Nine reasons CityPass is a smart buy in 2009

Cheap is the new chic, but that’s not news to one travel company. CityPass built its fame on bundling the most famous attractions in New York and ten other big city destinations in a pocket-size booklet of actual tickets – chock full of information – at about half the price of regular admissions. Its collections of the most popular attractions remain an ideal solution for cost-conscious travellers.

The year 2009 kicks off with the expectation that everyone will want to stretch every dollar spent, especially for travel. Here are nine reasons CityPass is a smart buy in ’09:

1. Ultra organized city trip plan
If New Year resolutions include organization, CityPass is the ultimate organized trip pass. Each of its 11 money- and time-saving ticket booklets contains entrance to five or six must-see attractions. A few online clicks at citypass.com and future travelers will have the security of the best, bound in a pocked-sized booklet with a map, tips on best times to visit, transportation instructions, value coupons to shave a little off other things -- such as shopping or dining, and expert city suggestions from National Geographic Traveler magazine.

2. Time saver
Buying CityPass online saves time, but the hidden beauty of CityPass is revealed when the first ticket is used. Rather than waiting in entrance lines, CityPass guests zip past most to lines and avoid rain, heat, snow, humidity, and fidgeting. Each attraction ticket includes the CityPass secret to get right in.

3. Save money, get huge return on investment
CityPass costs about half the price of combined regular attraction admissions New York, Boston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Toronto, Houston, Chicago, Seattle, Hollywood and San Francisco. Southern California CityPass is a doozy of theme park days at big savings. In addition to more cash left in a visitor’s pocket, the attractions pack a cultural and entertainment wallop, full-to-bursting with the world’s treasures and signature experiences. All CityPass booklets are designed as the basis of memorable visits to distinctive places.

4. Celebrations
Birthdays, holidays, graduation, and other big events must be celebrated, even in seasons of restraint. CityPass is a great opportunity to be generous on a budget. Each ticket booklet delivers nearly twice its purchase price in admission values. The tickets inside represent imaginative excursions to museums and sightseeing, bonding with family and friends, and days of discovery amid the extraordinary. CityPass represents not just a single gift, but five or six celebrations, enjoyed at the recipient’s convenience.

5. Kid spree
Curiosity-satisfying adventures spill out of CityPass booklet tickets. Classic old-style scientific specimens are steps from technology-bursting innovation. Fierce lions are just heartbeats away from exotic birds in tropical environments. Invitations to touch, smell, experience, learn and test the limits of childhood imagination are inside museums of science, art, and history. Public transit and city centers – like New York’s Times Square and The Embarcadero in San Francisco – are icing on the cupcake.

6. Company’s coming
A self-entertaining guest is the best kind. Encourage that instinct with CityPass. Tuck gift-wrapped ticket booklets in guest quarters, or keep a booklet in the desk drawer for visiting friends, family or colleagues. Guests can amble off on their own, returning with tales of the city, and wine for dinner.

7. No passport required
A journey of imagination, covering centuries, people from every corner of the globe, land and sea creatures, rain forest to Sahara, space exploration or star gazing, await inside the pages of a CityPass booklet. Dip into far-away lands, fantastic achievements, amazing animals, sky-high views, gorgeous gardens, or thrilling rides, all with the flip of a page. Art, artifacts, exploration, and fantastic exhibits require little more of the CityPass traveler than picking their day and time.

8. Pinch pennies here – splurge there
Squeeze savings with CityPass, and then splash out on great places and see-and-be-seen scenes with a little planning. Explore glamorous new restaurants at lunch, when the prices are nicer. Make note of light, imaginative city-specific souvenirs from chef’s shops, local marketplaces or ethnic neighborhoods to tuck in suitcase corners as take-home gifts.

9. Holidays ahead
The holidays are always ahead! Calendar watchers, Easter bunnies, doting grandparents and last minute Santas all find holiday relief at citypass.com. One size fits all imaginations, interests and generations. Each booklet has five or six good ways to give loved ones and friends enriching, nourishing experiences, without deflating gift budgets.

CityPass saves money and time in 11 North American destinations: New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, Hollywood, Southern California, Atlanta, Houston and Toronto, Canada. CityPass is available at each city’s participating attractions or from Citypass.com.