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Discount Cards & Passes in Italy

It’s impossible to avoid some of the expenses involved with a trip through Italy. You could certainly visit Rome without seeing the Colosseum and the Vatican, or visit Naples without seeing Pompeii – but if you want to include the big sights on your itinerary, you’ll need to pay all those entry fees.
Unless, of course, you get a discount card for the city that covers your ticket price.
Not every discount pass in Italy will offer the same kinds of money-saving opportunities, and not every Italian city has a discount card available. It’s always worth checking, however, especially in the larger cities. At the very least, you’ll often find discount cards available for public transportation (whether they’re designed for locals or travelers doesn’t matter), which can save you quite a bit if you’ll be in town for a few days and riding the buses or Metro.

Discount Cards in Rome

  • Roma Pass – The popular Roma Pass grants card-holders free admission to the first two sites visited, a discounted admission ticket to the other sites visited during your stay, and free access to public transportation in the city.
  • Rome Archaeology Card – The Rome Archaeology Card acts as your ticket into the 10 sites included on the card, but doesn’t include transportation.

Discount Cards in Venice

  • Venice Museum Card – The Museum Card covers the attractions surrounding St. Mark’s Square; it’s limited, but these are also some of the most popular sites in the city.
  • Venice Museum Pass – The Museum Pass covers the St. Mark’s sites plus several other attractions around Venice as well as Murano and Burano.
  • VeniceCard – There’s an orange VeniceCard and a blue one, both include public transportation and some museum/attraction tickets; the orange card offers a longer list of inclusions.
  • Rolling Venice – The Rolling Venice card is for visitors age 14-29, and includes discounts on public transportation as well as some attractions. You’ll need to present your ID with this card to prove that you’re the appropriate age to be using it.

Discount Cards in Florence

  • Firenze Card – After a long wait, the Firenze Card is now available. The main card costs €50 and grants users three full days’ access to more than 30 museums, villas, and gardens in Florence, as well as free use of buses and trams in the city. The Firenze Card site also has a clever section designed to give you more information about what’s going on in the city that ties into your interests exactly when you’ll be there. Click on the “My Visit” link on the left to use it.
  • Friends of the Uffizi – The “Amici degli Uffizi” card gives card-holders unlimited access to Florence’s state-run museums (including the Uffizi and Accademia) for one full year; perhaps not ideal for tourists, but if you’re living in the area temporarily it can be a great pass to have.

Discount Cards in Naples

  • Campania Artecard – There are several varities of the Campania Artecard, with varying inclusions, but most cover a combination of both attractions as well as transportation.

Discount Cards in Milan

  • MilanoCard – The MilanoCard offers discounts on museums/attractions in the city as well as some restaurants, and gives card-holders free access to public transportion in Milan (bus, Metro, trams).

photo by cobacco