Recently, there has been an increase in demand for tours to Western Europe. Against this background, many countries are introducing new forms of tickets, which pursue the goal of creating more comfortable conditions for tourists on their territory. We bring to your attention an overview of the changes that have occurred in Spain, the Czech Republic and Germany.
In particular, the largest Spanish railway carrier RENFE has entered into an agreement with the local Ministry of Culture, according to which every tourist who bought a long-distance express ticket receives a discount on visits to a number of museums. In particular, we are talking about an AVE type ticket, which gives the right to visit 13 largest museums of the country at once with a 50% discount.
The ministry says that the main goal of this innovation is to popularize museums and attract the maximum number of tourists. Moreover, such an approach should also bear fruit for railway carriers, the demand for whose services has dropped somewhat recently.
Interestingly, the discount begins to apply not after the passenger steps onto the station platform at the end point of their journey, but 48 hours before boarding the train. Thus, it is possible to visit several museums at once before leaving and upon arrival at the destination (the discount expires two days after the train arrives).
To make it easier for tourists to move between galleries, the discount applies to museums in those cities of Spain through which the AVE routes run. Thus, 8 of the 13 exhibition halls are located in Madrid, while the rest are distributed between cities such as Valencia, Valladolid, Cartagena and Cantabria. In the near future, the list of museums is planned to be expanded to include not only state treasuries, but also private collections.
But in the Czech Republic they decided to change the fare payment system in some types of public transport. Thus, by the end of March, terminals for payment of travel using bank cards will appear in Prague trams and buses. At first, the project will work in test mode and only on those routes that are especially popular among tourists.
Thus, the innovation will affect route 22, which connects the city center with the airport. According to the authorities, this need is due to the fact that most European tourists actively use plastic cards to pay for services and make purchases. Thus, they plan to create more comfortable conditions for using public transport.
Germany also decided to revise the list of attractions, the right to visit which gives the Berlin Pass. So, four more will be added to the already existing 60 sights of cultural and historical significance.
According to eturbonews, tourists who have purchased a single ticket will be able to visit the following attractions:
- - LEGOLAND Discovery Center, which is designed for young tourists aged 3-10;
- - Sealife Berlin, which includes over 97 species of fish;
- - the notorious Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.
In addition, all tourists will be able to immerse themselves in the mysterious world of the Berlin Underground.
