In my humble estimation, there are two types of European travelers: Those who unlock the massive benefits of city sightseeing passes and those who wait in long lines and overpay for attractions.
However, buying a sightseeing pass is anything but straightforward. You’ve got to do some math to figure out if the pass will pay for itself, or very nearly will. Also, savvy travelers ought factor in non-financial benefits like line-skipping and not having to worry about buying subway and train tickets. It’s a lot to consider. Therefore, I’ve done some of the legwork for you. (Warning: Math… Not exactly my strong suit.) Generally speaking, passes don’t start to make financial sense unless they’re valid for two days or more. In other words, avoid the 24-hour passes since you’re unlikely to reap the financial benefits in such a short timeframe.
All that said, this is not an exhaustive list. Instead of trying to broadly capture the value of all major sightseeing passes, I’ve boiled it down to my six favorite ones. And completed a deep-dive on each.
My Favorite European Sightseeing Passes
In order to qualify for the list, a European city pass must satisfy the following requirements:
- Offer free or discounted admission to major attractions.
- Offer free or discounted use of public transportation.
- Be available for sale to tourists.
- Offer a traveler-friendly duration, i.e., not an annual pass.
- Be sold by the local tourism board or consortium, not an independent for-profit travel agency.
In evaluating the qualifying sightseeing passes, I looked at cost-per-day, major inclusions and exclusions, how many sights you should see per day, what’s new for 2019 and my own experiences using the pass. (Yes, all passes have been personally vetted by yours truly.) A quick note on the approximate number of sights metric: Since attractions vary significantly in price, I’ve averaged all the entrance fees for included sights and deducted €10/day for transportation to find out approximately how many sights per day are needed to reach breakeven price point.
Generally speaking, it’s rarely worthwhile to buy a sightseeing pass online. Exorbitant shipping costs mean you’ll want to fetch the pass in-person anyway. So, you might as well just buy the pass upon arrival. While this may be true, if you want to prepay for your trip as much as possible or you score an online discount, go ahead and purchase. Just plan on picking up your pre-ordered pass or downloading a digital version, usually at a city-run tourist information office.
Also, please note the passes appear in a totally random order. In other words, this is not a ranking.
1. I amsterdam City Card
A straight-forward city pass, the I amsterdam City Card includes free admission to Amsterdam’s top attractions as well as unlimited use of the city’s excellent public transportation system.
Moreover, this Amsterdam museum pass is also the biggest-saving city pass to make the list. In fact, it’s a huge bargain compared to other city passes. Especially when you consider Amsterdam’s public transportation tickets cost more than elsewhere on the list. And unlimited public transit comes standard on all I amsterdam City Cards.
Vitals: I amsterdam City Card
- Pricing:
- €60/24h
- €80/48h
- €95/72h
- €105/96h
- €115/120h
- Cost-per-day:
- €60/24h
- €40/48h
- €31.67/72h
- €26.25/96h
- €23/120h
- Total Free Sights: 63
- Total Discounted Sights: 40
- Average Entrance Fee of Free Sights: €11.16
- Total Possible Savings (free sights only): €703.25
- Approximate # of Sights-per-day:
- 5/24h
- 3/48h
- 2/72h
- 2/96h
- 2/120h
- Notable Inclusions: Canal tour, attractions outside Amsterdam
- Notable Exclusions: Anne Frank House, train to/from Schiphol Airport
- Important Caveats: You must still make a (free) reservation for the Van Gogh Museum, which can be done at the tourist office when buying your pass.
- New for 2019: A handsome redesign! Plus:
- New discounts offered at THIS IS HOLLAND (25% discount), Body Worlds (25% discount), Moco Museum (25% discount), Hop on Hop off Holland: Cheese, Windmills & Villages (25% discount) and Restaurant 1e klas – Monumental Grand Café Restaurant (25% discount on the total bill).
- Website: https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/i-am
2. Paris Passlib’: Paris Museum Pass + Paris Visite Pass
A perennial favorite European museum pass, the Paris Passlib’ combines the powerful Paris Museum Pass with the all-you-can-eat public-transport Paris Visite Pass. Not to be confused with its for-profit competitor, Paris Pass, the Paris Museum Pass guarantees free, skip-the-line access at the city’s myriad museums and many major attractions. In a city as popular as Paris, the Paris Museum Pass pays its way with the line-skipping alone. Meanwhile, the Paris Visite pass includes unlimited public transportation on Paris’ Metro subway and RER suburban trains.
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Despite their Gallic flair for bureaucracy and byzantine processes, the French have designed this pass as simply as possible. The Paris Passlib’ comes in three durations: two, three and five days. All three durations include public transportation. All three include skip-the-line privileges. They all include unlimited free visits to all included museums. Finally, the Paris Museum Pass also works at attractions outside Paris, most notably at Versailles.
Vitals: Paris Passlib’
- Pricing:
- €109/2d
- €129/3d
- €155/5d
- Cost-per-day:
- €54.50/2d
- €43/3d
- €31/5d
- Total Free Sights: 55 (officially), 52 (unofficially)
- Total Discounted Sights: 0
- Average Entrance Fee of Free Sights: €9.25
- Total Possible Savings (free sights only): €509
- Approximate # of Sights-per-day:
- 5/2d
- 4/3d
- 3/5d
- Notable Inclusions: Versailles, skip-the-line privileges, unlimited visits (Go to the Louvre EVERY DAY!!), Notre-Dame towers, boat and bus tour.
- Notable Exclusions: Eiffel Tower, special exhibits.
- Important Caveats: Don’t purchase a PMP for anyone under 18 since they generally gain free admittance to Paris’ museums. While the pass boasts 55 sights, several are actually now departments within museums. My unofficial count is more like 52. Eiffel Tower tickets can be added-on. However, I prefer to take the stairs; it’s cheaper, more fun and usually line-free.
- New for 2019: Nothing substantial.
- Website: https://en.parisinfo.com/what-to-see-in-paris/paris-pass/paris-passlib
3. Berlin Welcome Card All Inclusive with Public Transport
The Berlin Welcome Card All Inclusive spans one to six days in 24-hour increments, affording travelers the most flexibility of any European sightseeing pass in this article. I enjoyed this benefit immensely on my last foray into Berlin, four-day card in-hand.
You see, Berlin hosts a ton of museums, which easily require five+ days to truly appreciate. Some museums, like the German History Museum, easily warrant a full day on their own. And then there’s the famous Museum Island, home to five extraordinary museums, including the unrivaled Pergamon.
This is a museum town. And, despite its high price, there’s no better way to get the most from your sightseeing days than with a Berlin Welcome Card All Inclusive. Berlin’s also a sprawling city by Western European standards. Luckily (and expectedly), tons of train, tram and subway lines connect the far-flung neighborhoods. So, the public transportation add-on easily pays for itself.
Vitals: Berlin Welcome Card All Inclusive
- Pricing:
- €79/24h
- €105/48h
- €125/4d
- €145/5d
- €165/6d
- Cost-per-day:
- €79/24h
- €52.5/48h
- €31.25/4d
- €29/5d
- €27.5/6d
- Total Free Sights: 33
- Total Discounted Sights: 180+
- Average Entrance Fee of Free Sights: €13.60
- Total Possible Savings (free sights only): €462.25
- Approximate # of Sights-per-day:
- 5/24h
- 3/48h
- 2/4d
- 2/5d
- 1/6d
- Notable Inclusions: Skip the line privileges, hop-on hop-off bus tour, guidebook, map, guided city walks.
- Notable Exclusions: None.
- Important Caveats: Make sure you’re buying the right one. This pass comes in three forms: 1) The standard Berlin Welcome Card offers mere discounted admissions. 2) The Berlin Welcome Card All Inclusive offers free entry and discounts. 3) The card featured here offers free admission, discounts and free public transportation. It’s Berlin’s full-Monty card, if you will.
- New for 2019:
- Five attractions added:
- Asisi Panorama Berlin
- Nineties Berlin
- Aqua Dom & Sea Life
- Berlin Dungeon
- Deezer Nextbike
- Skip-the-line admission added at:
- Berlin Television Tower
- Madame Tussauds
- Aqua Dom & Sea Life
- Berlin Dungeon
- Little Big City
- Legoland Discovery Center
- The lowest-priced version of the Berlin WelcomeCard All Inclusive is now €10 cheaper, available from €69 instead of €79.
- The Berlin WelcomeCard All Inclusive is now also available for five or six days.
- Five attractions added:
- Website: https://www.berlin-welcomecard.de/en
4. Roma Pass
Whereas other passes on this list grant free entry to all included sights, the Roma Pass plays a little differently. The Roma Pass only allows free entry to your first one (48hrs) or two (72hrs) sights. However, you get to decide which sights to enter for free, a feature quite unlike any other European sightseeing pass. Luckily, the cheap cost — relative to other passes on this list — reflects this difference.
So, buying a Roma Pass requires some careful consideration. To maximize savings, not only do you have to calculate which sights to see, but also in which order. And it becomes incredibly difficult to compare the Roma Pass with other leading city passes. I’ve done my best. But understand that the Roma Pass is an orange on a list of apples.
Important note: Effective 1 March 2019, Roma Pass holders (all visitors, in fact) must make a reservation for the Colosseum. A major benefit of the Roma Pass — skipping the Colosseum’s interminable line — disappears this year with the implementation of mandatory reservations for all Colosseum visits.
Vitals: Roma Pass
- Pricing:
- €28/48h
- €38.50/72h
- Cost-per-day:
- €14/48h
- €12.83/72h
- Total Free Sights:
- 1/48h
- 2/72h
- Total Discounted Sights: 80+ (official), 48 (unofficial)
- Average Entrance Fee of Free Sights: €5.40
- Total Possible Savings (free sights only): €23.50 (max)
- Approximate # of Sights-per-day:
- 1/48h
- 1/72h
- Notable Inclusions: No reservation fees.
- Notable Exclusions: Vatican City.
- Important Caveats: Effective 1 March 2019, Roma Pass holders (all visitors, in fact) must make a reservation for the Colosseum. For reservations to the Borghese Gallery and/or Domus Romane/Palazzo Valentini, simply send an email to info@tosc.it. There is no booking fee for Roma Pass holders.
- New for 2019:
- Audio guide discounts now offered at Colosseum, Foro Romano, Palatino, Museo Nazionale Romano – Crypta Balbi, Museo Nazionale Romano – Palazzo Altemps, Museo Nazionale Romano – Palazzo Massimo, Museo Nazionale Romano – Terme di Diocleziano.
- Website: http://www.romapass.it/en/
5. Verona Card
This is my favorite mid-size city pass. Like the I amsterdam City Card, the Verona Card couldn’t be simpler to use or more straightforward. The Verona Card comes in two durations, both of which include unlimited public transportation (in central Verona, that means mostly bus) and entrance to all of the city’s top sights.
Although the Verona Card can’t match the sheer number of free and discounted sights included in big-city passes, it does include all of Verona’s top sights like the stunning Roman Arena, Duomo and Lamberti Tower. As such, the Verona Card won’t best the bigger passes in terms of total savings and total number of sights included. Yet, the sights themselves matter most. Furthermore, you won’t find any lame wax museums or ancillary sights on this card. The Verona Card boasts all wheat, no chaff (sorry, gluten-free readers). Plus, at only one or three sights per day, this pass easily pays for itself.
Vitals: Verona Card
- Pricing:
- €20/24h
- €25/48h
- Cost-per-day:
- €20/24h
- €12.50/48h
- Total Free Sights: 16
- Total Discounted Sights: 8
- Average Entrance Fee of Free Sights: €4.72
- Total Possible Savings (free sights only): €75.5
- Approximate # of Sights-per-day:
- 3/24h
- 1/48h
- Notable Inclusions: Everything worth seeing. Everything.
- Notable Exclusions: None. Literally.
- Important Caveats: Pass works on a consecutive hours basis, not days. Once activated at the first sight, the clock starts a-ticking!
- New for 2019:
- Free entry to Arche scaligere.
- Website: http://www.veronatouristoffice.it/en/verona-card/
6. Barcelona Card
Ah, finally. A sightseeing pass that does the math for you! The Barcelona Card breaks down the daily cost and total savings. Like most passes on this list, the Barcelona Card offers a mix of free and discounted entry as well as free public transportation. Free transit comes in mighty handy with so many interesting sights spread out across this sprawling seaside city. And with reasonable pricing, seeing an attraction or even two a day easily covers the pass’ cost.
- Pricing:
- €45/72h
- €55/96h
- €60/120h
- Cost-per-day:
- €15/72h
- €13.75/96h
- €12/120h
- Total Free Sights: 25
- Total Discounted Sights: 72
- Average Entrance Fee of Free Sights: €6.94
- Total Possible Savings (free sights only): €173.5
- Approximate # of Sights-per-day:
- 1/72h
- 1/96h
- 1/120h
- Notable Inclusions: Airport transportation! This card includes transfers to/from the airport on the train and metro. A true museum pass rarity.
- Notable Exclusions: The card includes nothing Gaudí-related. So you’ll have to buy advanced tickets for luminaries like Sagrada Familia and Park Guell.
- Important Caveats: This is one pass you want to buy online since they offer a not-insubstantial discount — up to 15% off.
- New for 2019: Nothing.
- Website: http://www.barcelonacard.com/
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