Turbopass: The German specialist in tourist city passes since 2013
Founded in 2013 by Martin Bleich and Hinnerk Rott in Hamburg, Turbopass has established itself as a major player in urban tourist passes across Europe.
The company, now headquartered in Bielefeld, Germany, was acquired in February 2022 by SIG and RiKa. It is currently led by Claudio Bellinzona and Paul v. Schubert.
An all-in-one concept for exploring major cities
Turbopass offers digital city passes that bundle attraction entries, public transportation, and skip-the-line access into a single package.
The concept is straightforward. Instead of buying individual tickets for every museum or monument, you pay a flat rate for a set duration, ranging from 1 to 7 days depending on the destination.
How does it work in practice?
Through bulk negotiations with over 500 partner suppliers, Turbopass secures discounted rates that are passed on to customers.
The pass is 100 percent digital. You receive it via email and use it directly from your smartphone, eliminating the need to print anything, though that option remains available.
13 urban destinations in Europe and the Emirates
The agency currently covers 12 to 13 major cities, with a particularly strong footprint in Italy.
Key destinations:
- Paris: access to the Louvre, Versailles, Arc de Triomphe, Seine river cruises, and hop-on hop-off buses
- Rome: Colosseum, Vatican and Sistine Chapel, Castel Sant'Angelo, Pantheon
- Venice, Florence, Naples: city passes for Italian gems
- Barcelona: over 40 attractions, including works by Gaudí
- London: Tower of London, Kensington Palace, Madame Tussauds
- Munich, Hamburg: German destinations with museums and sightseeing tours
- Athens, Mallorca, Dubai: expansion into the Mediterranean and the Middle East
What the agency actually provides
Beyond simply bundling tickets, Turbopass offers several practical benefits to streamline your urban sightseeing.
Skip-the-line access to high-traffic sites
In cities like Rome or Paris, avoiding lines at the Colosseum or the Louvre can save you several hours each day.
The pass often includes priority reservation slots, which are especially valuable during peak travel season.
Public transport included
In most destinations, the pass includes unlimited access to the city's subways, buses, and trams.
Certain packages even include 24-hour hop-on hop-off bus tours.
Suggested guides and itineraries
The agency provides city maps, brochures with practical tips, and optimized itineraries through its mobile app.
This simplifies planning, particularly for travelers visiting a city for the first time.
Credibility and customer feedback
On Trustpilot, Turbopass holds a rating of 4.1/5 stars based on over 1,500 customer reviews.
Positive feedback highlights the system's convenience, the cost savings, and the quality of customer service, as the company responds to 97 percent of negative reviews, typically within a week.
However, some travelers note the importance of checking reservation conditions carefully. For sites like the Colosseum or the Eiffel Tower, online pre-reservation is often still mandatory even if you hold a pass.
Who is Turbopass really for?
This type of package is particularly well-suited for travelers who:
- Plan an intense 2 to 5 day trip with numerous cultural visits
- Are visiting a city for the first time and want to see the main highlights
- Want to simplify logistics without managing 15 different tickets
- Value skip-the-line access to optimize their time
Conversely, if you prefer a relaxed sightseeing pace with only 2 or 3 attractions per trip, calculate the cost-benefit ratio carefully. Buying individual tickets can sometimes be more economical.