Is a City Pass Worth the Price for Families in Italy?

photo credit: Context Travel

One question that frequently comes up for me as travel consultant is whether it's worth buying a city pass. The concept of the city pass is to package free or discounted admission to several major and lesser-known monuments, museums, and special exhibitions, and frequently they include a limited-time, transit pass for busses and subways.

In Italy, these passes are most popular in the major destinations like Rome, Florence, Naples and Venice. Cities like them because they encourage visitors to use public transportation by simplifying the ticket-buying process, and they typically offer visitors the benefit of fast-tracking your entry in a city's most popular attractions--or even eliminating the queue altogether.  Passes also encourage visitors to discover lesser-known museums and attractions and seek out cultural events.

But are they worth the cost for a family?  That's the question that two journalists set out to investigate just this past week.  In some cases, the answer is a resounding yes.

Which cities offer the best City Pass value?  Click over to Budget Travel's blog post, and the U.K.'s Daily Mail article and decide for yourself.  And while this article is a little older, Jessica at Italylogue has done a very detailed analysis of Rome's City Pass in a past article.

What's your experience?  Did you purchase a city pass and did you think it was worth it?  Share your comments with other family travelers.

Gladiators and police clash in Rome!

A visit to Rome's most recognizable monument, the Colosseum, typically involves an encounter with a kitchy gladiator who poses for your pictures (then asks you for money). For years, men in full gladiator and centurion battle gear, including helmets, swords, tunics and feathered helmets, have set up here, and elsewhere in the city, and have made a fairly decent living doing this, either to the delight or the annoyance of tourists.

photo credit: New York Post

However complaints about these faux gladiators -- which included charges of verbal harassment of tourists, sometimes to an aggressive degree, and pandering for money in exchange for photos or shabby tourist advice -- had reached such levels that city officials finally took notice, and took action.

An easy day trip to Rome's ancient ruins

Pompeii tops the list of sights that many families want to see during a first-time trip Italy.  However, depending on your itinerary, it's sometimes a challenge to get there from other popular destinations in Italy, like Venice and Florence, both of which are also typically at the top the list of places families  want to see.

Unless you're planning to stay in or around the Amalfi Coast or Naples, Pompeii is simply too long of a day trip for most kids.

photo credit: ostia-antica.org

If an ancient Roman city is on your bucket list, then I typically recommend a visit to Ostia Antica, which is easier to get to. Ostia was ancient Rome's seaport, and it's just a short 30 minute train ride from the city center. 

So why don't more families choose to visit?  Today's blog post, Ostia with Kids, from Context Travel's founder Paul Bennett, will perhaps help provide the right amount of inspiration.  

Italy: Three Special Places to Take the Kids

Thousands of years of history, art and architecture, and great food make Italy the most popular destination in Europe.  Most families tend to stick to the traditional Rome, Florence and Venice circuit, and while this itinerary is certainly worthwhile, two weeks of visiting the big tourist cities can easily wear out even the most heroic little traveler. The solution?  Combine an iconic Italian city with one of these three inspirational, family-friendly destinations and enjoy authentic cultural interaction and a truly family-friendly vacation.