RebeccaHWA

We have 4 days in Paris in July. Should we get a pass for transport or museums. What is best. We are staying at the Queen Mary. Any advice on where to eat as well or what should we do for being 1st time tourists. Thank you.

tod

Hello Rebecca,
The MUSEUM PASS is handy if you are able to see as many museums in either 1 day, or buy the 3 or 5 day pass but then use it on concurrent days. In your case being there for such a short time I am sure you may want to either overdose on museums all in one day, or just attend one of the major ones each day. The problem here is even if you don't feel up to it you have paid up front so feel obliged to go. It is certainly worth it when the queues are a mile long which they will be in July!

METRO & BUSES - If you intend zipping all over Paris from one major site to another you will need something more than just a few carnets(10 tickets in each) remembering each journey costs a ticket. This is probably your best option:
http://tinyurl.com/5cgmj4

Places to eat- For starters you have a nice brasserie right on the corner called Le Greffhule and taking a walk in the area I see you are surrounded by nice restaurants and cafe`s. You can do this too: http://tinyurl.com/c9rapm - Type in the hotel address and then click on the little map of the street and the white arrow will lead you to anywhere in Paris!
Further affield- you may want to put the kind of place you would like to eat at in the "Search Forums"box.

adrienne

The museum pass is valid for 2, 4, or 6 consecutive days. The 2 day pass (32 Euro) may be good for you if you plan on seeing 3 or 4 museums over the 2 days. Decide what museums you want to see and check their websites to determine if you will get your money's worth from the pass. If you're planning on seeing the large museums (Louvre, Orsay) then you would only want to do one of these per day.

http://en.parisinfo.com/express-booking/order-form/

I would not get the transportation pass as it is 9 Euros for 1 day per person and I wouldn't spend that amount of money in a week on metro/buses. As tod says, buy a carnet (book of 10 tickets) and each trip is about 1.4 Euros.

TravelinGert

There are several ways to work this, the answer "Is it worth it" may vary depending on your plans.
Carte du Musee et Monument http://www.parismuseumpass.com/en/pass_tarif.php will get you in more than just museums in the classic sense, see website for complete list. You could easily spend all four days just trying to see everything on that pass.
Travel may be cheaper by a good few euros via carnets of tickets if you organize well and like to walk, but then you must keep track of them. It will take two if you take a metro, then a bus.
Navigo Decouvert has replaced the Orange card. You must bring a 1 inch x 1 inch picture of your face similar to a passport photo, many have reported decent color copier copies of passport photos trimmed to this size are readily accepted so it need not be expensive. Some ticket offices have photo booths I've heard but it's rare and they don't always work. Cost €5 for card + €16,80 for Paris only (Zone 1+2), €33 for Paris out to Airports CDG/ORY (up to Zone 5), €37,20 for all zones (up to Zone 6) so quite a deal, but they run Monday to Sunday and starting Friday can only be purchased for the following week. A few have mentioned difficulty being understood when purchasing this card at some train stations, if you don't speak French just print out this page and take it with you. http://www.stif.info/information-com...vigo-2370.html
Paris Visite is available either just to cover Paris (zones 1-3) or to cover all six zones, which would cover Versailles, and works on consecutive days starting any time you like.
Paris Pass covers everything in the Carte Du Musee plus pretty much every kind of public transport in zones 1-3, so you'll have to buy tickets for that when you buy your Paris Pass if you will be using the train. Note entry to Versailles is included in Carte du Musee but you will have to buy train passes as it is in Zone 4.
A few extras do come with the Paris Pass - a small guide book, a free wine tasting (takes a couple of hours I should think), some sort of particular Seine cruise beyond the one Visite covers, a discount at Galleries Lafayette, Hard Rock Café and Chez Clement, entry to a wax museum.

tod

I referred to the EyeWitness Guide to Paris which I bought in 2008 - how can their info on Museum days be so different? So glad you corrected the days Adrienne.
Just remember Rebecca, there are 172 museums and monuments open to the public. The national museums are closed on Tuesdays except Versailles and the Musee d'Orsay which are closed on Mondays. The first Sunday of every month is free at national museums. Municipal museums(& some others) don't charge to see their permanent collections on a Sunday. If you are under 7 or over 60 you are admitted free at all times but must have proof of your age.

adrienne

tod - the pass used to be 1, 3, 5 days but it changed a number of years ago. I guess your guide book had not been updated.

Gretchen

I think the poster is referring to the PARIS PASS. And no, it probably isn't worth it. All the other info about the museum pass and transportation is good.

http://www.parispass.com/index.asp?aid=43

And yes, the museum pass days are different from what they were. The museums are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays by whether they are Paris museums or national museums. I can never remember which day is whose, so it pays to check. There are many Paris museums that are not national.

DancingBearMD

Just want to point out that with the Museum Pass you bypass lines at many sights, which can be a great time-saver. Also if you plan ahead you can be sure to get your money's worth. For example, on the Ille de la Cite you could climb the towers of Notre Dame and visit Saint-Chappelle, the Conciergerie and the Crypt Archeologique easily in a day. Or the Orsay and the Rodin Museum (or Rodin and the Army Museum/Napoleon's tomb, etc.). Also you can stretch the benefit by using it to go to the top of the Arc de Triomphe after museum hours on one of the evenings.

gomiki

tod, "If you are under 7 or over 60 you are admitted free at all times but must have proof of your age."

Does that apply to everyone or just residents of France?

TimS

Do NOT buy the Paris Pass. The Paris Visite transportation pass that comes with the package is overpriced.

Each ticket in a carnet (11.60 EUR) is good anywhere the Metro goes (some lines end in zone 3) and on the RER in Zone 1. One ticket provides unlimited transfers until you exit the system. A ticket is also good for bus transfers up to 90 minutes after boarding the first bus and on the Montmartre funicular.

For a list of all your transportation ticket and pass choices with links to detailed explanations of each one, go here: http://tinyurl.com/let4xg.

RebeccaHWA

Wow!!!
You fantastic people. I will have a close look at each entry. You have helped me so much. A huge thank you for the time you took to reply. I am so looking forward to going to Paris. Very different from Perth in Western Australia. Thank you

MNsnowflake

Having the museum pass is great for bypassing lines. An added plus is that if you are really enjoying a museum, but need a break and would like to see some of the museum one day and come back the next day, or later in the same day, or if you just want to go back a second time to see your favorite paintings again (the Louvre is a museum you can't possibly see all in one visit and we did go back to the Orsay twice on our first trip) you can without paying another fee.

Another plus is that if you want to just pop in and use the toilet you can.

So the convenience of the pass can be worth it even if you just break even (or spend a few dollars more).

Paris is such a great city to walk that you may well not use a pass enough to warrant buying one. Our last trip we didn't use the Metro all that much. Many of the sights you will probably want to see are very much within walking distance of each other.

tod

gomiki - I looked at my travel guide again and it doesn't say but from the way the information is written, it sounds like it's for everyone (including tourists!). Why else would they mention it in a guide book , is the way I'm thinking?

RebeccaHWA- So glad you came back to see so many good tips here. Perth WA is beautiful too! I loved Kings Park with it's beautiful view over the city.

DancingBearMD

<<Another plus is that if you want to just pop in and use the toilet you can>>

Ha! I forgot about that, we did exactly that at the Orangerie (but we did manage a few glimpses of the water lillies on the same visit).

adrienne

gomiki/tod - The pricing & reductions vary among the museums. For instance, the Orsay is free to those under 5 years old and 5 to 18 if a citizen or resident of an EU country. The Louvre is free to those under 18, 18 to 25 for EU residents. Friday nights at the Louvre are free for those under 26 regardless of nationality (this is not stated on the web site but my niece and her friends (all American) would go to the Louvre on Friday nights and present their student cards). When I went to Paris with my mother I would ask for the over 60 reduction and get it without any particular ID although at the Arch of Triumph the woman questioned me and I had my mother come to the ticket window to show she was a senior (I was only asking for one senior ticket for my mother, not for me).

The best think to do is ask for the reduction and if you get it then you've saved some money.

TimS

The Musee d'Orsay also is free to anyone under 18. It is free to EU residents 18-25 and there is a reduced rate for non-EU residents 18-25.

travfirst

From the PMP FAQ:
Do children need a PARIS MUSEUM PASS?
No, children under 18 are allowed FREE access in most of the museums and monuments included in the PARIS MUSEUM PASS itinerary.

phenry

As mentioned by other travellers, the museum pass is worth its weight in gold for bypassing the line-ups. With a pass you enter in a side entrance of the museum - no waiting whatsoever. Why is this important? The L'Orangerie and the Musee d'Orsay (amazing Impressionist collections) can have summer line-ups that require a 1, 2 or 3 hour wait....just to buy a ticket! Crazy. Your time is worth money, why stand in a line for several hours when you can go straight in?

The Rodin museum is amazing and a not-to-be-missed site - perhaps one of the most beautiful Van Gogh painting is displayed here. The garden around the museum is magical. Plus, this museum is free for those under 18, teachers, and the unemployed! Ya gotta love Paris.