Making the Most of the Paris Museum Pass
As previously mentioned, we purchased the 6-day Paris Museum Pass and tried to make the most of it during our week there. Purchasing it, on the other hand, was a bit of a challenge.
First, we tried to buy it at the airport on arrival, but they didn’t have any 6-day passes (only 2 and 4 days) at the two kiosks we visited. A day later we went to a store which was listed as selling them, waited in line for an annoying amount of time, only to discover they too had no 6-day passes. Eventually, we went to a tourist office where they had had the passes available for purchase.
Since then, it appears they have become easier to purchase. On the Paris Museum Pass website, they list many points of sale, including most of the locations where you’d use the pass.
Table of Contents
Where We Visited:
- Musée du Louvre
- Musée d’Orsay
- Musée Nissim de Camondo
- Musée Rodin
- Crypte archéologique du Parvis Notre-Dame
- Sainte-Chapelle
- Visite Publique des Égouts de Paris (The Sewer Museum)
- Château de Fontainebleau
- Musée de l’Institut du Monde Arabe
- Arc de Triomphe
- Musée des Arts Décoratifs
Cost and Benefits
After totaling up what we spent on the pass vs. what the tickets costs would have been at the time, we saved about 30 euro per person on admission fees. We were also able to bypass the ticket line in most places, saving a lot of time. This does not mean you can skip the security line, which most places have now, but you can skip the part where you have to wait to buy tickets.
There are lots of other places available with the pass where we have visited before like Versailles, La Orangerie, and the Pompidou Center. Some of these are quite expensive, making the Pass even more of a value. There are over 50 places included in the pass and you can see them all on the Museum Pass Website.
You can also revisit places as many times as you want while your pass is valid. So, if you find yourself overwhelmed by the Louvre, you can revisit it on a different day to see a different section.
Should You Buy One?
The short answer is, it depends on how much you want to see and in what time period.
The Pass works in consecutive days, starting with the first day you use it, so plan wisely. I recommend you make a list of the places you want to see, total up their costs, and make a realistic itinerary to see if it’s worth it to you.
The Museum Pass does not include attractions like the Eiffel Tower or Hop On-Hop Off tour buses. If you want those things included, you might look into the more expensive “Paris Pass” which also includes a transportation pass for the days you buy it.
Most museums are free for those under 18 and many have a free day each month (which tend to be very crowded) so passes may not be necessary for children.
Keep in mind the cost per day decreases with the number of days you purchase. This means a 2-day pass currently works out to 24 euro per day, a 4-day pass is 15.5 euro per day and a 6-day pass is 12.3 euro per day.
There are places like the Chateau at Versailles that are quite expensive (currently 20 euro) but will take most of one day to visit. It may not make sense to get a
Is this your first trip to Paris? Then make sure to check out my page on Planning a Trip to Paris.
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