New York City for the holidays... simplified

Have you always wanted to experience New York City at Christmas time, but found the idea daunting and outrageously expensive? We’ve found two ways to combat those fears, courtesy of a company called Untours and the Cosmopolitan Hotel in the city’s Tribeca neighborhood. First, Untours, which likes to bill itself as offering independent travel, with support. Untours has a group of local experts to help you plan a day suited to your tastes. For $99, a life-long New Yorker will devote two hours to planning your day and helping you on your way. That's $99 total, not per customer, so bring family and friends. The locals can help you figure out how to navigate the city and savor the holiday splendor, find the bargains and avoid the hassle. They will help decipher which of the outdoor markets suits you best, which museum’s display is best tailored to your taste, which department store’s windows will provide the most cheer. They can help you take a backstage tour of the Metropolitan Opera or Radio City Music Hall for a song. To take the One-Day Untour, just get to the city and join the expert for coffee to start your day, or plan the itinerary with them ahead of time. Once you’ve finished the chat, you and your friends are on your way to travel as you please. Call 888-868-6871 for more information about the Christmas in New York Untour, available through Dec. 31. Untours also offers a one-week New Your “Untour,” which includes an apartment. Not interested in a week’s stay? The Cosmopolitan Hotel, at 95 West Broadway (at Chambers St.) has rooms available for $169 a night, most nights, through the holidays and to the end of February (except for the two nights leading up to New Year’s Eve). We have stayed there and can vouch for the location and the cleanliness of this value hotel, which has also earned plaudits from Frommer's. Go to cosmohotel.com or call 888-895-9400. You can feel good about working with Untours: in 1999, it was awarded the Newman’s Own/George Award for having the "Most Generous Company In America." Hal and Norma Taussig, owners of Untours, donate nearly all of their company’s profits to the Untours Foundation, which in turn provides low-interest loans to projects that create jobs, build low-income housing, and promote Fair Trade.