Are City Passes Worth It?
Sometimes — and it depends far more on which attractions you plan to visit than on the pass itself. A city pass pays off only when the attractions you will actually enter cost more together, at full price, than the pass does, and only if the pass really includes them. Across the 1,327 pass–attraction pairs we have checked in 85 cities, 40% are plainly included, 26% are not included at all, and 12% are not yet confirmed.
Computed from 155 passes in 85 cities. Most recent source check: 2026-10-01.
The break-even rule
Write down the attractions you are genuinely going to enter, then add up their full-price adult tickets — counting only the ones the pass includes. If that total is higher than the pass price, the pass saves you money; if it is lower, buying tickets directly is cheaper.
Two adjustments matter. First, count real extras the pass includes, such as public transport, only at the value you would otherwise have paid. Second, count days honestly: a pass that runs for consecutive days rewards a fast pace, while a pass with a longer window lets you spread visits out.
“Included” is not always “free for you”
We record every pass–attraction pair with one of a small set of statuses, because a pass listing is often more nuanced than its marketing. Here is how all the pairs we track resolve today.
| Status | Pairs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Included | 532 | 40% |
| Discounted entry | 106 | 8% |
| Included with conditions | 116 | 9% |
| Optional / extra | 72 | 5% |
| Not included | 343 | 26% |
| Not yet confirmed | 158 | 12% |
The price gap inside a single city
Two passes for the same city can differ several times over, because they are different products: a short museum bundle is not a multi-day all-attractions pass. These are the cities where we track three or more attraction passes that include at least three attractions each. Prices shown are the lowest adult entry price of each product, in the currency the provider charges.
| City | Passes tracked | Lowest-priced pass | Highest-priced pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam | 3 | I amsterdam City Card — Total Experience — €67 | Go City Amsterdam — All-Inclusive Pass — €79 |
| Barcelona | 5 | Barcelona Card — €39 | Go City Barcelona All-Inclusive Pass — €189 |
| Dublin | 3 | Dublin Pass - Essentials Pass — €59 | Dublin Pass - All-Inclusive Pass — €79 |
| Florence | 6 | Ghiberti Pass — €15 | Florence City Pass — €93.90 |
| Madrid | 3 | Paseo del Arte — €32.80 | Go City Madrid All-Inclusive Pass — €129 |
| Naples | 4 | Campania Artecard — 365 Lite — €26 | Turbopass Naples Flex Pass — €59.90 |
| Paris | 3 | Paris Museum Pass — €85 | Go City Paris All-Inclusive Pass Plus — €189 |
| Venice | 3 | Venice Museum Pass — €50 | Venice City Pass — €119.90 |
When a pass is usually not worth it
A pass tends to lose against direct tickets when you plan only two or three paid attractions, when the sights you care about are free or sit outside the pass, or when you prefer a slow pace with a single big visit per day.
It also loses when a must-see needs a separate timed reservation you have not made — the pass pays for admission, not for the slot. Our guide to reservations lists where that applies.
How to check your own trip
Open the city page, then the page of the pass you are considering. Each pass page lists every attraction it covers with its status, the date that fact was last verified, and a calculator where the pass has a closed, fully checked catalogue. We deliberately show no generic “you will save €X” figure for passes whose full catalogue we cannot yet verify, because that number would be a guess.
Book tours & tickets
SponsoredProvided by our commercial partner GetYourGuide — bookings made through this section may earn LocalExperiences a commission. See our Editorial Transparency page.
Frequently asked questions
Is a city pass always cheaper than buying tickets separately?
No. A pass is cheaper only when the full-price tickets of the attractions you will really visit, and that the pass includes, add up to more than the pass price. With only two or three paid sights, direct tickets usually win.
How many days do I need for a city pass to pay off?
It depends on the pass type, not a fixed number of days. A multi-day unlimited pass rewards a fast pace, while a pick-a-number pass or a museum bundle can pay off over a slower visit. Our guide to how city passes work explains each model.
Does a city pass include public transport?
Only some do. Passes built around public transport include it by definition; most attraction passes do not, or sell it as an add-on. Each pass page states what is included and when that was last verified.
Why does this site not show a savings figure for every pass?
A savings number is only trustworthy when the pass's full list of attractions is known. Where we cannot yet verify the complete catalogue, we show what is confirmed and mark the rest as unconfirmed instead of guessing.