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Groups exploring cities can save significantly on transport and entry to attractions with city cards and regional passes. The EBS Dagkaart MRDH costs only €8.70 per ticket when you buy 50 or more. Families and groups of friends benefit from these advantageous day tickets. Child discounts and unlimited public transport make the combination even more attractive. Regional passes help you plan smartly and experience more for less money.
Why city cards are ideal for group travel
City cards combine several services in one pass. This saves both time and money on group trips. You get access to top attractions, museums and public transport. You no longer need to buy separate tickets each time. For larger parties these benefits add up quickly. They save both time and money. You can find more information on the different options in the overview of city cards and regional passes.
The main advantages at a glance:
- Free entry to museums, monuments and activities, often unlimited during the period of validity
- Unlimited public transport by bus, tram, metro and sometimes ferries, perfect for groups visiting the city in different areas
- Extra mobility such as daily bike hire, boat trips or hop-on hop-off tours
- Discounts of 10 to 25 per cent at restaurants, cafés and shops
Specific rates and conditions apply to groups with children. Many cards allow up to two children up to 9 years to travel free on an adult card. This makes family trips significantly more affordable.
Regional passes for groups with child discounts
Regional passes offer groups and families discounts on public transport and access to multiple zones. The EBS Dagkaart MRDH is an example of a pass that becomes very affordable when you buy in bulk. When you purchase 50 or more, you pay €8.70 per card. This is considerably cheaper than buying individual day tickets. This pass gives unlimited access to public transport in the Rotterdam The Hague region.
Many regional passes offer a reduced fare for children up to the age of 11. Some operators allow young children to travel free when accompanied by a paying adult. This makes travelling with the family financially attractive, especially for multi-day trips or tours through the region.
Ordering group day tickets for South Holland
For group travel in South Holland there are various options. The Tourist Day Ticket, for example, offers access to public transport in specific zones. For group bookings you often order directly from regional transport operators. This results in favourable rates.
When ordering, pay attention to the following points:
- Submit requests at least two weeks in advance for large groups
- Check validity per zone, especially when travelling to several cities
- Ask about child discounts and any free-travel arrangements
- Decide whether you only need public transport or also access to attractions
Amsterdam and region: family discounts and group benefits
The tourist pass I amsterdam City Card is popular with groups visiting the capital. This pass gives access to 70 attractions such as the Rijksmuseum and offers unlimited GVB transport by tram, bus, metro and ferry. You can choose from different validity periods ranging from 24 to 120 hours.
The Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket extends this to the entire region. This pass combines public transport in Amsterdam with other regional destinations. You can use it to travel to Zaandam, Volendam and other places outside the city. Children up to the age of 11 often travel at a discount. Some attractions offer free entry for children up to 4 years when accompanied by a paying adult.
Practical tips for groups in Amsterdam:
- Night buses are included, convenient for late evenings after events
- Activate the pass after checking in at the hotel. This guarantees maximum usage time.
- Focus on bundles such as the Van Gogh Museum with a canal cruise for optimal savings
- Download the digital guide in advance for a complete overview of participating locations
Tips for groups with Tourist Day Tickets
Tourist Day Tickets are regional day passes. They allow unlimited travel within a specific area. They are practical for groups that want to visit several cities in one region without separate transport costs.
Points to consider when using these tickets:
- Check in advance which transport lines and zones are included
- Some tickets are only valid on working days or precisely at weekends, so read the conditions
- For groups of 10 people or more, special group fares are sometimes available
- Combine the tickets with local attraction passes for additional savings
For groups with children it is wise to calculate beforehand which option is cheaper. Compare a combination of adult and child tickets with a family version. With many providers you pay nothing for children under 4, while children from 4 to 11 years travel at a reduced fare.
‘ “For a group of 50 people, this means a saving of €215 in one day.” ’
Best pass for children with EBS Dagkaart MRDH
The EBS Dagkaart MRDH offers families in the Rotterdam The Hague region unlimited travel by bus, tram and metro. This pass covers the entire MRDH area. Attractive fares apply for children, reducing total travel costs for families.
Children up to 4 years travel free without a card. Children from 4 to 11 years pay a reduced fare. Large groups such as school trips or family gatherings pay less per person. Volume discounts reduce costs considerably.
Group purchase versus individual tickets
The difference between group purchases and individual tickets is substantial. A single EBS Dagkaart costs around €13. Group purchases from 50 tickets reduce the fare to €8.70. For a group of 50 people, this means a saving of €215 in one day.
This calculation becomes even more favourable when you include child discounts. A family with two adults and two children aged 6 and 8 can sometimes save up to 40 per cent with group day tickets and child fares. Compare this with the cost of individual tickets to see the difference.
Combine city cards with regional exploration
Smart travellers combine city cards with regional passes for extended trips. For example, start with a city card in Rotterdam for museums and urban transport. Then switch to a regional pass. Next, visit Delft, The Hague and Gouda. That way, you get the most out of your trip without unnecessary costs.
Popular combinations for groups:
- Ghent CityCard for 48 or 72 hours with access to all museums and unlimited transport
- Combine this with regional trains to Bruges or Antwerp
- Rotterdam City Card with RET transport supplemented by an EBS Dagkaart for trips to Scheveningen
- Copenhagen Card including airport shuttle and transport to regional attractions outside the city
On rainy days, city cards with many indoor attractions are particularly valuable. Groups can then switch flexibly between museums without transport costs, improving the overall travel experience.
Calculate your savings in advance
Calculate your potential savings before you buy city cards or regional passes. This way you can determine whether a pass is cheaper than individual tickets. Some providers offer online calculators where you enter which attractions you want to visit and how much transport you will use. The tool then calculates whether a pass is cheaper than separate tickets.
Include the following factors in your calculation:
- Entry fees for attractions without a pass. These often cost €15 to €25 per person per museum.
- Public transport day tickets. Allow for €8 to €15 per person.
- Any boat trips or bike hire. These often cost €10 to €20 per activity.
- Restaurant discounts which can quickly add up to €20 to €30 per day for a group.
Groups that visit three or four attractions and use public transport often earn back the cost of a city card. This usually happens on the first day. With multi-day passes the benefit increases further as you plan more activities.
‘ This prevents wasting validity time during check-in or rest breaks. ’
Activate your pass at the right time
The timing of activating your city card determines how much value you get from it. You often activate digital passes via an app. Do this when you start travelling. This prevents wasting validity time during check-in or rest breaks.
Start on a day with lots of planned activities. This is especially useful for groups with children. That way you can make full use of unlimited transport and visit several places without rushing. Avoid activation on quiet days when you are mainly staying in one area.
Night trains, early morning services and late evening buses are often included in city cards with a transport component. Groups that use this for transfers to hotels or evening activities get extra value from their pass.
On the Traveler Tips website you will find extensive information on routes and regional destinations. You can also read more about planning group travel. Discover more practical tips that help you organise your next trip smartly and make the most of your destination.
Frequently asked questions
The total cost saving for your group depends on how many attractions and journeys you actually use, but in practice you usually earn back the price of the city card after around 3 to 4 paid attractions including public transport. Everything you then visit or use in terms of public transport after that generates a net saving compared with individual tickets and separate transport. Especially with intensive use (several museums, a boat trip and repeated use of public transport), the total group saving clearly exceeds the combined purchase price of the city cards.
A city card bundles access to multiple attractions and public transport in one pass, meaning the group has fewer individual tickets to arrange and can move more quickly through entrances. This provides immediate time savings, especially at popular sights with separate city card entrances or no extra ticket-office stop. Thanks to the included, unlimited public transport, the group can plan flexibly and easily shuttle between highlights without constantly buying tickets. In addition, discounts on extra activities, food and drink and shops help you use the budget more efficiently, which adds up quickly, particularly for larger groups.
City cards are generally quite flexible for groups with different interests because they provide access to a wide range of museums, attractions, transport and sometimes extra activities such as boat trips or bike hire. Members of the group can therefore make different choices within the same card, as long as the validity period and conditions are the same. The flexibility lies mainly in the variable duration (for example 24–120 hours) and the large number of participating locations, less in customised options per individual. For groups with very different plans or who only want to visit a few attractions, a city card may, however, be less suitable.
The best city card matches both the length of your stay and the number of paid attractions you really want to do. For a short, intensive programme (2–3 days with several museums and public transport) an all-in card (such as CityCard Ghent or I amsterdam City Card) is usually the best option. For a more relaxed programme or if you mainly want to walk around, a discount card (such as the Rotterdam City Card without public transport) may be more cost-effective. Roughly calculate in advance: if you can recoup the purchase price with the planned attractions plus public transport, then that particular city card is the best choice for your group trip.
Yes, many cities offer special city cards that are financially attractive for groups, with free or reduced entry to attractions and often unlimited public transport. The best way to plan ahead is to check the official city card website for each city, make a cost calculation (number of attractions + public transport) and align the validity period (for example 48 or 72 hours) with your schedule. Reserve the passes online before departure, as there are often promotional rates and this way you are sure of availability. Pay attention to group and child conditions, such as free or discounted entry for children when they travel with a paying adult.
