it pays to design a budget to help you determine your priorities.

One of the most important things to account for first is food and drink, as it’s easy for things to get out of hand here. Avoid chain restaurants as the prices in New York are often higher than you’d find in other cities. You’ll also want to account for transport, and of course, any events or attractions you’re interested in.

Remember: Americans expect tips. Whatever you pay for services like food, drinks, and transportation, you’ll need to include an extra 15-20% in tips.

As you’ll know, New York is an incredibly popular place, and you can guarantee that there will be hundreds, if not thousands, of people wanting to visit the same attractions and events you’re interested in.

One of the most common issues first-timers run into is activities booking out before they arrive, so determine what you want to do early on (within a few weeks of attending), and make sure you reserve your place. The time of year also matters in this regard: if you’re attending summer and winter events, these can easily book up as far as six weeks in advance.

It’s important to remember that you’re never going to get to see everything on your to-do list. Given how expensive New York is, most people only go for two weeks or so, and you’ll find that even with a decked-out itinerary, there are plenty more things you’d like to do once you get there (which is another reason for not building your itinerary to be too full).

It’s key to remain as flexible as possible, as things won’t always go to plan. You’ll get held up, events will be cancelled, you’ll miss a subway train, and so on, so it pays to have a shortlist of more relaxed activities to do to account for that. This ensures you have the flexibility you need to still enjoy your day if things go awry.

And finally, the more you can do to prepare for the fast-paced way of life here, the better. Your first time on the subway – or even on a busy New York pavement – could be a bit of a shock, and at least remembering that this city will be quite different from what you’re used to can help a lot.

How you walk is very important here. Keep up a good stride and don’t dawdle, and if you have small children, it’s a better idea to pick them up rather than let them walk on their own. If you get lost, come off the sidewalk so that you don’t bang into anyone, and use your smartphone maps to reevaluate.

Hopefully, these tips help you navigate the sprawling cityscape of New York more easily. It’ll feel like you’re a fish out of water for the first couple of days, but you’ll surprise yourself with how quickly you can acclimate. Have fun!