Helpful Guide to “Is the Paris Museum Pass Worth It?”
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I’m a big fan of city passes. I’ve used a tourist pass in Rome, Paris, Vienna, Salzburg, and Stockholm. So when I went to visit Paris a few years ago, I needed to know, “Is the Paris Museum Pass worth it?” And the answer to that is the Paris Museum Pass is a great way to see many things in a short amount of time!
It helps make the most of your trip, saving time and money. It also helped to relieve some stress as my French wasn’t aces, so I was able to show the pass and avoid doing the awkward dance of buying a ticket at each attraction.
What Do You Get with the Paris Museum Pass?
With the pass, you can gain free entry to visit over 50 museums and monuments in and around Paris. Depending on the duration chosen (2, 4, or 6 days), you will save money the more you visit, so it’s time to pack it all in! With the Paris Museum Pass, it is a fraction of the cost to see all these attractions. So, if you’re looking for a budget way to see Paris, I highly recommend it.
Another great reason to get it is the Paris Museum Pass skip-the-line advantage. For security reasons, it is not guaranteed that you can skip the line at every attraction, but you can at a fair amount of them. Giving you more time to explore instead of standing in line.
Each pass includes a guide with all the information you need to know about the featured museums and monuments. Several of the more famous sites remain open in the evening throughout the year, some of them just in the summer season, so make sure to check before visiting.
You can see an interactive map of all the places you can access with the pass. I’d recommend going through their list of places they have to offer and adding up what you would spend buying each ticket. For me, it was a no-brainer that I would save with the pass based on what I wanted to see.
What I Did with the 6 Days Pass
I was in Paris for eight days, so the six-day Paris Museum Pass made sense for me. Obviously, if you’re staying for a shorter amount of time, you could go with the two- or four-day pass.
Before your first visit, preferably in the morning to take full advantage of the first day, write down your first and last name and the day’s date on the back of your pass: your pass will then be activated for two, four, or six consecutive days.
Update 2024: It appears they now have the pass in an e-ticket form as well.
Here is my list of things I was able to see in 6 days. As a note, I did things that weren’t on the pass as well (such as the Eiffel Tower), so I’m sure if you just do pass attractions, you can fit in a lot more or alternatively, do the list I have below in a shorter time frame than 6 days which would then make it even more of a money-saver!
A note on Versailles: It takes a whole day. We arrived early, and Versailles still took up the better part of the day. We were able to get to the Eiffel Tower that evening. Those two things were all we were able to fit in a day, so plan accordingly. The same goes for Château de Pierrefonds; it took a whole day, but I had really wanted to see Merlin’s castle, so it was worth it to me.
Without the Paris Museum Pass
$135With the Paris Museum Pass
$110 (6 day option)Where to Buy the Paris Museum Pass
There are several locations where you can buy the Paris Museum Pass, but I recommend buying it online and picking it up at a location in Paris (or using the e-ticket).
You can have it shipped to you, but there will probably be an additional cost. To avoid shipping costs, you can collect your order free of charge from the locations listed here.
General Tourist Pass Tip
To save money, check to see if you can find any coupon codes before buying a tourist pass. If you don’t find them online, try signing up for their mailing list in case they distribute codes via email. This tip got me a 10% off code when I went to Vienna.
If you want another budget tip, check out where to sleep in France for cheap for some top tips!
Is the Paris Museum Pass Worth it?
So, is the Paris Museum Pass worth it? If you are over 18 and not a European Union national, the Paris Museum Pass is certainly worth it. I say this because museums and monuments are mostly free for visitors under 18 and for European Union nationals under 26. So, if you fall under either of those two parties, the pass will not be worth it.
However, if you aren’t either of those, I highly recommend the Paris Museum Pass as a great way to save time and money while visiting Paris.
Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions about the Paris Museum Pass. Feel free to comment below with your experience using it or other similar tourist cards.
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There are some wonderful tips here! Fab post!
thank you so much!
Do I need to buy the pass before making reservations? For example Versailles
If I buy it online I just need to scan my phone?
Hey Christine, that’s a good question! I did this pass before COVID, so regulations may have changed since I went, but a quick look at their official site and it says “In order to access to the Palace of Versailles with the Paris Museum Pass, you need to book a free timed entry “Palace Ticket” online. ” – source: https://en.chateauversailles.fr/plan-your-visit/conditions-free-admission#free-admission
So yes, I’d buy the pass first, then book the time entry pass.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any further questions.