john183

Having bought the Museum Pass on both of our Paris visits, I have always recommended getting it but I decided to use what we actually did on our last Paris trip to try to figure out if it was really worth it for us. We were in Paris for a week with our 12 year old granddaughter and our mission (which was probably more aggressive than most) was to see as much of Paris as we could at a reasonable pace.

My wife and I bought and activated our 6 day Paris Museum Passes on our second day in Paris at the Rodin Museum (I think they are available at all the participating museums plus many other places) for 69€ each. We could have chosen a 4 day pass for 54€ or a 2 day pass for 39€ but opted for the 6 day pass. Our granddaughter was able to get in to every place we went for free (I think anyone under the age of 18 is free). Here are the places we visited and what I think would have been the individual admission price for each (please correct me if I’m wrong):

Arc de Triomphe 9.5€
Napoleon’s Tomb (Invalides) 9€
Louvre 8.5€
Notre Dame (climbed to the top) 8€
Orangerie 7.5€
Orsay 9€
Rodin 6€
Sainte-Chapelle 8.5€
Versailles 15€
Total: 81€
Savings: 12€

We were there in June (it was busy but not super crowded) and the only really long lines I remember where having the Museum Pass made a big difference were at the Louvre and the Orsay – having the Museum Pass saved a lot of time at these two places. I’m sure it saved some time at the other places too because we just had to find the entrance, show our passes and enter – no hassles with also having to find and wait in the ticket line. We used it at least once on each of the 6 days.

I’m not sure if this is a normal amount of places for first-timers to see in a week but we did not seem rushed and we enjoyed a lot of the other wonderful Parisian things (lots of café breaks, time enjoying our apartment, walks through neighborhoods, a boat ride on the Seine, going to the top of the Eiffel Tower, Sacre-Coeur, several nice meals and more).

In our case, (if my math is correct and the admission prices are accurate) buying the Museum Pass not only saved us time and hassle (which is almost more valuable than money to us when we are on vacation) but made financial sense too. On future trips where we may have a different mission than seeing all these same places, I still think we would buy the Museum Pass simply for the convenience.

adrienne

Is there a question here?

I've only bought the museum pass once when they had a 1 day pass. I've never felt the need for it any other time. There are lots of free museums in Paris and lots of museums where you cannot use the pass.

ltr

John, thanks for posting this. I am trying to decide whether to purchase passes for a fall trip right now. I didn't think Versailles was covered the last time I purchased one. Has that changed or did I forget?

indy_dad

I agree, John. I think one of the side benefits (at least for me) is the willingness to pop into a museum that you might not have otherwise tried if you were paying a la carte. In the end, it's not going to swing things too much either way and folks are best advised not to sweat the details over 5-10€.

@ltr -- Versailles was covered when we went (not long ago) but the gardens were extra since the fountains were on.

StCirq

The Museum Pass covers Versailles, except the gardens and the Trianon. I believe it always has.

lantana

Thanks John.
I plan to buy the 6-day pass for myself (my daughter is 15, so I won't get one for her). We have 6.5 days of touring.
Seems that between the convenience of not lining up to buy tickets at each stop - and also having the freedom to return to attractions of particular interest, the pass will definitely be worth having

AisleSeat

The one big advantage of the museum pass is that you can skip the lines. That has to be worth something.

denisea

I prefer the pass...one stop at a ticket counter, so no more lost time waiting in line at every museum for tickets. For the museums that get crowded, time saved waiting in the queue. It is more of a convenience and time saver for me, rather than cost savings. It certainly depends on how many times you use it.

I hate to wait in lines, especially as my vacation time ticks away. I also am more likely to visit another museum or two since it is already covered, so I see more.

Christina

I think it always makes sense for people who really do intend to visit so many places in just a few consecutive days. From those stats, it actually appears the 6 day pass might make more sense than the 2 day one as you have more time to visit these things and spread them out.

I usually only visit one major museum a day and am not big on monuments much (I have been to Ste Chapelle), but I'm more of a slow traveler. That might have made sense for me on my first trip to Paris, though, but I don't think they had such a thing back then.

tomarkot

I agree with the ideas above about the advantages of a Pass. It not only saves precious vacation time, but gives you the liberty to spend a shorter amount of time in a museum, return if you want, or see a few other museums. Happy planning!

latedaytraveler

John, thank you for scoping out your use of the Paris Museum Pass. I expect to spend five days in Paris this June before going on another excursion. My first stop will be the Rodin Museum where I will purchase a four day pass and then proceed from there.


One has to be aware of the days, usually Mondays or Tuesdays, when most museums are closed. (Let’s hear it for the Brits whose Museums in London are open most days except Christmas.)


The museum which I am most interested in visiting this time is the Musee Nissim de Camondo in the 8th also covered by the Pass.


The only museum that I plan to visit which is not included is the Marmottan Monet Museum the 16th.


Such fun planning these excursions….

john183

Thanks for all the additional ideas that have been added. Hopefully anyone trying to decide whether to buy the museum pass or not will have more than just the strictly financial comparison to use to help make their decision. How valuable is time and convenience (sometimes even in small quantities) to them? Having said that, I'm sure there are many situations where buying the museum pass would not be the best thing. I know it's not a hugely consequential topic one way or the other but I think the little things can make a big difference in how much you enjoy your visit.

nyse

As today is Sunday, and a new month, seems timely to mention that most Paris museums are free the first Sunday of each month.
Good to keep in mind if you opt for a short pass, to have the free Sunday be the day before or the day after your "pass days."