Many cities are finding it useful to offer city savings cards to entice more tourists to come visit and potentially stay longer.  I have been a strong advocate of making the most of each day and of course, saving money.  In addition, most offer a free downloadable guidebook that can help you plan your trip itinerary.

International City Savings Cards

The international city savings cards have been so useful and easy to plan each day. And they can make sure that you do not forget to see things that you might have otherwise missed.  Usually the attractions range from museums, aquariums, zoos, monuments, etc. to various types of tours.  These city savings cards often include public transportation such as hop-on hop-off buses, other local trams or buses, canal cruises, etc., but some do not. However, used with transportation tickets (e.g., Paris, Copenhagen, etc.), these savings cards are worth it.  I have used the savings cards for many international cities through Viator and found them all to save money. And these city savings cards always save time by providing for skip-the-line entry.

Furthermore, don’t think these city savings cards are just for big name tourist cities anymore.  Who would think that the Transylvanian city of Sibiu in Romania would have one!  But the availability of city savings cards has grown exponentially with the growth of the internet, tourism, and more open borders in the east.

Other Perks Offered

The city savings cards are usually sold based on number of days needed.  Viator offers so many different attraction passes that can definitely save you time and money. So, depending on your vacation plans, it may be very cost effective.  However, be sure to check all possible savings cards available to find the best one for your particular plans.  For example, I had purchased a multiple entry Visa for my trip to Jordan since I would be slipping over to Egypt and back.  

But if your trip plans are only for Jordan, you can purchase the Jordan Pass. It can be obtained through their website https://www.jordanpass.jo/Contents/Prices.aspx), which includes waving the tourist entry Visa fees if purchased before entering the country. It also includes free entry to over 40 attractions.  But if you just want something simple like a 3-hour open-top bus tour of Amman before flying out like I did after visiting Petra, look for just the Amman city card.

National City Savings Cards

The two main city savings cards cover 21 unique major cities/areas across the US. These cards overlap coverage of 4 cities: New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Orlando.  In addition, one includes Toronto, Canada and the other includes Puerto Rico and Malaga, Spain.  Visitors to the overlapping cities would need to compare which of the two city cards best fits their needs.

CityPass

CityPass covers the following cities/areas:  Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Southern California, Tampa Bay, Toronto, and NYC.

The Sightseeing Pass

The Sightseeing Pass covers the following cities/areas: NYC, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Washington D.C., Nashville, Orlando, New Orleans, Puerto Rico, Miami, Key West, Smoky Mountains, Los Angeles, and Malaga, Spain.  In addition, the Sightseeing Card has a USA Flex Pass option for tourists visiting more than one state.  It can be customized for the number of attractions you want to see from over 300 options in 13 destinations.  The USA Sightseeing Pass is valid for a 30-day activation period.  And you can save up to 70% on admission prices (premium Las Vegas and Puerto Rico attractions are not included).

Other City Savings Cards

I have learned one major thing during my travels. And that is to check on-line wherever I plan to travel to see if there is a city savings card.  I’ve been disappointed after a trip to find out that the city offered a card savings card.

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