If you pay as you go, the cost of tickets to UK heritage and historical attractions can really add up. Prepaid passes that offer free and unlimited entry to hundreds of landmarks are a great solution. In addition to saving money, they generally allow you to skip the lines at busy sites. Most also include some extras, such as helpful guides and maps. And you don’t have to keep up with changing exchange rates, knowing what you’ve spent before you go. These are the best passes we have found.
English Heritage Foreign Visitor Pass
Direction
Roman Way , Bristol BS9 1SQ , UKGet directions
This is a good discount pass for first-time visitors to England. Provides free and unlimited entry to over 100 castles, battlefields, and Roman ruins. Extras on the pass include information on another 300 free sites, free or reduced admission to special events, and a how-to guide.
What makes it a great beginner pass is that it is an edited selection of the best on offer. Beginners won’t be overwhelmed by the huge options, but they won’t miss out on all the good stuff either.
The terms of the English Heritage Overseas Visitor Pass are generous – they come in 9- or 16-day versions and the days start counting from the first time you use the pass.
The savings are great too – you only need to visit three locations for the passes to pay for themselves. Unusually, two adults traveling together can purchase a special pass rather than having to purchase an adult pass separately, even if they are not related. And children under 5 years old are free.
Scotland Explorer Historic Pass
The Historic Scotland Explorer Pass covers 77 attractions: castles, abbeys, museums and ancient sites. It sells for a set number of days within a longer period, so there is no pressure to rush from place to place to pay.
You can buy it for three days within a five day period or seven days within 14, allowing time for Scottish lakes, scenery, coastlines and mountains, a little fishing, maybe some golf.
It is valid for one year from the date of purchase, with the time period beginning the first day you use it.
It is sold in versions for adults, children (5 to 15 years), seniors, students and families. The family pass is particularly generous, covering two adults and up to six children. Could this be a holiday gift for a traveling friend?
The National Trust Tourist Pass
Direction
Upper Rd , Guston , Dover CT16 1HJ , Reino UnidoGet directions
Telephone
+44 1304 202756
Web
Visit the website
The prepaid National Tour Touring Pass offers free entry to all National Trust protected properties, including 300 buildings and gardens, more than 600,000 acres of countryside in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and more than 600 miles of exceptionally beautiful coastline. . .
You can buy it for seven or 14 days, for one adult, two adults traveling together, or a family (including grandparents and an unlimited number of children. This is exceptional value for money and the price supports the work of this non-profit organization charity profit.
The Scottish Heritage Pass
Direction
Castlehill , Edinburgh EH1 2NG , UKGet directions
Telephone
+44 131 225 9846
Web
Visit the website
Buy it all year round but use it from April to October. Among the 120 sites you can visit are some of the most important heritage sites in Scotland: castles, distilleries, palaces, stately homes and gardens. Among the sites included are Edinburgh Castle, Glasgow Cathedral and the tragic Culloden Battlefield.
The pass can be used for seven consecutive days and you can save 25% on the normal entry price. It combines attractions from Historic Scotland, The National Trust for Scotland and Discovering Distilleries, offering a greater variety of attractions.
However, it is also more expensive. It is available online in the US at the Visit Britain store.
El National Trust for Scotland Discover Ticket
Buy this for three, seven, or 14 days and gain access to 100 sites steeped in history. The pass is available for adults (17+) or families of two adults and up to four children under 17 years of age.
This one is a good price with a good variety of indoor and outdoor sites to visit. They calculate that if you buy a 14-day pass and visit a site every day, you can save £ 100.
Included in the list are Robert Burns’ birthplace and the Glencoe Visitor Center. Glencoe, the site of a terrible 17th century betrayal and massacre, is, in my opinion, one of the most dramatic landscapes you can visit in all of Scotland. And, if the weather is good enough to land in, you can visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of St. Kilda on this pass. It is available in US dollars from the Visit Britain store.
The York Pass
Direction
Deangate , York YO1 7HH , UKGet directions
Telephone
+44 1904 557200
Web
Visit the website
The York Pass is one of the best city passes we’ve seen because York, England, being a small, walled city, is compact enough for visitors to get their money’s worth from the pass without rushing too much. For its size, the Roman-Viking-medieval city of York has a lot to see, including one of the official Seven Wonders of the United Kingdom, York Minster. The pass is available in one-, two- and three-day versions for families large and small.
