I read in another forum about the Go Boston Card and it looks like a good deal. Is the Go San Francisco card just as beneficial? I have a wife and a teenage son and preteen daughter. Anyone try it and love it? Do you recommend I buy it online or when I get to San Fran?

It looks like a great deal if you are avid sightseers. If all the activies listed on the web site are actually free to card holders, I see loads of things that we like to do in San Francisco. And, I notice discounts are being offered for on-line purchase.

I notice the on-line savings expire soon.

Here's the deal with "stored value cards". The sites do not show a comparative pricing grid to really understand how much you are saving. The cards are sold in one, two, three, five, seven day options, which require a user to really think about how much they can, or want to do in one day. These cards sometimes list areas of a city which are free -- and include out of area tours which eat up an entire day. Here's the alternative: buy a CityPass. CityPass covers the top six attractions in major cities, gives users a minimum of NINE leisurely days (Boston's is valid all year), and in San Francisco, CityPass includes unlimited cable car rides, light rail and the muni bus for seven days, along with a bay cruise, art museums, science museum, aquarium, etc. CityPass saves 50% and lots of time standing in box office lines. $42 for adults, $34 for kids 5-17. CityPass can be purchased online (you receive the actual booklets, not a voucher that must be redeemed somewhere like other programs), at the Visitor's Center at the Cable Car turnaround at Powell & Market Streets (a great stop to get all kinds of info), or at any of the major attractions. You won't find any other pass sold at these attraction.

How do I know? I work for CityPass.

But Susan, the go card includes day tours and trips and the city pass does not provide any of that. The tour to Sonoma and Napa alone costs 59 dollars (I even checked the site!) Even if I bought the Go Card for on day only, I would still save money. The city pass offers very few options. I think I would rather buy the Go Card and get all those options. Thanks for pointing it out to me, but I think I will try it out and see for now!