The break-even calculation takes three inputs: the pass price, the individual admission costs of attractions you plan to visit and the number of days the pass covers.
If the total individual admission cost of your planned visits exceeds the pass price, buy the pass. If it does not, pay individually.
The calculation takes less than five minutes. Skipping it and buying a pass on the assumption it saves money costs an average of £15 to €25 per city visit where the itinerary does not justify the pass.
Prices: 1 day £67, 2 days £97, 3 days £127, 10 days £205
Top included attractions and individual prices:
| Attraction | Individual Price |
|---|---|
| Tower of London | £34 |
| Hampton Court Palace | £28 |
| Kew Gardens | £22 |
| Tower Bridge Exhibition | £13 |
| Cutty Sark | £18 |
| Beefeater Distillery | £15 |
| Kensington Palace | £27 |
| Jewel Tower | £7 |
The break-even for a 2-day pass at £97:
Tower of London (£34) + Hampton Court (£28) + Kew Gardens (£22) = £84. Still £13 short of break-even. Add Tower Bridge (£13) and you reach £97 exactly.
Verdict for a 2-day visit: The 2-day pass breaks even only if you visit Tower of London, Hampton Court, Kew Gardens and Tower Bridge in two days. Hampton Court is 40 minutes from central London; Kew is 30 minutes. Both are achievable in a full day. If your second day combines Tower of London with Tower Bridge (they are adjacent), this itinerary is realistic.
Do not buy the London Pass if: Your London visit focuses on the British Museum, National Gallery, V&A, Natural History Museum, Tate Modern or Science Museum. These are all permanently free and not included in the pass. Paying £67 to £97 for a pass when your target attractions are free is the most common London Pass mistake.
Enter the city and your planned attractions to see whether the museum pass or individual tickets cost less for your specific itinerary. The calculator adds up individual admission prices and compares them against current pass prices.
Calculate Pass vs Pay-As-You-GoGet Booking GuidePrices: 2 days €52, 4 days €66, 6 days €78
Top included attractions:
| Attraction | Individual Price |
|---|---|
| Louvre | €22 |
| Musée d'Orsay | €16 |
| Versailles (Palace) | €21 |
| Centre Pompidou | €15 |
| Sainte-Chapelle | €13 |
| Arc de Triomphe | €13 |
| Musée Rodin | €14 |
| Cluny Museum | €12 |
The 2-day pass break-even at €52:
Louvre (€22) + Musée d'Orsay (€16) = €38. Still €14 short. Add Sainte-Chapelle (€13) = €51. Just short of break-even with three attractions.
Add any fourth attraction and you are ahead. The pass also includes skip-the-line access at the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay, saving 45 to 90 minutes of queuing in peak season.
Verdict: The Paris Museum Pass consistently produces genuine savings. If you visit the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay and Versailles across two days, the 2-day pass at €52 saves approximately €21 compared to individual tickets. Any additional visits are pure saving.
Prices: 24 hours €65, 48 hours €85, 72 hours €100, 96 hours €120
Top included:
| Attraction | Individual Price |
|---|---|
| Rijksmuseum | €22.50 |
| Van Gogh Museum | €22 |
| Amsterdam Museum | €17 |
| Heineken Experience | €21 |
| Canal cruise (1 hour) | €18 |
| Public transport (24h) | €9 |
The 24-hour card at €65:
Rijksmuseum (€22.50) + Van Gogh Museum (€22) + Canal cruise (€18) + Public transport (€9) = €71.50. Savings: €6.50.
The 48-hour card at €85:
Add the Heineken Experience (€21) = €92.50. Savings: €7.50 on four attractions.
Verdict: The Amsterdam card saves money only if you visit 5 or more attractions in the card period. For a typical 2-day visit covering 3 to 4 major sites, the savings are minimal. Pay individually if you plan fewer than 5 attractions.
Price: $146 adult, $122 child
Included (choose 5 from the list):
| Attraction | Individual Price |
|---|---|
| American Museum of Natural History | $28 |
| Edge (Hudson Yards observation) | $40 |
| Empire State Building (day) | $44 |
| 9/11 Memorial Museum | $24 |
| Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise | $57 |
| Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum | $36 |
| Top of the Rock (Rockefeller) | $44 |
Best 5-attraction combination at $146:
Empire State Building ($44) + Edge ($40) + AMNH ($28) + Circle Line ($57) + 9/11 Museum ($24) = $193. Savings: $47 (24%).
Verdict: The CityPASS saves approximately $47 when you choose the five highest-value included attractions. If you substitute lower-value options, the saving drops. Choose your five before buying to confirm you are selecting the highest-value combination.
Prices (AB zone): 48 hours €28, 72 hours €36, 5 days €52
Includes: Unlimited public transport + discounts at 200+ attractions (20 to 50% off, not free entry)
The critical distinction: The Berlin Welcome Card does not include free entry to major attractions. It provides discounts. The Pergamon Museum, Gemäldegalerie and Berlin Wall Memorial are not free with the card.
Verdict: The Berlin Welcome Card is worth buying for its transport value alone (AB zone 48-hour transport ticket: €17 separately) plus modest attraction discounts. It is not a museum pass equivalent. If you specifically want free museum entry in Berlin, buy the Berlin Museum Pass (€32 for 3 consecutive days, covering all State Museum network sites including Museum Island).
Before buying any city museum pass:
If the total exceeds the pass price by more than 10%, buy the pass. If the total is less than the pass price, pay individually. If the total is within 10% of the pass price, consider the skip-the-line value and whether the time saving is worth the small premium.