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Tourist Cards for Germany: Best Passes and Cards 2024
Learn more about the different tourist cards in Germany and spend less on your vacation while visiting the most interesting places in each city.
January 1, 2024
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If Germany is your next stop and you would like to have a better traveling experience, then this post may be suitable for you. Today, we will describe the tourist cards for Germany, which will help you save money on your trip as well as guide you to some of the most attractive spots in the country.
There are many attractions in Germany, from villages and castles to big cities, museums, lakes, monuments, and breweries, among others. Plus, there are Christmas markets! And if you travel in December, the markets or “Weihnachtsmarkt” are an unavoidable tourist stop.
Germany is also world-famous for its beer given that for locals it’s a holy beverage, a fact that is proven by the large variety of beer they produce. This is why they hold the beer festival or “Oktoberfest”, but you probably already knew about that. So, stay with us to find out how to get the most out of your trip to the Teutonic lands.
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What is a tourist card?
Firstly, let’s understand the concept. Do you know what a tourist card for Germany is or how it works? Simply put, it is a pass or card that provides you with benefits such as free public transportation, discounts at museums, shows, restaurants, attractions, and much more.
You can buy these cards for special seasonal prices at vending machines, information spots, tourist stores, and even at some transportation stations.
What tourist cards can you use in Germany?
This will depend on the city you are in or the city you want to visit since tourist cards are regionally based. In the next section, we will highlight the most popular tourist cards that you can find depending on the city you are visiting:
Berlin Welcome Card
Surely, your first stop in Germany will be the city of Berlin, which is why we will kick off our list with the basic tourist card option in Germany.
With the Welcome Card, you get free public transportation around Berlin, discounts of up to 50% on some tourist sites, theaters, museums, bike tours, restaurants, palaces, guided tours, trips and even shopping in stores across the city.
To buy the card, you must choose the time of validity, ranging from 48 hours to 6 days. Prices go from $25 USD to $56.
Berlin Welcome Card-Basic & All Inclusive
You can also get basic and All Inclusive tourist cards in Berlin. With the Basic Welcome Card, you’ll get discounts at more than 180 attractions in Berlin and Potsdam, but you won’t get a public transport pass to move around for free.
With the Welcome Card All Inclusive, you get to visit all the Berlin must-see attractions without a ticket, including bus tours, discounts of 25 to 50% at theaters, shopping, and restaurants, and free maps.
The cost of the basic tourist card starts at $10, while the All Inclusive card begins at $79.
Munich Card
Now it’s time to talk about the city of Munich. In this region, tourist cards are also a great choice. With the Munich Card, you get tickets for local public transport, discounts at museums, exhibitions, attractions, guided tours, and restaurant deals.
You can get it at prices starting at $16.
Munich City Pass
The Munich City Pass is the most versatile tourist card in the city because it provides free admission to museums, exhibitions, and attractions, as well as exclusive deals at the city’s most popular restaurants.
And best of all, the card gives you free admission to some of the attractions without queuing up. Costs start at $39.90.
Hamburg Card or Hamburg City Pass
You’ll also find two interesting options of tourist cards in Hamburg, which offer up to 50% discount on more than 150 attractions, free access to public transport, guided tours of key places around Hamburg, sports activities, and sightseeing tours around the city.
Prices depend on the duration of your stay but generally start at $11.90. Some of the most outstanding attractions covered by this pass include the Hamburger Kunsthalle, the Philharmonic, the Hamburg Dungeon, and the Miniatur Wunderland, among others.
Frankfurt City Pass or Frankfurt Card
The Frankfurt City Pass is the one that tourists are less familiar with, as it has fewer benefits. But if you are in the city, you could make the most of its advantages.
This tourist card provides discounts at more than 40 attractions, such as the Jewish Museum, Goethe House, the Maintower, the History Museum, and many more. Likewise, you also get unlimited free access to public transportation.
Two purchase options are available, the 1-day and 2-day pass, ranging in price from $11.50 to $17.00.
Comparison of tourist cards in Germany
| Tourist Card Germany | Use | Disadvantages | Prices | Where to buy |
| Berlin Welcome Card | Public transport, discounts at attractions, events, and restaurants. | None | From $25 | Berlin tourist information points, vending machines, hotels, and tourist agencies. |
| Berlin Welcome Card-Basic | Tours in Berlin and Potsdam, 25% discounts at more than 180 attractions. | Doesn’t include public transport tickets. | From $10 | Berlin information desks, vending machines, hotels, and tourist agencies. |
| Berlin Welcome Card All Inclusive | Free admission to events or tourist attractions, discounts of up to 50% on purchases. | Free public transport is optional. | From $79 | Berlin tourist information points and tourist agencies. |
| Munich Card | Travel on local public transport, city guide, and map, and discounts at more than 100 shops, museums, and art galleries. | Buying an individual card is more expensive than a group card. | From $15.50 | Hotels, websites, and tourist information desk at the central station and Marienplatz. |
| Munich City Pass | Tickets to museums, exhibitions, guided tours, and attractions. No queuing at major attractions. Shopping and restaurant deals. | Doesn’t include public transportation. | From $39.90 | Hotels, websites, and tourist information desk at the central station and Marienplatz. |
| Hamburg City Pass | Discounts of up to 50% on attractions, free access to public transport, guided tours, and excursions. | Transportation is optional. | From $28.90 | On websites of sightseeing tours, hotels, and information desks. |
| Frankfurt City Pass | Discounts on museums and attractions, use of public transport. | Main attractions are not always included. | From $11.50 | Tourist offices, train stations, and websites. |
Where to buy a tourist card in Germany?
You can buy tourist cards in Germany without much trouble, as you can do it either on their tourism web pages or at the train stations, hotels, or tourist information points.
Buying a tourist card in Berlin
Buying a Berlin tourist card is quite easy and won’t take more than 5 minutes of your time. Why? Because you can find them at the city’s tourist information desks, public transport ticket vending machines, hotels, and even at the city’s tourist agencies.
Best tourist card in Munich
We recommend you buy the Munich Card because it’s the most convenient way to travel. You can get it in hotels, on tourism websites, and at the tourist information points of the central station and Marienplatz.
In case you prefer to buy the City Pass, you can do it at the above-mentioned spots and places.
Getting a tourist card in Hamburg
You can buy the Hamburg Tourist Card at the sightseeing websites, hotels, and information points.
Our recommendation is to buy a tourist card that includes different means of public transport, as it will provide you with a direct connection to the airport.
Finding a tourist card in Frankfurt am Main
To buy or find a tourist card for Frankfurt am Main, you must request it at the tourist offices, buy it at the train stations, or if you like, before traveling on the city’s different tourist websites.
How to use tourist cards in Germany?
Before you use the German tourist cards, you must validate your ticket at the ticket validation machines located in the different public transportation centers so that you can activate the card.
After validating, you just need to choose the transportation zone where you want to travel (downtown, outside the city limits, or in the outskirts such as Potsdam) and that’s it! You can start using your tourist card in Germany.
Remember! You can only choose the transportation zone for the cards that include public transportation. If you want to make your trip even easier, we recommend you read about the 10 best Apps to travel around the world because you’ll find an ally in each one of them.
Germany Tourist Card for internet
Should you want to get internet and remain connected during your trip to Germany, we are pleased to tell you that there is a tourist card to have internet that provides you with wireless data from the moment you land. We are talking about the virtual SIM card or eSIM Germany from Holafly.
With Holafly’s Germany virtual SIM card, you’ll have unlimited data, and you’ll also be able to choose the best option according to your budget and length of stay. Did you know that if you travel to different countries in Europe, you can choose Holafly’s eSIM for Europe travel, which allows you to connect to 32 countries of the continent?
Buy your Holafly eSIM for Germany and enjoy the best data connection at 3G/4G/LTE speed. We invite you to check out our special section on how much data you need to travel, but with Holafly’s option, you won’t have to worry about that at all!
FAQs about German tourist cards
No. Tourist cards in Germany have a predetermined duration, which you can choose at the time of purchase.
No, there are no such cards for groups in Berlin. However, in other cities it’s available, and you may even find some discounts.
No. The price of the tourist cards is flat, whether you are a student or a senior citizen.
No. In Berlin, this is not applicable, so you’ll only find discounts of up to 50% on admission tickets. But in cities like Hamburg and Munich, you’ll find some free admission attractions.
This is a typical concern when traveling because each airline has different regulations on this issue, but generally, they share a common baseline of forbidden and allowed items. In our section on Backpack for airplane travel, you’ll find a detailed guide that will surely clear all your doubts. Also, if you are interested in how to have internet on the airplane, we can help you.
