Should you buy a London Pass or Time Out Card?
While many of London’s most interesting sights, such as the national museums, are completely free to visit, there are still those “must-see” places that come with a hefty price tag.
Whether you’ve got your heart set on sailing over the city at the London Eye, delving into its gory depths at the London Dungeon, or getting to grips with its history at the Tower of London, you’ll quickly find yourself out of pocket after one or two entrance fees.
Here, we break down the best money saving options for different types of visitors coming to London.
London Pass: For the diehard tourist
The most comprehensive discount card on offer in the city, the London Pass is available for one, two, three, six and 10-day trips. It’s not cheap—with adult passes costing £49 for one day pass and going up to £199 for ten days, including unlimited travel on public transport. But once you have your card, you will get free entry to around 60 attractions, as well as queue jumping at certain places.
The attractions featured on the pass are pretty extensive, ranging from the Tower of London (normally £20), Westminster Abbey (normally £18) and Hampton Court Palace (normally £16.50), to Thames River Cruises (normally £18), Arsenal Stadium Tours (normally £18) and even free cinema tickets, ice skating or bowling.
Our verdict? It’s only worth the investment if you plan your time carefully and cram in as much as possible. If it’s your first time in London, and you plan on doing a lot of sightseeing that doesn’t include the city’s free museums, you’ll find you make your money back fairly quickly. Sometimes you can even get a discount on the discounts, so check the website for offers and buy in advance, as the card can be activated up to 12 months after purchase.
The Time Out Card gets you discounts across London. Photo: Courtesy of Time Out
Time Out Card: For the tourist in denial
If you plan to combine sightseeing with plenty of eating, drinking and merrymaking, this could be the option for you. Normally priced at £49 for a year, the Time Out Card is currently on sale for just £24.50, making it a truly excellent option for visitors and Londoners alike.
While it won’t offer you free entry to things, it will offer you discounts on most attractions—between 10% and 60% off, two-for-one admission, or “benefits” (basically little freebies to make your experience better). When night falls the card will also save you money on bars and restaurants, theater, cinema, live music and all sorts of city tours and classes. They will also send you weekly emails with invites to exclusive events, launches and pop ups that you wouldn’t otherwise have heard about.
Our verdict? If you want to balance your London experience between culture and nightlife, then you’re sure to see the benefits from this card. Ideal for those planning a longer stay in the city who wish to delve into the hidden gems as opposed to just the big names, this card will give you more of a Londoner’s view of the city.
Pick up a travel card from National Rail at Paddington Station (among other places) for 2for1 discounts. Photo: Matt Buck
Two-for-one Offers with National Rail: For the relaxed visitor
Another way to get money off top attractions is with a travelcard issued by National Rail. The premise here is that you are day tripping to London, so the discount isn’t valid with an Oyster card, but if you purchase a travelcard from any National Rail station (e.g. St. Pancras, Victoria, Paddington or Euston), you will be issued with a paper ticket which you can redeem for two-for-one entry at over 150 landmarks and attractions in the city. These include the London Dungeon, Madame Tussauds, the London Eye and the Tower of London, as well as theater tickets and deals at shops and restaurants.
Our verdict? A great option for those who wish to go sightseeing at a leisurely pace without making any large investments in advance. However, the discounts don’t work for solo travelers as you need to be traveling in a pair to benefit. Making the most of the deal also requires a bit of planning—in addition to presenting your travelcard on entry, you’ll need to have printed off a 2FOR1 voucher for your chosen attraction from the Days Out Guide website. So, get organized and save!
What do you think?
Have you used any of these passes to save when visiting London? Did you think they were a good value? Tell us about your experience!
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