CityPASS Helps Travelers See Their Own Cities: Staycations

[Kaleel Sakakeeny]

From From Kaleel

Travel Tip: The Stay At Home Vacation: Staycations

A weak economy drives families (and all travelers) to seek value-driven vacations, which now often means travel in one’s own back yard, a “Staycation,” a kind of travel that fosters a sense of community, lets people discover their own city, and saves money

We think the best way to enjoy a “Staycation” is with The CityPASS ticket booklet. Thinner than your iPod, and full of homegrown bargains and deals at a dozen or so top cities, like Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, it’s a great way to vacation at home.

The company’s intention is to get travelers and locals to enjoy their own city’s cultural attractions, to draw people throughout the city and appreciate the neighborhoods, streetscapes and attractions that get taken for granted.

Besides saving money, CityPASS ticket booklets let families avoid most ticket lines, because they’re actual tickets, not passes or vouchers.
Show your CityPASS, and you’re in.

In New York, for example, attractions include the Guggenheim Museum, MoMA, Metropolitan Museum of Art & The Cloisters.
Going to the head of those lines is a big help, especially with kids in tow.

The CityPASS web site is graphics-driven and makes price comparisons easy, so I chose to look at Boston
The deal gives me five top Boston attractions:
•New England Aquarium
•Museum of Science
•Museum Fine Arts, Boston
•Skywalk Observatory
•Harvard Museum Natural History or John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

CityPASS Boston
costs $46.00 for adults, and $29.00 bucks for kids (3-11), for entrance to all five places.

When I did the math for the five attractions separately, the combined admission cost was $84.95. With CityPASS it was $46.00. For kids, the regular combined admission cost was $50.45; with CityPASS it was $29.00. But keep in mind that most attractions allow children under 3 -7 in for free.
So, figure that in too.
But it’s still a significant savings.

Each CityPASS ticket booklet is valid for nine consecutive days, beginning with the first day of use. Booklets include contact information for the attractions, hours of operation, information on how to get to and from the attractions using public transportation, and tips on the least crowded times to visit.

How does CityPASS compare to its closest competitor, Smart Destinations? For one-day stays, Smart Destinations may be the better choice. But for a 2-5 day visit, CityPASS is the better value, and a spokesperson from CityPASS said they urge customers to make comparisons because, as she said, “we want people to be happy with CityPASS when they buy one.”

The CityPASS itself comes nicely wrapped, rather classy.

Sounds like a deal!