Museum/Atrraction Passes
 

I'm taking my 20 yr old daughter to Europe for 2 weeks next month and, since it's her first visit, we plan to hit all the major museums and attractions. My question is - does it pay to buy these all inclusive passes such as the London Pass? They say that it avoids waiting in line, but is it a good deal?

Nothing much in London will have long lines except for the Tower of London so the London Pass really doesn't save time. Plus almost all of the major museums and galleries in London are free. Sure, the London Pass will get you into some "for pay" sites - but you have to use it on consecutive days so you aren't likely to go to more than a couple of those.

So - no, the London Pass is not a bargain for most visitors.

But you say you are going to "Europe" - are you going somewhere other than London? If so, some other passes like the one in Paris are more worthwhile - almost every museum in Paris costs between €5 and €7,50 to get in.

www.2for1entry.co.uk/

www.londonfreelist.com/home.asp

And www.tfl.gov.uk does frequent offers.

Thanks for the info on the London Pass. I'm going to Paris, Nice, Venice, Florence and Rome as well. Are there passes for those cities that are worthwhile?

njnancy: Please don't think this is rude - but hitting London, Paris, Nice, Venice, Florence and Rome in two weeks means you really won't have much time for museums in any of those cities.

Six major cities plus travel time between each one means you will only average a little over 1.5 days in each one - not enough time to see more than a couple of major sites. How is your itinerary split up and how are you traveling between those cities?

It's 16 actual days not counting travel time/days - 4 days in London, 3 days in Paris, 2 in Nice, 1 in Venice, 2 in Florence and 4 in Rome. We are traveling by train. I realize we'll have to make some tough choices because of the time crunch, that's why I don't want to waste time in long lines if it can be avoided.

njnancy-

Regarding museum passes for the various cities: do a search here. Your Q has been asked and answered many times.

Paris - has Paris Museum Pass (1,3,5 days)

Venice - if you want to do the Secret Itineraries tour of the Doge's Palace, you'll need to reserve ahead

Florence - absolutely a must to reserve for Uffizi, +/- Accademia. The fact that you're going next month, chances are Uffizi is all booked up.

Rome - reservations are needed for Borghese Gallery, and Scavi Tour.

If you type
"Paris Museum Pass"
"Doge's Palace"
"Uffizi"
"Scavi Tour"
to the search box above, you'll find many threads that answer your Q and give you more details.

yk, Thank you. I do have reservations for Florence sites.

Actually - the Paris pass has changed. Since March 1 they are now good for 2, 4 or 6 days

When I Google Paris Museum Pass, I get hits on a couple passes other than the Museums & Monuments pass that is referred to throughout the forum. They seem to vary in offerings and price - should they be trusted or should I stick with the original? Here's one link that has a 3 days option that includes a transit pass - http://www.paris-pass.com

I always have the same question, and don't have an answer. But, one thing you hear is that London museums are free. However, that doesn't include the Tower, Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey, Kensington Palace, and others that aren't considered to be proper "museums". We paid substantial entrance fees at these, and never found free entrance anywhere. I think the Tower offers a combo-ticket for some sights, that saves a little bit, but that's the only deal we were bright enough to find!
If your daughter is a student, purchasing an ISIC (international student card) might save at some places. You can find them by Googling it. Cost is about $20, I think. Some places won't give the student discount without it.

The Paris Pass isn't economical. For one thing, the transport that's bundled into it is the <i>Paris Visite</i> pass, which is the most expensive way to go. See this article for more realistic choices:

http://tinyurl.com/qod2b

You're much better off buying a Paris Museum Pass for 2, 4, or 6 days and make your own arrangements for transport.

Thanks MaureenB. The Hop On Hop Off bus tours have a note that says they offer &quot;fast entry tickets&quot; in advance to attractions. Did you try that by any chance? I'm wondering if that is a worthwhile convenience. Did you encounter long lines?

re MaureenB's comments - it is true those sites do charge. But the main problem is the the London Pass must be used on consecutive days. In order to get to all of those sites one would need a 6-day Pass which costs about &pound;75. That is a LOT of money to just get into a few major sites. 1, 2 and 3 day passes do cost less but it would be difficult to see more than one or two major sites each day so they just don't pencil out as a bargain.

W/ all the free sites plus a handful of for pay ones you are not going to spend &pound;75. And you can work out an itinerary that makes sense instead of cramming sites into consecutive days.