Info needed on French Museum Pass

Old Sep 2nd, 2002, 06:10 PM
  #1  
Linda
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Info needed on French Museum Pass

Where do you buy the museum passes everyone mentions, and how much are they? Do they entitle you to any museum in France or is it just for Paris? Are there discounts even on the museum pass if you are a teacher? Is there a discount if you are a university student?
 
Old Sep 2nd, 2002, 07:07 PM
  #2  
Christina
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You can buy them at several places -- a museum included on the pass (which are most of the ones in Paris), a major metro station, or a tourist office (the main one is on the Champs-Elysees not far from the Arc). Some hotels may sell them also, as well as travel agencies. They are for the Ile de France and include mostly Paris museums and sites, but also a few in the surrounding areas (eg, St-Denis, Versailles, Chantilly, Fontainebleau, if I'm remembering correctly, but check). It has its own web site which shows you all the places on it at www.intermusees.com and will describe it and the cost.

I'm not sure I understand your other question, but I'm not a teacher. If you have the pass, you get into any museum you want for the day, but there are no reduced prices for buying the museum pass. You can't get two discounts, you have to choose one. If teachers get discounts like students for regular museum tickets, then you won't get a reduced museum pass price, either, I am pretty sure. The pass is a discount if you use it for several museums a day, but if you don't, its main advantage is allowing you entry without standing in line, not the price (which is about the same as two entries).
 
Old Sep 2nd, 2002, 08:08 PM
  #3  
Anne
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Linda, here is the website for the museum passes...should answer all your questions!

Anne
http://www.museums-of-paris.com/list-museum-pass.htm
 
Old Sep 3rd, 2002, 03:50 AM
  #4  
amy
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And one more thing--do not buy the passes ahead of time through an online agency. The passes are so readily available at so many locations that there is no logical reason to pay a premium mark-up for pre-purchase.
 
Old Sep 3rd, 2002, 05:19 AM
  #5  
xxx
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Another reason not to buy the pass prior to leaving home is that the company may go out of business before you leave and you won't get a refund.
 
Old Sep 3rd, 2002, 05:43 AM
  #6  
Gretchen
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The advantage of the pass is as has been said, you bypass the long lines at the 2 main museums that have them--Louvre and Orsay. But another advantage is that you can just pop in to a museum as you might pass it--just to see what is there. It is also good for Ste. Chapelle and other sites. Don't buy it ahead of time because it is about 30% more and not worth the effort. I also don't think passes themselves are discounted for teachers--you would need to use your identity card for that at the particular museum.
 
Old Sep 3rd, 2002, 12:05 PM
  #7  
Linda
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Thanks to all for your advice and the websites; I'll check them out. I guess I should rephrase my one question:I had read on here before that if a teacher showed their card at a museum they got a reduced rate and actually, the teacher was from the same place I live which is Ontario. Although I am retired, I still renew my card as I do supply work. My son is a university student and I understand there is a student rate of admission. I agree that being able to bypass the line would be great but just wondered if it was cheaper to buy the pass.
 
Old Sep 3rd, 2002, 12:59 PM
  #8  
clairobscur
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I quickly checked my guidebook, and it seems there are no general rules fro Paris museums. For instance, there are no discount in the Louvre. It's either free (people under 18, art students and handicapped people) either full price. On the other hand, Orsay museum offers a 1,5 ? discount. The Cluny museum is free for unemployed and underaged people but doesn't seem to offer discounts. The Carnavalet museum is free for people under 26 and offers discounts.


I would suspect that the only way to know whether a pass will be less costly or not than discounted tickets would be to check each museum individually. Personnally I wouldn't bother and I would buy the pass (assuming you intend to visit enough museum for it to be worth it).

In any case, I suppose that the price difference will be quite ridicous as compared to the overall cost of your trip. If you intend to spare money, searching for cheaper plane tickets or cheaper hotels would probably be much more efficient.
 
Old Sep 4th, 2002, 04:11 AM
  #9  
amy
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Linda: clairobscur's advice is seconded not only by those who have visited Paris once, but also by so many of us who visit Paris more than once a year. We're a pretty frugal bunch, but as you know from trying to plan a trip, your most precious commodity once you're there isn't money but time closely followed by flexibility of arrangements. Jet lag, sore feet, a headache can strike you mid-gallery, and with the pass, you feel no guilt about leaving the scene to return another day. I've gone up the escalator in the Louvre and just said to myself, "I'm not up to this today," and have headed off to another smaller museum like the Rodin. I didn't lose a cent and I didn't feel like I was working instead of enjoying the trip.
 
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