Passess

I have not bought either of these passes, but have used several others in several countries. I make a list of the sites I want to see, then go to their websites to get the admission cost. I total these and compare it to the price of the passes available. If the pass will save me money, then I buy. If I will break even or pay slightly more for the pass, but save time such as with skip-the-line features, I will buy. If you have the pass you will also probably see more, because you might not go into a small sight if you have to pay an admission, but if it is "free" with the card, you may go in for a short visit.

I have a pass question of my own. I have the 72 hour Omnia + Roma Pass for Rome. It came with two separate cards. I think that they are independent, but am not sure as the literature with the card and on the website is not explicit. I think that the Omnia card is used for the Cristiana hop-on-hop-off bus and Vatican sites only and that the Roma Pass is for museums such as the Coliseum and public transportation only. That would mean that they have their own 3 day time periods that do not have to run simultaneously. Am I correct? Also, it is called a 72 hour card, but it appears to be a 3 calendar day card. Am I correct on this issue as well?

With all passes you need to price it out. Some passes are good deals and others are not.

Gabriella, please post your question as a separate, new question in the proper section - Italy. It is impolite to hijack someone else question especially when it is totally unrelated to the OP's question. You will receive much better answers that way.

Thanks Gabriella and Frank!

I have tried to compare the costs of the sites but do not have a listing all the sites for each pass. There are several of the "biggies: that are covered and it looks like it might be a good deal. I would love to see more sight but am not sure where all are located and how close they are to the main attractions, for lack of better words at the moment, that we want to see while in Scotland. We will be visiting Edinburgh, Oban, Inverness and surrounding areas. Does anyone have any suggestions for "smaller" visits??
Thanks,
Kathy

See also this recent thread: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/scotland/pass-pass-pass-what-are-the-best-passes-to-purchase-to-save-money-on-entrance-fee-s.

Thank you Laura!! Great site!! We will be buying the passes believe as it is a "one stop shop" and covers most of our must sees!!!
Kathy

Kathy,

I just returned from Scotland and we did purchase the Scottish Explorer Pass (7 day) when we arrived at Stirling Castle. There were no lines and it was an easy transaction. We priced the castles/attractions on our itinerary and we only saved a few dollars by using the pass. Many of the castles we planned to see where actually privately owned and so were not covered with either the National Trust or Explorer Passes. We purchased the pass to help us avoid the lines at Edinburgh castle. There we just walked to the front of the line and got our passes scanned. When I checked into buying a single Edinburgh castle ticket on-line, it required an allotted time slot. I wanted flexibility and a fast pass - which is what we got with the Explorer Pass. However, depending on what time of year you are going - I found Edinburgh castle to be so busy that it was not as enjoyable as I had anticipated. I much preferred many of the other beautiful castles/palaces that we saw on our week long trip. If you have further questions on the pass - PM me - I have the booklet on what is covered.

Margaret

Thanks Margaret !!! Any more info you can give would be appreciated!!