Travel Discounts in German Cities

Several popular German cities are offering special cards or tickets that provide discounts on transportation and, in some cases, sightseeing attractions. These cards/tickets aren’t sold in the United States; they have to be purchased in the cities themselves.

Hamburg, Germany’s second-largest city, offers a “Hamburg Card” with discounts on city transportation, sightseeing programs and admission to attractions.

A single card, which allows an adult to take along three children, costs about $6 for one day and $11 for three days. A group/family card, covering four adults and three children, costs about $12 for one day, $18 for multiple days.

The card provides unlimited travel on all public transportation, including buses and subways; admission to 11 Hamburg museums and reductions up to 40% on city tours, cruises on Alster Lake (April through October), guided tours of the port and a visit to themuseum ships “Rickmer Rickmers” and “Cap San Diego.”

Munich offers a 24-hour ticket for about $5 that provides unlimited travel on city subways, rail lines, streetcars and buses. Another 24-hour ticket for about $10 covers the suburbs as well. At participating hotels, a weekend package provides breakfast and a transportation ticket good for 48 hours. Roomrates at the hotels, which are discounted up to 25% off regular prices, run from $49 to $124 per person, double occupancy.

A Visitor’s Card in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which comes with the price of a room at participating hotels, offers unlimited use of municipal bus service plus free or reduced rates on cable cars and mountain railways, as well as various attractions.

Participating hotels in the university town of Heidelberg are offering a two-night package, with rates from $112 to $246 per person/double occupancy, that includes accommodations, a city sightseeing tour, a boat excursion on the Neckar River, a meal at a student inn and a 20% discount on City Theater productions.

To find out which hotels are offering discount packages, and to pick up transportation cards or tickets, stop by the local tourist office in any of the above cities.

For general information, contact the German National Tourst Office, 444 S. Flower St., Suite 2230, Los Angeles 90071, (213) 688-7332. Note: As of Wednesday, the office is moving to 11766 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 750, Los Angeles 90025, (310) 575-9799.