Great British Heritage Pass

It completely depends on what you think you will see while you are there. Keep in mind the time you will spend at each thing. The card may be good for, say, 100 attractions, but if you can only physically do 25 it's not worth the money. Look at the entrance fees and see how much the things you want to see would cost if you paid individually (also keeping in mind that many museums in London are free anyway). Then do the math. It's the only way to tell if it's a good value for you.

It is good value if you are spending more time visiting sites outside London. It's coverage of all National Trust and English Heritage sites as well as significant private sites eg Blenheim Palace is excellent. It also means that you can pop into places along the way for a quick look-see, something you might not have done because of the costs involved. Edit - and of course sites in Scotland and Wales.

I have the same advice for all passes. Put together your trip plans with what you want to see. Put in the prices for entry and then see what the pass will cover during your time frame. I've found the Ireland OPW pass to be a no brainer on a two week trip or more. The pass is pretty cheap and good for a whole year. The GB Heritage Pass is good for a busy sightseer hitting the abbey's and castles heavily. The London Pass is harder to justify except for extended London stays or very intense one or two days dedicated to LP sites. The LP does help with some lines. All of the passes come with booklets to show other sites. You can find some diversions this way that don't add to your sightseeing costs. I wouldn't avoid non-pass sites I wanted to see to "save" but sometimes a "freebie" is worth adding.

Hi Douglas,
My name is Katy – I work for VisitBritain (the British Tourist board). Just as Nancy, Linda and Ken state, whether or not the Pass is suitable for you really depends on how many places you are intending on visiting. You may get a clear idea of potential savings by visiting this page http://www.heritagepassbritain.com/en/you-save.html I would like to say that not all English Heritage and National Trust properties feature on the Pass, but the main ones are included. For a full list please see http://www.heritagepassbritain.com/en/places-to-visit/a-z-list-of-all-places-to-visit.html A lot feedback we have had from customers say that aside from the saving, one of the good things about the Pass is exposure to some of the smaller, quirkier sites which otherwise you may never have heard of. The Pass is good for these spontaneous visits – you won't have to worry about payment on arrival or queuing for admission. Some FAQs are covered here http://www.heritagepassbritain.com/en/frequently-asked-questions.html but if you have any specific questions I'd be more than happy to help. Katy

Douglas, You say you can't find reviews of the Great British Heritage Pass? Have you checked the archive of chat threads on this site? Search the full name and natives like "GBHB" or "British Heritage Pass" and you should find several long conversations. I know I've contributed to at least two. Like the others, I agree it depends on your itinerary. And since I am not employed by British tourism, I can provide an independent confirmation of Katy's statement that a side benefit is finding sites that one otherwise might have skipped. For example, I can attest that the GBHP brought me to both the Merchant Adventurers' Hall and Clifford's Tower in York despite Rick Steves' blah reviews. Both turned out to be among my favorites on my most recent trip. EDIT: The system keeps refusing to accept the word ALTERNATIVES and posts only "natives" in the first para.

Thanks for all the details. As we'll be spending most of our time on the rails, these hidden gems are going to be a great addition to our journey. Last night the mailman delivered my 2011 timetable book published by The Stationery Office. 3200 pages!

I agree - it can be a great deal. I've used it before with excellent results. Didn't get it this year, as I added up the entrance costs of where we'd be going and it wouldn't have benefited us. But one thing I like is that if I drive by a site and decide I want to go, I don't have to worry about paying.

We thought it was a great deal....made even better by the fact that when we purchased, they offered a 2 for 1 deal so we got 8 days for the price of 4...might be worth an inquiry, but seemed a rarity then. The info provided was abundant and clear (open days/hours/facilities); we planned our driving week in Southern England with the pass in mind, adding sights we'd never have known about otherwise but were nearby our route. Not sure it's all that handy for London. Have a terrific time!