FAQ

Depending on the sightseeing pass, you get free entry to dozens of attractions. The main New York passes cover famous attractions such as observation decks (e.g. Empire State Building, Top of the Rock), museums (e.g. 9/11 Museum, MoMA) and tours.

Many passes also include additional services such as hop-on hop-off bus tours, boat tours or guided city tours. This means you can experience many of the city's highlights with a single pass without having to buy each ticket individually.

Your City Pass is only activated when you use it for the first time at an attraction. The validity period begins on this first day of use.

For time-based passes such as the New York Pass, the period of use runs in consecutive calendar days (e.g. 1, 3 or 5 days at a time). With attraction-based passes such as the Explorer Pass or New York CityPASS, on the other hand, you have a longer period from the first day of use to visit all the selected attractions (e.g. 30 days for the Explorer Pass or 9 days for the CityPASS).

Each attraction included in the pass can only be visited once per pass holder. Repeated visits to the same attraction are not possible with the same pass.

Exception: If your pass includes a hop-on hop-off bus tour, you can use it as often as you like within the validity period (typically on the same day). Otherwise, only one admission per attraction is included.

None of the New York City Passes entitle you to free use of public transportation such as the subway or city bus. Rides on public transportation are not included in the scope of the sightseeing passes.

Instead, many passes offer tourist transportation services. For example, hop-on hop-off bus tours or ferries to popular destinations (such as the Statue of Liberty) are often included in the pass. However, these do not replace normal local transport tickets.

No, the City Pass is not valid as a ticket for the subway, bus or other public transportation. You still need a separate ticket (e.g. a MetroCard) for local transportation in New York.

The passes focus on admission to sights and tourist attractions. For transfers on city transport - including travel to or from the airport - you will need to purchase a ticket yourself.

No, none of the New York passes include transfers to or from the airports. Neither public transportation nor shuttle transfers to the airport are included in the pass.

You must therefore organize your airport transfer separately. Use the airport trains, the subway, cabs or shuttle services, for example - these services are not included in the City Pass.

Yes, many passes offer fast track entry to selected attractions. This allows you to avoid queues, for example at popular attractions such as the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock or the 9/11 Museum.

Which attractions allow fast track entry depends on the pass in question. It is best to find out in advance on the pass website or in the guide provided at which attractions your pass offers fast track entry.

There are reduced rates for children on all major New York passes. As a rule, children's prices apply to age groups between 3 and 12 years (the exact age varies depending on the pass provider). Toddlers under the age of 3 often do not need a pass as many attractions are free for them.

There are usually no special discounts for senior citizens, students or other groups - the passes usually only differentiate between adult and child rates. However, it is worth checking whether children are free or cheaper at individual attractions, depending on their age, before buying a pass for them.

New York Passes can be purchased online directly from the respective provider. After purchasing, you will receive the pass digitally - usually as a QR code by email or via an app. You can then simply save it on your smartphone or print it out.

No physical collection is necessary. You download the pass and can use it immediately. On site, you then only need to show the QR code or digital pass at the attractions to gain admission.

Yes, most New York Passes can be canceled before the trip if they have not yet been used. The New York Pass and the Explorer Pass, for example, have a money-back guarantee of around 30 days from purchase (as long as the pass has not been activated). You can cancel the purchase within this period and get your money back.

The CityPASS can also be canceled, but with different conditions - for example, until shortly before the start of your trip, depending on where you bought it. Important: Once you have activated or used a pass, a refund is normally excluded. If in doubt, check the website of your pass provider to find out about the exact cancellation rules.

Nowadays, New York Passes are provided digitally, so losing them is hardly a problem. If you lose or delete your digital pass (QR code or email), you can download it again at any time from the confirmation email or retrieve it again via the app.

If you still need help - for example if you have lost a printed voucher - contact the provider's customer service. As the passes are not personal and are stored digitally, they can usually help you easily or resend the pass.

A New York Pass is always intended for one person at a time and should not be shared. There is no name on the passes, which means that you can theoretically give a purchased pass to someone else or give it as a gift as long as it has not yet been activated.

However, once the pass has been used or activated, it is effectively tied to one person. You cannot transfer it to someone else or use it with several people at the same time. So everyone needs their own pass for each person and trip.