New York Pass offers visitors an opportunity to arrange their sightseeing at one combined price before leaving for the Big Apple.
You order on the Internet and gain admission to more than 50 New York attractions without standing in time-wasting ticket lines. There are passes covering one, two, three, or seven days and an added transportation option.
It sounds great, but is New York Pass the right purchase for every visitor?
Consider two examples.
Example One: The Grand Tour
Among the 50-plus attractions included in the New York Pass are eight places our fictional budget traveler wants to see: Whitney Museum of American History, Radio City Music Hall, Empire State Building, Guggenheim Museum, The Museum of Modern Art, Lincoln Center, NBC Studios tour, and Madame Tussaud's New York.
This traveler and his wife have allotted three days for this grand tour of New York attractions, and they are determined to see each of them.
Two adult three-day passes (unless there is a sale) cost $180 each, so his total cost is $360.
Admission prices for those attractions each range between a low of $17 for the Lincoln Center tour to a high of $39 for Madame Tussaud's. The combined cost at the time of this trip is $206. When multiplied by two, the total cost of $412 is $52 higher than the cost of the passes.
So not only is this couple saving the time and trouble of buying individual tickets, they are also being rewarded with a savings that they can put toward a dinner or a couple of quick lunches.
Example Two: A Quick Visit
Our second fictional couple has just one full day to explore. They've settled on tours of the Empire State Building, Radio City Music Hall and the Guggenheim Museum. Total individual admission fees: $67.95. Cost of a one-day pass: $85.
The pass isn't as attractive in this scenario. But that extra $17.05 does allow for bypassing ticket lines and it gives additional options. Maybe the Empire State Building tour only takes a few minutes and there is suddenly time for another attraction. Having the pass enables last-minute add-ons at no additional cost.
Note that the pass quotes here are regular prices. Watch for when the passes go on sale. These sales apply to online purchases only.
Savings Multiplies with the Size of Your Party
In the two previous examples, there are only two adults and no children involved. If you decide on family vacation travel to New York, the costs of a three-day visit can be staggering.
New York Pass can help, but there is one warning: some New York attractions covered do not charge admission for children. Be certain to add up the costs for children without the pass before making a decision. Examples of places where admission for children is free or greatly reduced: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island.
Transportation Discounts
For convenience and time-efficiency, consider the Two-Day Grayline Double-Decker Hop-on Hop-off Pass. Stops include Central Park, Lincoln Center, American Museum of Natural History, Guggenheim, Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty Cruise, South Street Seaport and 50 other places. At certain times of year, it is offered at discounted rates, but the normal prices are $149 for adults and $119 for children. Remember: this is transportation plus the cost of a two-day New York Pass. Just the two-day pass is $110, so you're getting the bus convenience for $39, or $18/day.
A transit ticket for a bus or subway train would be far less expensive. But you will have to map out your visits and hope they are within walking distance of a subway station or bus stop. For those that are not, you are going to be using expensive taxi cabs.
Budget travelers who are familiar with New York might not want the two-day Grayline pass. If you have a tendency to get lost or just don't want to figure out the transit system, the pass can be handy.
Check out New York on a Budget for more information about getting there, finding a room, getting around, dining, and sights/entertainment options.