City Taxes and passes for local public transport

[Mag_seven]

In lots of European hotels, a "city tax" is added to your bill. If you pay such a tax does that not entitle you to a pass for local public transport whilst you are there? Does the situation vary by country?

 

[Bletchleyite]

In lots of European hotels, a "city tax" is added to your bill. If you pay such a tax does that not entitle you to a pass for local public transport whilst you are there? Does the situation vary by country?

It's very common for this to be the case in Switzerland, certainly. I think it is an excellent idea.

 

[paddington]

It varies by city.

I don't think paying a city tax "entitles" you to a public transport pass, but some cities choose to force visitors to purchase a public transport pass in this way. As long as information about this is available when you book a hotel I am neutral on this.

In Switzerland I found the Geneva one useful, as it meant I didn't need to do any research about tickets, and I didn't notice the amount of the "tax" because it was just part of the total hotel price.

But in Basel I was not able to use the ticket, as on the first day I had a Saver Day Pass which already covered everything. On the second day I needed a Triregio Mini, which costs CHF 10.50 while the ticket that has the same validity as the hotel pass costs CHF 9. However it's not possible to buy an "extension" from the hotel ticket. The City tax was only CHF 4 so not complaining really.

 

[Bletchleyite]

But in Basel I was not able to use the ticket, as on the first day I had a Saver Day Pass which already covered everything. On the second day I needed a Triregio Mini, which costs CHF 10.50 while the ticket that has the same validity as the hotel pass costs CHF 9. However it's not possible to buy an "extension" from the hotel ticket. The City tax was only CHF 4 so not complaining really.

It's a fairly small sum and is set on the basis that everyone pays it as a tax and not everyone is going to use it. But because it's free it will promote usage.

 

[Mag_seven]

It's very common for this to be the case in Switzerland

I've stayed in Zurich on a number of occasions and paid the city tax yet have not been offered anything - is it a question of having to explicitly ask at the hotel reception I wonder?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've stayed in Zurich on a number of occasions and paid the city tax yet have not been offered anything - is it a question of having to explicitly ask at the hotel reception I wonder?

Not all the cities offer it, perhaps Zuerich doesn't. But some hotels are a bit slow at giving it out, so it is always worth asking on arrival if it is offered.

 

[deltic]

In lots of European hotels, a "city tax" is added to your bill. If you pay such a tax does that not entitle you to a pass for local public transport whilst you are there? Does the situation vary by country?

Not aware of this being the case anywhere where I have paid such a tax. Edinburgh is proposing bringing in a hotel tax and havnt heard of any links to public transport.

 

[farci]

City tax and transport pass are unrelated. In some cities the local govt may express a preference. Perhaps there’s a tax break for the hotel

 

[radamfi]

Groningen has just introduced a tourist tax, because of the growth in Airbnb rentals, and no public transport (or bike) incentives.

 

[433N]

I made extensive use of free transport when holidaying in the Black Forest in Germany where paying the Kurtax (Resort/Holiday/Vacation tax) even allowed free rail travel to Basel in Switzerland. [I also went looking for the free mini-Golf that was on offer but that's another story].

However, it does tend to be very local as to whether there is free transport or not. Whilst looking at Summer holidays this year, I was looking around Lake Constance and free travel was offered by some communities (collections of a few towns) but not others. I guess it's a way of trying to get people to stay in your area rather than someone else's.

 

[30907]

The only areas I have come across "free" passes are tourist areas rather than cities. The Bavarian Forest, Black Forest and Sellin on Ruegen (just random examples). My guess is that it's done to get people out of their cars, when the vast majority of tourists have arrived by car.
City areas do it by having subsidised public transport including day rover tickets, available to all and sundry, but Switzerland is obviously ahead of the game.

 

[hexagon789]

In lots of European hotels, a "city tax" is added to your bill. If you pay such a tax does that not entitle you to a pass for local public transport whilst you are there? Does the situation vary by country?

Certainly that was the case in Geneva and Venice and I think Rome when I stayed there.

Not in Barcelona though, had to buy tickets for local transport there.

 

[alex17595]

I recall getting a transport pass in Davos but I had a Swiss pass anyway

 

[johnnychips]

Not in Barcelona though, had to buy tickets for local transport there.

Agreed, but I seem to remember the tax was ridiculously low anyway: €1 or €2 a day.

 

[paddington]

Certainly that was the case in Geneva and Venice and I think Rome when I stayed there.

Not in Barcelona though, had to buy tickets for local transport there.

I didn't get anything for Rome.

It would be difficult to give a pass for Barcelona, given that tourists are generally advised to buy 10-trip tickets, some tickets are not valid on the metro, the premium airport bus operator would probably opt out (and it doesn't go to all the popular hotel areas), and there are several zones some of which have tourist attractions.

It's a bit like London, some people might think it would be a good idea to give tourists a Z1-2 travelcard and add £6 to their hotel bills, but then they would still need to pay extra to get to any airport and what about all the hotels in Z3-9? I don't think hotels would want their headline prices to be increased by £12 per person (doubt TfL would want to give a discount to tourists!)

In Switzerland transport is truly integrated and a day pass is usually double the cost of a single, so it's easy to arrange this for hotels. Even if tourists take transport sparingly, they may end up having to buy a day pass.

Zurich doesn't do free transport, however it's a similar situation: the tax is something like 2.5 francs while a day pass including the airport is around 14 francs. But many tourists want to venture further afield up into the Albis, around the lake or to Winterthur, and maximum ticket price for the ZVV is up to 33 francs.

 

[hexagon789]

Agreed, but I seem to remember the tax was ridiculously low anyway: €1 or €2 a day.

Something odd figure like €0.77 per person per night in Venice, thought that was a few years ago.

I didn't get anything for Rome.

I'm sure I did because I don't remember buying tickets for the metro or trams.

 

[atraindriver]

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[Bletchleyite]

It's certainly an excellent idea, but is it "very common"?
I know of passes in Basel, Geneva and Interlaken, but nowhere else.

The Montreux Riviera has it, it covers roughly from Lausanne to Villeneuve.

It seems primarily to be the "Verkehrsverbund" areas, though Vevey had it for buses only before that.

 

[atraindriver]

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[axlecounter]

The “City tax” in Switzerland is mostly a cantonal tax, each (not sure if every canton has it) canton has its own law about tourism and regulates how much it’s the Residence tax and where the money goes. Usally it goes either directly to the (cantonal) state or to some kind of touristic or regional organisation which then uses the money according to the (cantonal) law, not necessarily for paying public transport passes.

Each city or small region can too, if allowed in their canton, collect a Residence tax to use as they choose to, which obviously is added to the other tax.

So the tax and the passes are sort of unrelated, even if it’s clear that to give away such things you have to get money somewhere somehow.

As for Basel, remember that they’re two different cantons,B. Land and B. Stadt (well, not really, but almost), so they could be very well have different laws and decide to use the income differently. Not sure what entity decides up there what to offer to customers but surely some sort of political institution is involved.