Just wanted to share with the board that it appears that the Paris Museum Pass will be changing somewhat beginnging March 1, 2006. It looks like it will be for 2,4,6 days instead of 1,3,5. There's not much info on their website but thought I would post it here.
http://www.parismuseumpass.fr/flash/hp_en.html

it's always good to stay on top of these things...

Thanks for the heads up. Looks like I will have to rearrange some of my itinerary while in Paris this June.

This actually works out a bit better though - I won't be cramming so much into a 3 day period. I wonder how much more the 4 day pass will be from the 3 day pass, though.

Hmmm? I went to the website indicated and it looks to me like it's still 1, 3 or 5 days at 18, 36, and 54 euros respectively. In fact, I see no major changes. Am I missing something?

I don't know if the ratp.fr site is definitive, but at the moment it shows 1 and 3 day passes for 18 or 36 euro. http://www.ratp.info/informer/tarif_...s_et_monuments

Remember many museums, including the Louvre and d'Orsay, are free on the first Sunday of each month. Double-check, but I believe that's the rule.
We took advantage of free admission on our visit last June. I was afraid it would be a mob scene, but not bad. Maybe because we were slightly in advance of all-out tourist season.

The RATP site isn't definitive because they don't run the museums -- they often take a while to update the tarifs on their website for some things.

The URL posted by lhs is the official pass website, and they do say it will change in March, so I would bet on that. They don't list the tarifs, though.

OK. I went back to the site and there is a screen at the beginning that talks about new periods of validity beginning March 1, 2006 and shows cards marked 2, 4, and 6 days. (if you blink you'll miss it!) But the rest of the site still seems to indicate the availability of the old periods. I wonder if they mean you will be able to buy 2, 4 or 6 day passes in addition to 1, 3 and 5 or instead of?

I read the website to mean that 2/4/6-day passes replace the 1/3/5-day passes.

With the new English name, it appears also that l"Academie française is losing the fight.

Thank you for the heads up on this. I am arriving in Paris on 28 Feb, so this may affect my plans. I guess no one has any information on the new prices? Also, I wonder if I can purchase the 3-day pass on 28 Feb and use it 1-3 March?

For years, ratp.fr has shown 1, 3, and 5-day passes. Some of their verbiage still mentions the 5-day, but on most pages, the 5-day isn't listed any longer. I wouldn't bet on being able to buy one between now and March.

They may not run the museums, but I daresay they sell most of the cartes. Maybe they just ran out and didn't want to print any more.

FYI - I emailed the Paris Museum Pass office about the prices for the new passes and this is the information I received:

Bonjour,

Thank you for your message.

The 2006 prices for the new PARIS MUSEUM PASS are :

Pass 2 jours : 30 €
Pass 4 jours : 45 €
Pass 6 jours : 60 €

Please note : only available as of 1st march 2006.

Have a nice stay in Paris !



interMusées
4 rue Brantôme
75003 Paris
T. 01 44 61 96 60
F. 01 44 61 96 69
C. [email protected]

Thank you very much, Molly, for the information.

That 6-day pass for 60 euro is a good value, much better (on a cost-per-day basis) than the old 5-day pass, which cost 54 euro.

thanks Molly..
I emailed them too but never got a response.

I also contacted the Paris Museum pass office and they confirmed that if you have a 1,3,5 day pass (purchased beftween now and March 1),you will be able to use it after March 1. After March 1, you will only be able to buy the 2,4,6 day passes.

Thanks for the information, Linda.

Now, I just hope I will be able to buy a 3 day pass on Feb 28, when I arrive. The new 2 day pass is not as good of a deal.

how about two 2day passes for 40€? see the eiffel tower & the catacombs (about the only stuff not incl) on the days in between.

remember that the louvre & orsay open in the evenings certain days of the week till late to maximize your return on your pass ,plus you will have them to yourself practically.

whoops.thats 60€,not 40. the closest to 40 was the 4jours one.

On our first trip to Paris (1996), when the 3-day pass cost about $25 (and admission to Louvre and Orsay totalled about $15), we thought this was a terrific bargain. We visited Louvre, Orsay, Orangerie, Rodin, St-Chapelle, Conciergerie, Carnavalet and a few others.

This was a LOT of museum going in three days, and we did not spend enough time at the Louvre or Orsay. (We made the mistake of walking to the Louvre...).

We haven't purchased a pass since - because the only place we've ever found a very long line has been Musee d'Orsay (in May, June, September...). The Louvre has so many entrances with ticket offices and ticket machines, you can breeze right in.

Last year, I did purchase advance tickets for Louvre (to use the Richelieu entrance) and Orsay (in combination with a special exhibition I feared might be sold out if we waited) through FNAC with a nominal additional fee.

Where admission to the Louvre is 8,50€ and Orsay is 7,50€, and the others 6€ or less (even free now - Carnavalet, Cognacq-Jay, etc.) these new passes do not seem like much of a bargain, especially where they're not really needed for "skipping the ticket line" (except at Musee d'Orsay).

I would recommend that anyone considering a museum pass make a list of all the places they might be able to visit and add up the admission fees.

And, keep in mind that the museum pass must be used over consecutive days. I, personally, would rather have the flexibility to visit museums when the weather is less than perfect than need to use the pass before it expires on a gorgeous day.

I also e-mailed to verify that a pass bought before March 1 could still be used in late May-early June and received the following reply.

Oui, une carte 3 jours achetée aujourd'hui sera valable en mai et juin, même après la mise en place du nouveau PARIS MUSEUM PASS.
(Yes, a 3-day card bought today will be valid in May and June, even after the new Paris Museum Pass goes into effect.)

Cordialement.


Fátima Dombret
interMusées
4 rue Brantôme
75003 Paris
T : 01 44 61 96 60
F : 01 44 61 96 69
C : [email protected]

So I am considering buying a 3-day pass online. (http://www.conciergerie.com has them for 40 euros, not as good as the 36 I'd pay if I were there, but better than the 45 I'd pay for a 4-day pass in May.) And that includes delivery to your hotel in Paris which would be nice. Now I just have to determine whether it's worth it to have a 3-day pass or if we could manage with a 2-day and just pay the entrance fees for things we see on the other day. I buy them mainly as a time-saver rather than a money-saver.(In case you're wondering why I'm bothering to try to save a couple of euros, I will probably be buying 11 cards.)

If anyone knows of a less expensive online source for buying the museum pass, please let me know.