CityPASS and Bikes…a Great Urban Combination!
CityPASS ticket booklets let travelers visit the top 5 or 6 attractions in 11 North American destinations, all while saving up to 49 percent off combined admission prices and skipping most main-entrance lines. In many CityPASS destinations, cities are encouraging visitors to bike share, with programs like Citi Bike NYC, BIXI Toronto, The Hubway (Boston), San Francisco Bike Coalition and Divvy Bikes (Chicago), offering travelers the chance to explore their city of choice by bike! Purchase a CityPASS ticket booklet, hop on a bike, and uncover all that the following cities have to offer.
Boston — The Boston CityPASS program provides visitors access to the city’s top attractions at a combined savings of 48 percent. Visit the New England Aquarium and then bike to RevolutionaryBoston at the Old State House and the Museum of Science. Move on to New England’s only observatory: Skywalk Observatory, located on the 50th floor of the PrudentialCenter. Other included CityPASS attractions: Harvard Museum of Natural History (may be visited in lieu of the Old State House), a perfect excuse to explore Harvard’s beautiful campus — and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. And don’t forget, the Old State House is located on The Freedom Trail, a bikeable tour route good for burning calories and witnessing 16 historical sites encompassing 250 years of America’s most significant past. Grab a bike from one of the many Hubway stations located around Boston and in surrounding neighborhoods. Purchase a 24-Hour ($6) or 3-Day Pass ($12) and ride as much or as little as you’d like.
Boston CityPASS ticket booklets: $51, adults; $36, child (3-11). Valid for 9 consecutive days, beginning with the first day of use. www.CityPASS.com/boston
Chicago — With a Chicago CityPASS ticket booklet, you’ll save a combined 49 percent off admission to the Shedd Aquarium, Skydeck Chicago, The Field Museum, John Hancock Observatory or the Museum of Science and Industry, and either the Adler Planetarium or Art Institute of Chicago. It’s easy to bike to and from these attractions, several of which are located along or near the ultra-bikeable Lake Michigan waterfront and beautiful MillenniumPark. Divvy Bikes offers more than 100 locations (known as docking stations) throughout the city. Visit these attractions all while getting in a bit of exercise during your trip. Visitors can purchase a 24-hour bike pass for $7.
Chicago CityPASS ticket booklets: $89, adults; $79, child (3-11). Valid for 9 consecutive days, beginning with the first day of use. www.CityPASS.com/chicago
New York CITY — Journey from place to place in this bike-friendly city, and you’ll never want to go home. A New York CityPASS ticket booklet grants 40 percent off combined admission to the Empire State Building Observatory, the American Museum of Natural History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Guggenheim Museum or Top of the Rock, and the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island or a Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise. With the launch of Citi Bike this past May, bike docking stations now cover nearly every corner of the city. With a New York CityPASS booklet and Citi Bike, visitors enjoy a Big Apple experience that simply can’t be had from a taxi or subway.
New York CityPASS ticket booklets: $106, adults; $79, youth (6-17). Valid for 9 consecutive days, beginning with the first day of use. www.CityPASS.com/new-york
SAN FRANCISCO — Another great city for exploring and biking is San Francisco. Starting August 2013, visitors to San Francisco will be able to participate in the Bay Area Bike Share program. Passes to ride the bikes, starting at nine dollars, are available for 24 hours, 3 days, 7 days, or annually. Travelers can then use a San Francisco CityPASS ticket booklet, which saves 44 percent off combined admission to the city’s top attractions. Includes a Muni & Cable Car 7-Day Transportation Passport, as well as admission to the California Academy of Sciences, a Blue & Gold Fleet Bay Cruise, a choice between the Aquarium of the Bay or Monterey Bay Aquarium, and a choice between the Exploratorium or the de Young Museum and Legion of Honor.
San Francisco CityPASS ticket booklets: $84, adults; $59, child (5-11). Valid for 9 consecutive days, beginning with the first day of use. www.CityPASS.com/san-francisco
TORONTO — Bike around Toronto with BIXI Toronto and enjoy the top five attractions this fantastic Canadian city has to offer with a Toronto CityPASS ticket booklet. In addition to trimming 43 percent off combined admission prices, the CityPASS ticket booklet allows travelers to skip most main-entrance ticket lines. Subscription options for BIXI include one year ($97), 30 days ($41), and 72 hours ($12), as well as more flexible options. Each Toronto CityPASS booklet includes admission to the CN Tower, with its 1,100-foot view of Toronto; Casa Loma; the RoyalOntarioMuseum; the Toronto Zoo and Ontario Science Centre.
Toronto CityPASS ticket booklets: $61.50 CAD, adults; $36.50 CAD, child (4-12). Valid for 9 consecutive days, beginning with the first day of use. www.CityPASS.com/toronto
