You’ve encountered them in nearly every major city you’ve visited, advertisements for them on the official tourism website, half the unofficial pages, and on numerous travel blogs featuring articles about activities in that locale. For a single price, these city passes or sightseeing passes available in Paris or Prague grant you entry to numerous museums and attractions. They might even encompass the local public transport network and offer discounts or guided tours.
Is it worth it or not?
The quick answer is that it hinges on how much sightseeing you plan to do. Typically, you need to fit in a significant amount of sightseeing within a brief time frame to justify the cost. Think “48 hours in __(insert city here)___” rather than “My relaxed week of unhurried sightseeing.”
Some attraction passes demand heavy cramming, while others are more flexible.
### What do you receive with that sightseeing pass?
It’s essential to thoroughly investigate what these sightseeing passes and city cards entail to determine if they represent a solid deal for you. Some provide greater value than others, and in most situations, you need to be quite active over a short span to truly benefit. That’s because most (though not all) of them start the timer as soon as you begin using it.
They are typically purchased for either 48 or 72 hours, though some options allow for a 24-hour start, extending up to 96 hours. This is ideal for a brief visit, but not as advantageous if you’re renting an apartment as a digital nomad and prefer to see just one sight every day or so.
The value proposition heavily relies on what the card includes. Would you ordinarily visit those attractions and utilize the extra benefits, or are you engaging in them merely to “get your money’s worth” because you possess the card? Do you browse the list and cheer, “Wow, that sounds fantastic!” or survey it and think, “Meh.”
Some offer a fast-track option, which can be particularly useful in a bustling city like Paris. Others may provide unlimited local transport, simplifying travel in a locale where you might need to take a bus once, a tram the next time, and then a subway ride.
In certain cities, notable attractions can be excluded despite a hefty price tag. The **Istanbul Museum Pass**, for example, is priced at a steep €105 and includes some questionable sites for your itinerary in this intriguing city. It features the Museum of the History of Science and Technology in Islam (which may be a top choice for you?), yet does not cover the Basilica Cistern, Dolmabahce Palace, or the Byzantine-era Chora Church Museum shown above. Just to note, the price has also more than doubled in the past decade, even with the significant devaluation of the Turkish lira.
I reported on this Cheapest Destinations Blog about the **[Prague Visitors Pass](https://www.cheapestdestinationsblog.com/2024/11/20/prague-visitor-pass/)**, which I utilized a couple of months ago. We only had three days in the city anyway, so we were rushing to see as much as we could before boarding a train to Budapest. We managed to see a lot during that time with the pass, which included public transportation. Thus, we could jump on a tram or subway and go anywhere we desired, including to the fascinating Dox Museum in a burgeoning arts district.
That 48-hour pass costs roughly the same as the Istanbul one but offers significantly more than merely museum entries. We enjoyed a boat tour on the river (complete with a complimentary Czech beer), participated in a Charles Bridge tour, and ascended to the top of an ancient astronomical observatory for a breathtaking view.
We ended up spending a bit less, but gained greatly in convenience. Plus, had we been located further away and utilized the metro more, or visited even one more attraction than we did, the savings would have been notable.
### Other examples of city attraction cards in Europe
I was among those longer-term visitors when I [was in Budapest](https://www.cheapestdestinationsblog.com/2025/05/27/day-trips-from-budapest/) recently, so we opted not to get the **Budapest Card in Hungary**. We didn’t want the pressure to do a lot in a single day, and some attractions we wished to see weren’t included anyway. Instead, we purchased a monthly transport pass for only $23, making the card unnecessary.
As I write this, that pass costs €63 for 72 hours and includes a few sites we did visit, like the National Gallery in the Budapest Castle complex and Memento Park, which was quite impressive. Perhaps with the card, we might have opted to enter St. Stevens Basilica instead of merely admiring it from the outside on a