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Which Boston Discount Card


Gives You the Best Deal?

How to get the biggest savings on Boston attractions and tours

Pick the right Boston discount card, and you can save big money on popular attractions, museums, tours, trolley rides, and even cruises. 

But how do you know which card is best for you?

GoBoston Card 70+ attractions, tours, cruises Up to 55% savings	CityPASS 5 top attractions Almost 50% savings	GoSelect See Boston your way Save 15 - 34% - or more!

Boston sightseeing discount cards - the big picture

The Go Boston Card, Boston CityPASS, and Go Select Boston Card give you significant savings - up to 55% on popular attractions. 

All of these Boston discount cards work basically the same way:  you buy the card, and then you get free admission to attractions and tours during a certain period of time - but each card gives you different options and choices. 

Quick links to each card:  GoBoston  -  CityPASS  -  Go Select  

Special Savings on Go Boston Cards

Get FREE in-city pick up on all
Go City Cards and Explorer Pass orders
Expiration Date: 2/29/12
Code: FREEPICKUP
Details: Limit 1 Coupon/Order; Not available for Go Select

How to get the biggest savings from Boston discount cards

The trick to getting the biggest savings from these Boston discount cards is figuring out which one covers the sightseeing attractions you want to visit, and how long you will want the card.

These cards also save your time.  At the busiest attractions, like the New England Aquarium and Museum of Science, you get to go straight to the head of the line.  If you've ever waited in line for 30 minutes, an hour, or more, especially with your kids, you know what a big benefit this is!

Also, these Boston discount cards help you budget for your trip.  Once you pay for the cards, you get into the attractions or go on the tours for free, without having to pay out cash at each place or worry about how much you spend.  Because the cards give you up to 55% off the regular admission cost, you're getting into the attractions for half price or even less.

I personally love saving with these cards and use them here in Boston during school vacations as well as when we travel to other cities where they're available.

Boston CityPASS

Boston CityPASS gives you entrance to 5 top must-see attractions while letting you save almost 50% of the regular admission cost - almost half off. 

How it works:  Buy the Boston CityPASS for $46 ($87.90 value) for Adults or $29 for Kids 3-11 (2011 prices), and you get free admission to: 

• New England Aquarium
• Museum of Science
• Museum of Fine Arts
• Prudential Skywalk Observatory

Plus, you get free admission to your choice of :

• Harvard Museum of Natural History - or - John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

You'll save money with Boston CityPASS even if you go to only 3 of the attractions.  But you'll probably want to go to all 5 because these truly are top places to go in Boston. 

With Boston CityPASS, you get to skip most lines.

You can print Boston CityPASS as soon as you order it, or get it mailed to you.

Best for:  Anyone who wants to visit at least 3 of Boston's top attractions.  Bonus:  Card is good for 9 days, based on when you first use it - so no need to rush.

Save 46% on top Boston attractions by getting the Boston CityPASS card

Go Boston Card

The Go Boston Card gives you free admission to over 70 of Boston's top attractions, tours, museums, day trips, and cruises.

You save up to 55%! 

No need to figure out what you want to do in advance - just choose how many consecutive days you want to use your card.  You can get a card for 1, 2, 3, 5, or 7 days, and visit as many of the sites as you want during that time.  Children's passes are also available.

You'll get the biggest savings with the 2, 3, 5, and 7 day options, since the per-day cost for this Boston discount card drops as the number of days rises. 

For example, the 5-day pass costs $155, or about $31/day.  Go on a couple of the pricier day trip options - maybe the Whale Watching cruise (normally $42), the round trip ferry ride to Provincetown (normally $44) at the end of Cape Cod, or the trip to Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut (normally $45).  Or do 2 of the less expensive options each day, such as the Fenway Park Tour ($12 without the Go Boston card) plus a pricier one such as the Boston Movie Mile Walking Tour (normally $21).  You'll save . . . a LOT!

However, you can still get good savings even with the 1-day card, which costs about $60.  Hit 3 attractions each charging $20+ admission such as the Museum of Fine Arts, a Whale Watching Cruise, and the New England Aquarium - or opt for the 2-day Beantown Trolley pass ($42) and visit 1 or 2 other attractions.  Either way, you save money and time by having the card. 

Best for:  Energetic travelers who want to visit lots of attractions.  Also highly recommended if you want to visit top attractions close to Boston, such as Six Flags New England, Plimouth Plantation and Mayflower II, Provincetown on Cape Cod, Wrentham Village Premium Outlets, and the Salem Witch Museum.

Save big with the Go Boston Card, plus choose a free bonus: Boston Duck Tour, Lunch or Brunch Boston Harbor Cruise, or Boston Harbor 1-hour Segway Adventure

Go Select 

The Boston Go Select Pass lets you choose your own attractions, tours, and cruises. 

Go Select guarantees you'll always pay less than the regular admission price.  Bottom line - this card is a no-brainer, especially if you want to see as few as 2 exhibits.

Here's how this Boston Go Select discount card works.  You go to the Go Select web page and pick 2 or more attractions, tours, or cruises from a list of 30+. 

Or you can pick one of the pre-built packages - for example, the Boston Family Fun 4-Pack, which includes the New England Aquarium, Museum of Science, Duck Tour, and the USS Constitution Cruise.  You'll save 27% off full price, which comes out to about $25 savings on adult tickets, and about $20 savings on child tickets.

You can print your pass as soon as you order it, and it's valid for 30 days, based on when you first use it. 

Best for:  Boston visitors who want to choose their own attractions, and spread them out over up to 30 days.

Also excellent for Boston residents who need to entertain out of town guests - or even a series of guests during a 30-day period. 

They're also handy during school vacation weeks.  For example, if you have middle school or high school age kids, you might go to the New England Aquarium, and Museum of Science, and the high-speed catamaran Whale Watch trip.  Perfect way to save on a "Staycation" holiday!

Choose your Boston Go Select Pass attractions and see how much you'll save - or choose one of the pre-built bundles

Questions about Boston Discount Cards?

Have a question about Boston discount cards? Ask, and I'll do my best to answer.

First, though, check out what others have asked - I might have already answered the same question for someone else.

When asking your question, please fill out the whole form, including lines for name and location that say "optional."

After you send your question, you'll see a page that thanks you and asks you to set notification options. I highly recommend that you check the first 2 boxes so you'll be notified when I reply - otherwise, you'll have no way of knowing other than checking the website periodically. When you see my reply, please let me know if it was helpful!

Thanks for getting in touch, and enjoy your visit to Boston!

Susan

Questions from Others about Boston Discount Cards

Here's what others have asked:

More Places to Get Free Admission with Discount Cards

New England Aquarium	Skywalk Observatory	Fenway Park Tour

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