Updated 2024! Is the Paris Pass or Paris Museum Pass worth it?

If you’re planning to visit the city of love and lights, getting an attractions card can be a savvy way to save time and money. However, it’s important to understand a few key points to determine whether the Paris Pass or Paris Museum Pass truly offers value for your trip.

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What’s an attractions card?

Attraction cards such as the Paris Pass and Paris Museum Pass are essentially prepaid tickets that offer travelers the convenience of hassle-free entry to a variety of tourist spots. They work on a daily basis; you purchase a pass for a set number of days and gain access to numerous attractions without the need to stand in line to buy tickets at each site.

The cost of these passes is fixed per day, and the per-day price typically decreases as you opt for more days, which can lead to significant savings for avid sightseers. These passes, especially in cities like Paris, are distinct from public transportation cards and do not cover bus, metro, or tram fares. Instead, they focus solely on streamlining visits to popular landmarks, museums, and tours, making them particularly valuable for tourists looking to cover a lot of ground in a short period.

It’s also worth noting that many of these passes offer additional benefits, such as skip-the-line privileges, discounts at select shops and restaurants, and sometimes even free public transportation, depending on the type of pass and the city.

What’s the difference between the Paris Pass or Paris Museum Pass?

Paris offers various types of these cards, and while they have notable differences, they also share similarities. Let’s delve into the two most popular.

Paris Museum Pass

This pass allows entry to over 50 museums in and around Paris, available for 2, 4, or 6 days. Highlights include the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Sainte-Chapelle, and the Palace of Versailles. Entry is valid once per museum, and some require reservations in advance. The included tickets grant access to the museums but not to special collections or temporary exhibitions.

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Paris Pass

The Paris Pass gives you access to over 90 attractions, including the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, sightseeing buses, Seine river cruises, and Versailles. It can be bought for 2, 3, 4, or 6 days, and it now includes the Paris Museum Pass. Once activated, the pass counts consecutive days. You have 24 months to activate it from purchase, and it does not include public transport, only the hop-on-hop-off tour bus. It also has a credit limit for the total entry costs you can incur per day.

There’s a third option: Paris Passlib

This official pass from the Paris tourism board allows you to choose attractions from the total available for each pass type. The Paris Mini lets you pick 3 out of 23 activities, the City 5 out of 46, the Explorer 6 out of 54, and the Prestige 6 out of 79. Interestingly, it’s not based on consecutive days; you can activate it one day and use it over the next 365 days. Naturally, the more attractions, the more expensive the pass.

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How do I know if a pass is worth it?

To decide, it’s best to have a rough itinerary or a list of sights you want to see. Once you have that, compare the individual prices to the cost of the pass. Generally, passes are worth it if you’re planning at least three attractions per day, which can be challenging if you’re visiting museums. For less than 3 days, neither pass typically justifies the cost, since Paris offers much to see for free. If choosing, the Paris Pass is the most comprehensive, allowing for additional activities like the tourist bus or Seine cruise, on top of the Eiffel Tower.