The Ins and Outs of a New York Pass

Q: My wife and I will be in New York in August and are contemplating buying a seven-day New York Pass each. Do you think it represents good value for money? - Guy Botha

A: As you are no doubt aware, the New York Pass grants the holder free admission to more than 55 top New York attractions. If you buy the pass online, the cost of the pass drops from 200 to 170 dollars. There are no additional charges when you tour the Empire State Building and Madame Tussaud's and take a trip on the Circle Line River Cruise. Tickets for these three events would cost you more than 90 dollars. The average cost of all the attractions, though, is around 15 dollars, so you need to visit two or three attractions a day for it to make financial sense. You also get a 176-page guidebook for the city, with detailed maps and insider tips. You may consider adding a three-day adult hop-on hop-off bus pass for 65 dollars. You will definitely save a heap if you are going to use all seven days to sightsee. If you are considering "rest days" then it might make more sense to buyer shorter passes and cram your sightseeing into three or four days. For further information check out the www.newyorkpass.com website. (12/6/11)