City Pass or Tourist Card: who needs it and why

Available in many of the world's most popular cities, travel cards help you get discounts on transportation, services and entertainment, and more. There are several types of these cards: some may specialize exclusively in public transportation, others — on entrance tickets to popular attractions, and there are universal cards that open any door (well, almost). Which one to choose is up to you, taking into account the length of your trip, as well as your own travel plans.

Below we will tell you what this magical traveler's card can give you by the example of a popular sightseeing city.

I AMSTERDAM card (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Apparently, in order not to let their guests get bored, the creators of the popular tourist card in Amsterdam regularly open new options for its holders. At the moment, the card offers the following bonuses:

• free admission to more than 60 Amsterdam museums (Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk Museum and more. Full list here).
• one free cruise on Amsterdam's canals;
• unlimited free public transportation (bus, streetcar, metro);
• a detailed pocket map of the city;
• discounts in restaurants, bars, theaters, cafes, etc.
• sightseeing in the suburbs of Amsterdam (Saanse-Schans, Haarlem, Old Holland, etc.)

Cost: for 24/48/72/96 hours: €65/90/99/112

Find out details and buy an I AMSTERDAM card here.

Berlin City Tour Card (Berlin, Germany)

Two types of popular tourist cards are in demand among visitors to the German capital. Thus, together with Berlin City Tour Card you will receive a map of the city with marked on it program partners (where you can get a discount from 15%), as well as the planned route to the main attractions. The card will be a great help for those traveling with children, because it is valid for one adult and for children (up to three) not older than 14 years.

Among the most interesting offers of the Berlin City Tour Card:

• free public transportation;
• 15 to 50% discount on visits to tourist sites;
• discounts in 55 establishments (stores, bars, cafes, restaurants) of partner programs.

Cost: from 2 to 5 days — from €22,90 to €47 (depending on the number of days and options included in the package).

Find out details and buy the Berlin City Tour Card here.

Berlin WelcomeCard

More tourist and entertainment facilities fall within the "discount influence" of this card. So, with this card you will additionally receive:

• free public transportation;
• a guide book with various offers to visit in the city;
• discounts of up to 50% for visiting more than 200 popular places, establishments and attractions;
• discounts in several hundred partner establishments at once;

Cost: 2 to 5 days from €26.90 to €55.90.

This card also has an advanced version in the form of the Berlin Welcome Card Museumsinsel, which allows you to visit 5 museums on Museum Island (Alte Nationalgalerie, Old Museum, Bode Museum, New Museum and Parchment Museum) free of charge. The card costs €59.50-62.50.

Find out details and buy the Berlin WelcomeCard here.

The London Pass and Oyster Card (London, UK)

The capital of Foggy Albion also prepares a lot of surprises for those wishing to join the reasonable economy during travel. Thus, travelers arriving in London are in demand for the so-called Oyster Card — a pass for all types of transport.

This magic card allows you to use public transport, as well as some suburban trains at a significant discount. In addition, you don't have to worry about wasting your hard-earned money on a short visit. The card comes in a wide variety of variants with different prices and options, so it's suitable for 1-2 day use. You can get the details and buy an Oyster Card directly at the metro lobby by paying a deposit or online.

Cost: deposit from ₤3.

For those who also want to save money on access to the most popular tourist sites of the city (Westminster Abbey, Windsor, Tower), as well as get a whole set of additional "pluses", we recommend thinking about buying a London Pass.

Those who have already had the chance to use it, advise to buy the minimum version (for 24 hours), if you plan to visit only a few attractions within one district. Otherwise, you may not have time to take advantage of all the benefits of the card. In addition, discounts are often provided for the purchase of the card itself (for this you need to follow the news of the official website).

London tourist card gives such advantages:

• free access to more than 80 city attractions;
• some Oyster Card features;
• 1 Hop-on Hop-Off sightseeing bus ride;
• fast line (queue bypass) at major tourist attractions;
• extensive guidebook with useful recommendations;
• discounts on purchases and services (the constantly updated list of partners should be consulted separately).

Cost: 1 to 10 days — ₤124-309

Find out details and buy the London Pass here.