So is it a worthwhile investment for budget-conscious travelers? To answer this question, let’s break down the costs by looking at a few examples.

Related:
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Details of the Berlin WelcomeCard All Inclusive

Cost

Although the benefits sound great, the card is a bit on the pricey side. The Berlin WelcomeCard All Inclusive costs:

• 2 days: €95 (€49 for children 3-14 years old)
• 3 days: €109 (€54 for children)
• 4 days: €129 (€59 for children)

(See all prices for the All Inclusive card)

Comparatively, the regular old Berlin WelcomeCard is much cheaper. A 2-day WelcomeCard is €19.90 and a 3-day is €27.90. A three-day WelcomeCard with entry to Museum Island museums is €44. (See all options.) Remember, however, that the normal WelcomeCard only covers transportation and discounts of up to 50% at attractions.

Sightseeing and tours included

The Berlin WelcomeCard All Inclusive includes dozens of perks not included in their other “WelcomeCard”. We’ve chosen a few sightseeing offers to help you break down the costs:

Berlin on Bike

You can choose either a 3.5-hour guided bike tour that includes a bike rental or a 48-hour bike rental.

Regular full price: €21 for tour, €10 for 24 hours per adult, prices for children depends on age and transportation needed (bike, bike seat, trailer bikes, etc.)

City Circle Sightseeing

(BBS, BEROLINA, BVB, BEX): Includes a Yellow ticket for the hop-on-hop-off bus tour.

Regular full price: €22 for a day ticket or €26 for a 2-day ticket per adult, €11 for a day ticket or €13 for a 2-day ticket per child ages 7 to 14

Original Berlin Walks Tour

Discover Berlin is a 3.5-hour walking tour in English.

Regular full price: €14 per adult or €12 for people 26 and under

Stern und Kreisschiffahrt Boat Tours

River Spree city tour (1 hour) or Havel World Heritage Tour (2 hours).

Regular full price: Between €11-14

Museums and attractions included

The Berlin WelcomeCard All Inclusive also grants you free admission to 19 different museums, including museums on Museum Island, like the Pergamon Museum, art museums like the Gemäldegalerie, and museums of history, such as the German Historical Museum.

Without the card, ticket prices for most of these museums range between €12/€6 (Pergamon Museum), €10/€5 (Gemäldegalerie) and €8/€4 (German Historical Museum). For most state museums, admission for children 18 and under is free of charge.

Several attractions are also included in the card, such a trip up to the top of the Berlin TV Tower (regular price €13 for adults, €8.50 for children age 4 and up), free entry to Olympiastadion Berlin (regular price, €7/€4) and a trip to the Berlin’s Madame Tussaud’s (regular price to €16 to €20, depending on when you book).

Theater ticket discounts and more

The Berlin WelcomeCard All Inclusive also provides 25-30% discounts off tickets for theaters such as Friedrich-Stadt Palast and Wintergarten Varieté, various restaurants and shops.

Notably, it also includes the price of a day ticket for regular public transportation (€7/€4.70 within Berlin, group discounts available).

Is it a good deal?

So is the Berlin WelcomeCard All Inclusive worth the dough? The answer really depends on what type of tourist you are. If your goal is to hit as many museums and sights as possible, take walking or bus tours, and maybe even check out a Vegas-style show, this card will most likely help you save.

If, however, you’re really just looking for a card that will cover public transportation plus admission to the top museums on Museum Island, we’d forget the “All Inclusive” ticket and consider the WelcomeCard “Museum Island” ticket, good for three days at the five museums located on the island.

Meanwhile, there are cheaper (and in our opinion, sometimes better) ways to save than just falling in line with every other tourist. Here are some cheapo alternatives:

Biking

If you’d rather just rent a bike and explore on your own (instead of a bike tour), you can find bike rentals lower than the €10 per day that Berlin on Bike charges. Check out our guide to cheap bike rentals in Berlin.

Transportation

Since they follow more or less the same route as Berlin’s Bus 100 line, in our opinion, the hop-on-hop-off buses are are not worth the added price. A trip across one of Berlin’s many rivers is admittedly a delightful experience, but to save, you can also take a ride on one of the regular public ferries that travel from Wannsee to several locations. These public ferries are included in the price of a regular public transportation ticket.

Museums and entertainment

As for museums, most offer nicely priced tickets to begin with, as well as free admission for children 18 and under. As mentioned above, the Berlin WelcomeCard “Museum Island” ticket covers admission to those five museums and is much cheaper.

The ticket price for shows at variety, music and cabaret shows will still be on the pricey side even with the discount the card offers, and the restaurants listed are mainly overpriced tourist traps.

Last but not least, in our opinion, there’s absolutely no reason to go to Madame Tussaud’s in Berlin — unless the kids insist.

Final thoughts

So, in a nutshell, if you’re a really ambitious tourist, go ahead and spring for the Berlin WelcomeCard All Inclusive — the 4-day card offers the best deal and will allow you to pack in tons of sights and activities. We’d be much more likely to buy the WelcomeCard “Museum Island” ticket — and use it for discounts at museums and attractions not covered by the card.

And if you’re more of a relaxed tourist who would like to pick and choose your activities or find alternative ways to explore Berlin, then hold onto your wallet, as this card is probably not for you.

For a full list of all the benefits and discounts the Berlin WelcomeCard all inclusive offers, click here.

The post The Berlin WelcomeCard All Inclusive: Is it a good deal? appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

In Amsterdam we’ve taken a close look at the two major cards—the Museum Card and I amsterdam Card—in the past to find out which is a better deal. We’ve also given you the inside scoop on the Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket. In recent years, the I amsterdam City Card has expanded their geographic coverage with a few more attractions in Haarlem, Enkhuizen and the mills and museums in Zaanse Schans and Volendam/Marken. In other words, if you plan on venturing outside of the city center during your stay, the I amsterdam City Card now has even greater appeal.

The long list of existing benefits for the 24, 48, 72 and 96-hour cards include everything from free admission to the Van Gogh Museum to a free 760-minute canal cruise. Study the rest of the offers, and see if you already had a handful of these attractions on your checklist. The prices are not exactly cheap (€59 for the 24 hours, €74 for 48 hours, €87 for 72 hours and €98 for 96 hours), but you also get unlimited travel on city buses, trams and metro, so if you like to get around the city by public transportation, consider that factor too.

New for 2018: Admission for the Rijksmuseum and the possibility to book time slot tickets for the Van Gogh Museum.

Haarlem

Benefits include free admission to two museums in Haarlem: Frans Hals Museum, featuring an impressive collection of Haarlem Old Masters of the Golden Age including the 17th-century collection by Frans Hals, and Teylers Museum, the oldest museum in Holland with a fascinating collection that has remain unchanged since the 18th and 19th centuries.

Enkhuizen

Fans of maritime history will enjoy The Zuiderzee Museum in Enkhuizen that features a large collection of wooden boats as well as an outdoor village that captures life in rural Holland during the late 19th century.

Zaanse Schans

To get a taste of traditional Dutch life, a visit to Zaanse Schans, about 20 km north of Amsterdam, offers windmills, museums and a slower slice of life. The I Amsterdam City Card now offers free admission to many of the mills and museums in Zaanse Schans including a windmill museum, a clock museum, and even a ferry from Amsterdam to Zaanse Schaans (only in summertime).

Bottom line: If you’re planning on seeing a lot of the top sites in and around Amsterdam, Haarlem and Zaanse Schans, take a good look at the I amsterdam City Card. It might be just what you need to save big on your next trip to Amsterdam. You can order the card online here.

The post I amsterdam City Card: Expanded savings within the metropolitan area appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.