One of the big stories of the (northern hemisphere) summer is the overcrowding of popular travel destinations and the subsequent response from locals. I think most would agree that it sucks to visit a location that is completely overrun by (other) tourists. However, surely most of those protesting are at least somewhat hypocritical, unless they’ve literally never left their hometown.

Anyway, this post isn’t about that. In fact, it’s basically about the opposite. As I travel around Europe, I’ve happened to stay in a few cities that actually seem to want tourists. Unbelievable, right?

Of course, plenty of cities and towns are dependent on attracting visitors to varying degrees. To be honest though, it’s rare to get very much of a warm welcome when heading to these places.

For me, when I have felt genuinely welcome, it’s often down to interactions with the local people. Maybe a friendly receptionist, an enthusiastic waiter or just a helpful stranger on the street.

But now I know that there’s a simple way for a city to make its visitors feel welcome and comfortable before they’ve even set foot there. The answer? Let me tell you about the guest card.

The guest card

What is a guest card? I had no idea until I recently visited Geneva in Switzerland. For booking accomodation in many Swiss cities, you’ll automatically receive a guest card. This will usually include free public transport but may also include other perks such as discounts on activities.

Okay, so it’s not like these cities are rolling out the red carpet and putting on a street parade for you. However, this is such a simple concept that is worth more than it may seem at first.

How many times have you arrived in a city (even within your own country) and been completely mystified by the transport system? Can I just use my card or do I need to buy a ticket or smart card? What zone am I in and what zone do I need to get to? Should I buy a pass or only a single ticket?

All that goes away with the magical guest card.

I had a great experience with my first guest card in Geneva. Called the Geneva Transport Card, this includes transport on the city’s buses, trams, shuttle boats and trains. I received mine via email shortly after booking, allowing me to get from the train station to my hostel without any hassles.

Because of the guest card, I managed to visit more parts of Geneva than I would’ve seen if just getting around on foot as per usual. Taking a ride on Geneva’s yellow shuttle boats called Mouettes for free was a nice bonus and provided a great angle for seeing the city’s fountain, Jet d’Eau.

Similarly, my visits to Interlaken and Basel were made better thanks to their guest cards. There weren’t quite as many transport options as in Geneva but you can still get to a lot of nearby places.

Not quite perfect

I’m definitely a fan of this type of scheme for tourists. I have noticed a few downsides though.

Firstly, not every city in Switzerland has a guest card. It would be nice to rely on them wherever you visit. On my Swiss trip, Geneva, Interlaken and Basel had them but Zermatt and Zurich did not.

Secondly, some cities (including those that don’t have a guest card) offer a separate city pass at a cost. I can see this causing confusion, especially when a city has both or when you see that somewhere like Zurich has a ‘Zurich Card‘ and you assume this is a free guest card when it’s not.

Finally, the process of receiving a guest card seems to vary depending on each city and accomodation provider. Out of my three experiences, twice I was automatically sent the card before arriving but one time I had to register for it after arriving.

Weighing everything up though, the guest card is an impressive way to welcome tourists into a city. I hope to come across more of this type of thing in the future!