Save Money & Explore the U.K. With An Attraction Pass

When you’re in the UK, and you want to explore as much as possible, then a UK Attraction Pass is what you need.

Whether you use one or more of the following passes, you’ll end up saving money if you carefully plan out your itinerary.

Knowing what to see is crucial in getting the most out of your pass. From their websites, you can not only find attractions and historical castles that you may not have been aware of but are also able to plan out your trip to accommodate everything and save money and time.

Some of these passes I’ve used, and some I haven’t, but they are an invaluable tool in your travels around the UK.

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If you are travelling around the United Kingdom, the best way is by car. Not only do you get to see more but you will find more hidden gems that the average traveller doesn’t see.

Need A Car?

If you want to book a car, you can try using one of these car rental websites, EconomyBookings.com, DiscoverCars or RentalCars.

Need Accommodation?

Try using these accommodation websites to find a comfortable place to sleep after your day exploring, Booking.com, Agoda and Expedia.

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All prices and times were correct when this was written or updated, but please check the websites when you wish to visit.

Do you want to contact me for more information on this blog or another? You can by leaving a comment at the bottom of the page.

Visit Britain Shop

Order your passes or other attraction tickets from this online shop.

From city passes to attractions tickets to transport cards, the Visit Britain Shop has them all and more. This should be your first website to check out the deals that are on offer.

I have provided links from the Australian site, but you can change your country and language by clicking in the top right-hand corner of the site.

Merlin Magical London 5-in-1 Pass

I have used The Merlin Magical London pass and had a fantastic day with it. It includes entry to Madame Tussaud’s, London Dungeon, London Eye, Shrek’s Adventure and SeaLife London Aquarium.

I started at Madame Tussaud’s, where I had to validate the pass, then made my way to the London Eye, where the other attractions are.

This is an easy pass to see all the attractions in one day as they are in the same location except Madame Tussaud’s.

You can read more about my day in 2019 at these attractions on my blog, Merlin London Big Adventure Pass.

You can find London Passes here.

The London Pass Includes A One-Day Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus

I also used this attraction pass and bought a 10-day pass.

If you are wanting to visit all the attractions that London has to offer, such as the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and the view from The Shard, then the London Pass is for you.

Over 85 attractions are covered in this attraction pass, including Greater London.

The pass can be purchased between a 1-day up to a 10-day pass. One day is classified as a calendar day, not 24 hours.

It is best to plan out what attractions you really want to see and fit them together like a puzzle so you can see as much as possible, in as much time as possible, at the best price.

You can certainly save a lot of money using this pass, and having the one-day hop-on, hop-off bus is a bonus in orientating your way around London.

To see prices and purchase tickets, you can find the information here.

You can read more about my experiences with The London Pass on my blog, Using The London Pass.

Big Bus Tour

Don’t have time to see all the attractions London has to offer? Try a Big Bus Tour and see all of London from the top of a double-decker bus.

With an audio commentary and the best seats in the house for taking photos, your short stay will be filled with memories as you see all of London’s top landmarks in comfort.

Explore London with the Explorer Pass

I haven’t used this attraction pass and it works a little differently as you choose to visit 2, 3, 4, 5 or 7 attractions during 60 days validity from over 65 attractions.

Once again, it would be best to make a list of attractions you would want to see and plan your days around that to plan which pass is best for you.

Please click here if you want more information on this pass, including purchasing through the VisitBritain online shop.

Explore the UK with Transport Passes

While in the British Shop, you can find passes to use The Tube and other London transport means.

Unless you want to spend hours walking around London to each attraction, picking up a Visitor Oyster Card or London Travelcard will save you time, and you get to see a different side of London.

Travelcards are purchased for 1,2,3 or 7 days, whereas the Oyster Card can be topped up as many times as you like and never expires, so you can use it whenever you visit.

You can also use The Oyster Card between Heathrow and London and Gatwick and London.

They can be used on the following:

• London Underground (the Tube) 
• Overground and National Rail trains in London
• London buses
• South London trams
• Docklands Light Railway (DLR)
• The Thames cable car (Emirates Air Line)

You can also purchase a ticket that is only used between Heathrow and London.

To purchase the transport passes, please click here through the VisitBritain online shop.

Explore the UK with Historic Passes

Explore the UK with the National Trust Pass

If you live in the UK and don’t have reciprocal membership from your own country, then a National Trust Pass would be the way to go.

This pass covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland. You can also use this pass in Scotland under their reciprocal use.

With over 500 properties to visit, it is not only an economical way to see these attractions, but it also gives you an insight into what is available to see where you are travelling.

Membership is covered for 12 months and includes parking and entry to the properties, a handbook with information on places to visit, National Trust magazine three times a year and access to a members-only area with information on previews and behind-the-scenes features.

Prices

• Adult (26+) £91.20
• Young Person (18-25 years) £45.60
• Junior (5-17 years) £12.00
• Junior (0-5 years) Free
• Joint (Two adults (aged 18+) living at the same address) £151.20
• Family (Two adults (aged 18+) living at the same address and their children or grandchildren (17 or under). Under 5s, go free. £159
• Family One adult (aged 18+) and their children or grandchildren (17 or under). Under 5s, go free. £99

All prices are for 12 months.

You can find information on more than 500 properties, prices and more on their website here.

If you have a National Trust Pass in your country, you can also use it in the UK for free entry.

Explore the UK with the National Trust Overseas Visitors Touring Pass

If you’re only in the UK for a short time, then the National Trust Touring Pass is for you.

Unlike the National Trust pass, this pass is only for 7 or 14 days, but all the information from above is applicable.

It is still value for money if you wish to visit historic buildings, gardens and castles and you would use it the same as other day passes by planning out your days well.

Prices

7-Day:

• Admit one – £46
• Admit two – £76
• Admit family – £80

14-Day:

• Admit one – £59
• Admit two – £98
• Admit family – £104

Click here to book your pass.

If you have a National Trust Pass in your country, you can also use it in the UK for free entry.

Explore the UK with the English Heritage Pass

If you are travelling around England, you have over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places to visit, including Stonehenge, Dover Castle, Carlisle Castle and Whitby Abbey.

These are real value-for-money passes if you are interested in visiting the history of England. You will have unlimited access to these historical places for an entire year, including free parking and up to 6 kids go free with each adult with a membership.

Prices

• Adult (26-64 years old) £6 a month or £72 a year
• Senior (65+ years old) £5.50 a month or £66 a year
• Young Adult/Student (18-25 years old with valid NUS card) £3.50 a month or £42 a year
• Family* £90.00
• Joint Adult Couple (18+ years old) £10.50 a month or £126 a year
• 1 Adult (18+ years old) and 1 Senior (65+ years old) £9.25 a month or £111 a year
• Joint Senior Couple (65+ years old) £8.25 a month or £99 a year
• Family 1 Adult & 6 children £6 a month or £72 a year
• Family 2 Adults & 12 children £10.50 a month or £126

Adult Members must live at the same address. Up to 6 kids go free with each adult.

Click here to book and use the voucher code EHAFF2023 to receive a further 15% off Gift and annual memberships.

Prices for Overseas Visitors

This pass has a choice of two consecutive day passes, 9-day or 16-day. Make sure you pick your day pass well depending on how long you spend here and your interests.

9-Day

• Adult £47.00
• Two Adults £83.00
• Family* £94.00

16-Day

• Adult £56.00
• Two Adults £94.00
• Family* £105.00

*Two Adults and up to four other family members living at the same address and under 18 years of age.

Click here to purchase your ticket.

Explore the UK with the Explorer Pass Historic Scotland

This pass gives you access to all open Historic Scotland sites over a 7-day or 14-day period.

A 7-day pass is valid for use on 7 consecutive days, and the 14-day is valid for use on 14 consecutive days. Your pass will activate on the date of your first visit. You can visit multiple sites on any day, and only one visit per site is permitted.

The pass includes entry to Edinburgh, Stirling and Urquhart Castles, Skara Brae and Fort George, as well as many more.

Prices

7-Day:

• Adult (16-64) from £35.00
• Concession (65yrs+), full-time students (with valid ID) and unemployed (proof of Universal Credit or other qualifying benefit required) from £28.00
• Child (5-15yrs) from £21.00
• Under 5s free.
• Family 2 adults and up to 3 children (5-15yrs) from £70.00

14-Day:

• Adult (16-64) £44.00
• Concession (65yrs+), full-time students (with valid ID) and unemployed (proof of Universal Credit or other qualifying benefit required) £35.00
• Child (5-15yrs) £26.00
• Under 5s free.
• Family 2 adults and up to 3 children (5-15yrs) from £88.00

Children must be accompanied by an adult.

You can find their website here to book and see what properties this pass covers.

Explore the UK with the National Trust for Scotland

If you love history, then you will never want to leave Scotland.

With so much history in such a small country, the National Trust Pass is a must when you visit to learn about Scotland’s past.

Battlegrounds, Castles, famous Scots and gardens are here for you to enjoy and learn at a great price and with a picturesque backdrop.

Prices

• Adult £5.80 a month £69.60 annually
• Senior (60+) £5.20 a month £62.40 annually
• Young (16-24 years) £3.35 a month £40.20 annually
• Joint Adult £10.25 a month £123.00 annually
• Joint Senior £8.30 a month £99.60 annually

You can find their website here to book and see what properties this pass covers.

If you have a National Trust Pass in your country, you can also use it in the UK for free entry.

Explore the UK with the CADW Explorer Pass

This Welsh pass will take you into the history of Wales through 25 Castles and Historic Houses.

You can pick up a pass from most of the places you visit as it isn’t available to purchase online. They come in either a 3-day or 7-day pass.

I purchased the 3-day pass and visited six Castles and homes in that time, basing myself in Conwy.

Please click here if you’d like to read more information on the pass, including places to visit and prices.

Prices

3-Day

• Adult £24.20
• Two Adults £36.30
• Family* £58.05

7-Day

• Adult £36.30
• Two Adults £54.45
• Family* £67.70

*2 adults and up to 3 children/grandchildren under 18.

Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Pass holders of English Heritage, Historic Scotland and Manx Heritage can visit Cadw sites on a reduced-price or free basis.

Conclusion

I highly recommend using an Attraction Pass to make your visit to the UK more cost-effective. I find them an invaluable tool in planning my vacation as well.

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Links

If you’d like to read more of my blogs on Australia, you can find them on the following links; Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Camping and Silo Art, or if you’re after New Zealand, the United Kingdom or Photography, you can click on their links.

Travel Resources

• Flights and Accommodation – You can search for the cheapest flights and accommodation using Booking.com, Skyscanner, Hopper and WayAway, which has 5% cashback.
• Car Hire – Take to the open road with great deals from EconomyBookings.com, RentalCars.com and DiscoverCars.
• Train & Bus Tickets UK & Europe – Use Trainline to plan and book your rail and train travel in the UK and Europe.
• Travel Insurance – is your number one thing to pack when you’re travelling. Cover-More Australia, Cover-More New Zealand, EKTA, Travel Insurance Master and Insubuy are what I use.
• Attractions – buy before you leave home with these great sites, Big Bus Tour, Get Your Guide, GoCity and Viator.
• House Sitting – is a great way to save on accommodation and Trusted Housesitters has house sits all around the world for you to try.
• Photo Editing – is a great way to bring your photos to life and you can try Luminar Neo, which I use.
• Visa Applications – apply online for your visa requirements with iVisa.
• Sim cards – Try Airalo is the world’s first eSIM store that solves the pain of high roaming bills by giving travellers access to eSIMs (digital SIM cards).

If you want more, try my Travel Links and Resource page.

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