Outbound travel: How to use "City Card" to save money!

With the increasing number of people traveling abroad on their own, how to travel economically and deeply has become a matter of great concern to tourists. The tourist card is something that every self-guided tourist cannot ignore and must recognize.

The so-called "city card", that is, city card, is also called "Tourist Passport" (Tourist Passport), "Pass" (Pass) or "Welcome Card" (Welcome Card) in some cities. A convenience provided by some cities in the country for short-term tourists. These small cards create a convenient tool for city travel and sightseeing for non-group travelers - whether they are self-guided travelers who are strapped for cash or business travelers who are short on time.

Generally speaking, "city cards" are mostly classified by the length of validity, including one-day period (24 hours), two-day period (48 hours), three-day period (72 hours), and some The city even has 5-day cards. The general rule is that the longer the validity period, the lower the average daily price. For example, the Helsinki Card costs 24 euros for a 24-hour card, 34 euros for a 48-hour card, and only 42 euros for a 72-hour card.

At the same time, city cards are also divided into three types: transportation, theme and comprehensive.

Transportation City Card

Transportation City Card is the most basic and simple. For tourists, the first problem they have to face when traveling is transportation. Almost all major tourist cities have quite complex public transportation systems. To go to the same destination, there are usually multiple options such as subways, buses, and trams. Travelers need to use transportation within a day. The number of trips is usually quite large, and the accumulated expenses every day are not small. Therefore, making proper use of the transportation-type city card is the first priority for you to start your journey.

For example, when traveling to Hong Kong, it is best for tourists to purchase an Octopus card, which can be used on the Airport Express, Hong Kong MTR, Kowloon-Guangzhou East Rail Link, Kowloon-Guangzhou Light Rail, some buses and outer island ferry routes, At the phone booth and photo area in the station, every time the card holder takes transportation, the fare will be automatically deducted from the card until there is no remaining balance. Although it is not like Paris, London, Tokyo and other city cards, which can be used unlimited times within a specified number of days, it is suitable for most means of transportation in Hong Kong. It's very convenient for regular customers.

Themed city cards

Themed cards are a type of card launched by major tourist cities after transportation cards for the convenience of tourists. The most common theme cards nowadays are museum theme cards. The major cities that issue museum cards are Paris and London. Paris’s Museum Pass includes 70 heavyweight museums and art galleries such as the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Center Pompidou, and the Palace of Versailles, while London’s The Museum Card (GoSee Card) includes 17 museums and art galleries including the National Museum of History, BBC Television Experience Center, Museum of London, and Barbican Gallery.

The Museum Pass in Paris and the GoSee Card in London both have the same traps: their prices are not too high, and they include many museums, making it easy for consumers to pay for them. Get this museum pass, but the truth is this card can be used very cleverly or very wastefully. The Paris Museum Card is divided into three days: 1, 3, and 5. The prices are 80, 160, and 240 French francs respectively. The price of this card is not expensive, but one thing worth noting is that unless you stay in Paris for a long time, You are short and want to visit all the museums in Paris, otherwise don’t buy a one-day card. Although this card allows you to enjoy the benefit of skipping queues, it is impossible to visit 70 museums in one day. Therefore, it is best for consumers to first consider the museums they plan to visit and the time they plan to visit, and then decide whether to buy this card and how many days to buy it.

Comprehensive City Cards

In addition to city cards such as Paris, London, the Netherlands and Switzerland that specialize in single museums and art galleries, there are also many cities that are designed to be comprehensive. This type of city card covers a wide range of uses. In addition to museums, well-known tourist attractions, restaurants, etc. are also within the scope of use. For consumers, this type of city card is relatively more practical. Quite a few.

For example, holders of the Stockholm Card can visit more than 70 museums and other attractions for free, take local public transportation for free, take a tour boat for free, and get a multilingual book City travel guide with detailed maps. Vienna, Austria, only has a 4-day card priced at only 16.9 euros. In addition to free use of subways, buses, buses, and trams within 72 hours, shopping, dining and guided tours in specified locations, You can even get discounts on parking and theater and movie tickets.

However, for tourists with shorter travel time, sometimes comprehensive cards may not be cost-effective. For example, the "Paris Visite" card has 8 different types.

According to the validity period, it is divided into 4 types: 1 day, 2 days, 3 days and 5 days. It can be used unlimitedly on the subway, bus and bus (including going to and from the airport), RER rapid railway and suburban French National Railways (SNCF). ) of the Montmartre Funicular. According to the sections, there are: sections 1-3, sections 1-5 and sections 1-8, extending to Versailles, Disney World Paris or Fontainebleau. This ticket also offers discounts on many tourist attractions.

For first-time travelers, you will definitely think that tickets in zones 1-8 are the most affordable, but this is not the case. In fact, the main attractions in Paris are concentrated in the 3rd arrondissement. The only famous attractions outside the 3rd arrondissement are the Palace of Versailles and Disneyland. Assuming that the number of days to travel in Paris is 7 days, in terms of time, you can visit the 3rd arrondissement. The tourist attractions are already very crowded. If you don't figure it out first, you will spend a lot of money in vain. Therefore, after choosing a travel destination, be sure to spread out the map and study the location and theme you are about to visit, and then choose the appropriate card type and type. Only in this way can the city card truly achieve the benefits of "discount" and "saving money" Purpose.

How to buy a city card

City cards are generally sold in city tourist information centers, hotels, transportation center services, conference centers, museums, stations, airports, post offices and restaurants, etc. "In some cities, you can buy it at a ticket vending machine, and now you can also buy it online on the Internet in some cities. When purchasing a city card, the city card user manual attached to the card is one of the necessary information for planning your itinerary. Generally, the user manual will be accompanied by the map of the place, subway map, detailed discounts, business hours and other practical information. , before arranging your itinerary, you may wish to read this user manual carefully, select the places you are interested in visiting from the discount items, and add them to your itinerary plan.

Recommendation:

Eurolines Pass is a travel card recommended for young backpackers. This card allows travelers to travel at a low price within a validity period of 30 or 60 days. Take the Eurolines tour bus to travel to 48 major European cities and 500 different routes, and experience the joys and sorrows of self-guided travel.

Europe has always been a favorite self-guided travel paradise for backpackers, and Eurolines Pass is designed for this type of travellers. Eurolines' stopping points span 48 cities in European countries, with buses running between major cities every day. Consumers can arrange various routes according to their own travel plans; in terms of price, Eurolines Pass There are low and peak seasons. Eurolines Pass with 30-day validity starts from US$289, and the price with 60-day validity starts from US$359. Young people under 26 years old can enjoy preferential fares.