A fun adventure for only $8 - The Hamilton Passport

A passport to get you across the border costs big bucks -- $87 for adults and $37 for kids 3 to 15.

Brenda Johnson, of Environment Hamilton, has what she thinks is a better idea -- an $8 Passport to Hamilton lets a whole family travel all day, anywhere the Hamilton Street Railway runs, while taking advantage of discounts and two-for-one deals along the way.

Johnson says: "Two single moms can share a ticket with four kids and each pay $4. They can then get a free family pass at the YMCA and go for a picnic lunch at Confederation Park or the bayfront. We also want to get people out of their SUVs and to try transit as a fun thing."

You can shop, swim, eat, learn and play at more than 100 stores, rec centres, galleries, museums and restaurants with special offers for pass holders.

Passes can be purchased in advance wherever bus tickets are sold and are valid once punched by an HSR driver. They're then good for the rest of the day.

Eighty participating attractions are listed in the 2009 Passport to Hamilton Adventure Map, and another 35 that signed up since it was printed can be found online at environmenthamilton.org.

The program was launched in 2005 as a way for low-income families to enjoy low-cost outings as well as an eco-friendly inducement for all to leave their cars parked and use public transit.

It's supported by a grant from Transport Canada.