Is the Berlin Welcome Card worth it?
The Berlin Welcome Card (with discounts at more than 180 attractions) and Berlin Welcome Card all-inclusive (with free admission into 30+ attractions) sounds like a great deal, especially considering both passes include all your public transport tickets. But are they worth it?
Long story short: they’re probably not the best value, and we recommend purchasing day tickets for public transport and the Museum Card for museum lovers.
There are several different discount cards for tourists in Berlin. The two main ones are:
Berlin Welcome Card (starting at €26 for a 48 hour pass)
Berlin Welcome Card all inclusive (starting at €99 for a 48 hour pass)
When evaluating whether the Welcome Cards offer good value for your holiday, there are several things to consider.
The Welcome Card makes a point of it including all your public transport. Public transport tickets are easy and affordable in Berlin and can be purchased through the BVG ticket app. In general, a 24-hour ticket (for all public transport types) costs €10, and a 2-hour ticket is just €3.50. If you are a family up to 5 people, you can travel with a 24-hour small group ticket for €31.
With the Welcome Card, you must have a physical or printed card to use public transport. Otherwise, you risk being fined if caught with a mobile-only version, depending on how lenient the inspectors are that day.
Public transport is generally affordable and reliable in Berlin, unless there is a strike. However, due to many attractions being within easy walking distance, you might find yourself walking more than taking public transport. If you plan your holiday in advance you can concentrate most of your public transport usage on the same day and save money on tickets this way, rather than relying on the Welcome Card free public transport.
Museums are free on the first Sunday of every month, meaning you don’t need a ticket on this day. Additionally, most museums are closed on Mondays, so you won’t be able to take advantage of free entrance with any passes.
With the Welcome Card, you must wait in lines at attractions, as you cannot use the discounts when buying tickets online.
If you are primarily interested in visiting museums, the Berlin Museum Card offers better value. For €32, you can enter over 30 museums for free over 3 days. If you visit just 1 museum a day, you’ll be saving money.
How to decide if the Welcome Cards are good value-for-money for your holiday:
Plan all the destinations you will visit during your stay.
Check whether these attractions are covered by the Berlin Welcome Card discounts, by checking here.
If you don’t want to calculate your savings down to the dollar a good rule of thumb is: if you plan on visiting 3 or more attractions covered by the Welcome Cards every day, there is a good chance you could save money. Especially if you plan on some of the more expensive attractions such as a boat-cruise, hop-on hop-off bus tour, Madame Tussauds and the TV tower.
If you will be visiting 2 or fewer attractions everyday covered by the Welcome Cards, there are probably better deals around town to help you save money (stay tuned for more tips in another post).
Our conclusion:
The Berlin card probably isn’t worth it unless you plan to visit 3+ expensive attractions per day. Public transport tickets are affordable, and you may not use this feature all that much anyway because Berlin is so walkable.
There are other, better, passes, such as the Museum Card, which we do recommend and which you can buy here.
If you decide to purchase the Welcome Card, here are some top tips:
Only buy your Welcome Card after arriving in Berlin. If for whatever reason your holiday is cancelled you are unlikely to have your Welcome Card refunded.
Only buy your Welcome Card at the airport if you arrive in the morning (and be mindful that you will need to purchase the slightly more expensive ABC transport zones to use the pass directly from the airport). The Welcome Card is active from the day you buy it and you can purchase one at the airport, tourist information and a lot of the big tourist attractions around town, as well as online. If you arrive late in the day, you won’t have as much time to get the best value from your Welcome Card. Public transport tickets from the airport into the city are also very affordable - so you can buy an individual transport ticket. More information about how to get to the city from the airport here.
Not all attractions will allow immediate entry upon arrival. For some, you will also need a timed ticket along with your Welcome Card. You can inquire about this at the Tourist Information office or where you buy your card.
State Museums in Berlin, including those on Museum Island, are free on the first Sunday of every month and closed on Mondays. Be mindful of this when deciding how many days to purchase for your Welcome Card.
