Dresden-City-Card

Dresden city cards are available in a slightly overwhelming range of options: there are one- and two-day city cards, three- and five-day region cards; all have a single and a family version. Prices range from €9.90 for a single, one-day card, to a staggering €104.00 for a five-day family ticket. Inclusions vary depending on the ticket you choose: one- and two-day cards include public transport in the city area, three- and five-day ones let you travel throughout the entire Dresden region; they all offer a range of discounts; and the two-, three- and five-day tickets also give you access to the museums of the Saxon State Art Collections in Dresden.

Our two-day Dresden-City-Cards (€26 for one person, €48 for a family) gave us the use of public transport in Dresden for two consecutive days, finishing at 4am on the third day. During this time, we also had access to 14 museums, mostly in the central city, and discounts on other attractions, tours, and food. At €26 per person, it’s not the cheapest city card around, but since we wanted to visit quite a few art galleries it worked out to be value for money — the museums housed in the Royal Palace cost €10 in total, the three Zwinger museums also have a combined ticket at the same price: add in two days of public transport and you’ve topped €26 already.

However, the Dresden-City-Card isn’t for everyone. If you’re planning to see a lot of art (and you should, Dresden’s famous for it), then it’s worth the investment. But if you only have a couple of days in the city and want to visit just a couple of galleries, you’re better off paying for individual tickets. We found the public-transport element of the card to be a lifesaver; Dresden was experiencing a heat wave during our visit and we didn’t want to walk more than was strictly necessary. But if the weather is nice, Dresden’s a good place to walk around. Most of the museums included in the card are a five-minute walk from each other; two are a 15-minute stroll across the river. Only one requires the use of public transport.

A note on the one-day card

The one-day card, which costs €9.90 for one person or €12.90 for a family, is essentially a public transport ticket with some discounts added in. Since a day pass for the public transport costs €8 for a family, I wouldn’t bother with this option — if you’re going to be visiting a lot of museums, you’d be better off getting the two-day card.

On the whole, I’d recommend the two-day Dresden-City-Card if you want to visit most of the museums it gives access to, and you’re planning on using public transport more than once during your stay.