Is a Paris Pass Worth the Cost?

Written by Marilyn McFarlane

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Is a Paris Pass worth the cost? You pay a fairly hefty amount up front; but, will it save you time and money in the long run? My experience on a recent trip to France is Yes, definitely, if you plan to see the sights (of course you’re going to sight see, you’re in Paris) and if you plan your time carefully. The Paris Pass provides entry to more than 60 attractions in and around Paris, unlimited travel on the metro and buses in the central city, and a ticket for “Les Cars Rouges,” the hop-on and off sightseeing buses. I was provided with a 2-day Pass to give it a test on a recent trip and was impressed. I rode buses when I was tired of walking, toured Opera Garnier, and visited the Pompidou, among other attractions. A huge plus was bypassing lines at popular places where there are often long waits to enter.

Here’s one cost comparison: Regular fees to 7 sites (Arc de Triomphe, O Chateau Wine Tasting, Louvre Museum, Paris Bus Tour, Grevin Wax Museum, Bateaux River Cruise, and Versailles Palace) add up to more than 123 euros, plus transportation cost. A 2-day Paris Pass for an adult is 99 euros. So it can be a savings. For teens 12-17 years, a 2-day Pass is 57 euros, and children 4-11, 31 euros. Passes for 4 and 6 days cost more. Here’s what you get:

- Paris Museum Pass (many museums, though not temporary exhibitions)

- Paris Attractions Pass (1-hour Seine River cruise, Opera Garnier, Montparnasse tower, etc.)

- Paris Visite Pass (voucher for ticket to ride bus or metro)

- Paris Bus Tour (voucher for Les Cars Rouges sightseeing buses)

- Guidebook (excellent guide with instructions, descriptions and hours open for attractions, city and metro maps, and suggested routes)

All these pieces made it confusing at first, but the instructions were clear and I had no problems. The best way to get a Paris Pass is to buy online and pick it up at the office at 33 rue le Peletier, in the 9^th arrondisement, for a fee of 2 euros. That’s a lot less than the shipping fee for mailing in advance to the U.S. That fee ranges from 7.95 euros (takes 12 working days) to 45 euros (FedEx, 3 days).

Tip: Start using your Paris Pass in the morning, if possible, after signing and dating the various pieces. The first time you use it is considered Day One, no matter what the time of day.

NOTE: Paris Pass, offered by Viator, which has similar passes for other cities, is not the same as Paris Museum Pass. That one is sponsored by the local museum association, costs less and is worthwhile but covers museums only. Also, if you live in an EU country and are under age 26, state museums in Paris are free to enter, though you do have to wait in line and show ID.

Enjoy more Paris Travel Tips.

Written by Marilyn McFarlane for EuropeUpClose.com

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Group Discussion

RexGlobetrotter

For our first visit we bought the pass and felt like it was a good choice. After you buy the pass though we felt like we had to visit as many museums as possible which means we missed out seeing more of the city,spending times in parks, spending more time along the river, etc. For a second visit, we probably won’t buy it again.
http://www.WanderingEducators.com/ Wandering Educators

such great information – thank you! i am not sure we’d use it, as we like to spread out our days…but for someone with a tight deadline in paris, this would be ideal.
Libbie

Please explain whether the Paris Pass replaces the Monuments Pass or competes with it. Thanx.
marj

The Paris is worth it, but we had a couple of unexpected problems. The day we arrived was a holiday that we were not familiar with. The people we purchsed it from were closed, and the address was off. The number was a US number and we could not call from Paris. We almost gave up and called it a scam and would have, if I had not used it before in London. We were presistant and finally found the hole-in- the-wall that we had purchased from (on line.)
Cheryle

can you get a paris pass that is more than 2 days ?? What if you were going to stay for a few weeks to a month……is there anything more comparable ?
Guest

Overall, it was worth it but the worst experience of the Paris Pass is visitor can not pick up the pass at the airport or train station. For visitor who just flew into Paris, they have to find way to get to the hard-to-find shop to pick up the pass is a deal ending experience. The address (33 Rue La Peletier) is either a mistake or very hard to find, even with GPS or Google map service, even the local had trouble finding the shop. It took me 2+ hrs to walking around in circle around the neighborhood to find the shop and several time asking the nearby shops’s owners. The number on the address was nowhere to be found. Finally one shop owner knew exactly where it was but it was at the next block. Another thing, the pass includes travel between zone 1-3 but Palace of Versailles is outside of zone 3. You can get there using the pass but getting back you have to purchase ticket. Please note this inside the pass or provide an extra ticket so there’s less surprise for visitors

Is a Paris Pass Worth the Cost?

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