While planning your trip to Paris, you might have come across the Paris Pass. The pass includes free entry to many of the city’s top attractions, ranging from museums and monuments to guided tours and experiences. Sounds tempting, doesn’t it? The pass comes at a fee that decreases per additional day, which means the longer you book it, the cheaper it gets. But is the Paris Pass worth it? We give you the lowdown on its pros and cons as well as share some helpful tips on how it can save you A LOT of money during your stay.
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What is the Paris Pass?
In case you haven’t heard about it or need a refresher, the Paris Pass is a paid pass that includes free entrance to 90 attractions in the city, including most of the top sites, such as the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, and Versailles. The pass also includes free access to over 30 experiences like boat cruises, tour buses, walking tours, and food and wine experiences. It’s available for 2, 3, 4, or 6 days and can save you up to 50% on your sightseeing. At the time of publication in September 2024, the cost for an adult pass was from €169 to €279 and they occasionally go on sale, so the price can be even less. Keep reading to see if it’s the right fit for your trip and how you can maximize your savings.
Types of travelers that should get the Paris Pass
We know that every traveler is unique and has different travel objectives, so here are the types of travelers we think the Paris Pass is a better match for:
↳ First-time visitors to Paris
If you’ve never been to Paris before, you’ll likely want to maximize your time and visit a large number of museums and monuments. If this is your case, you’ll make BIG savings by getting the Paris Pass. We go into more detail on this later in the article.
↳ You love visiting tourist attractions or museums
Even if you’ve been to Paris before, the city has so many great museums and sites – most of which are included in the Paris Pass. Since the pass also has a LOT of other perks (more on these below), you’ll still save money by getting the pass, even if you’re not visiting top sites you’ve possibly seen on a previous trip.
↳ You plan on going to Versailles
The Palace of Versailles is one of France’s most visited AND expensive attractions. The cost varies depending on the day, but an adult full-access passport ticket costs either €24 or €32. Therefore, if Versailles is a must for you, it’s likely worth getting the Paris Pass. The only downside is that visiting Versailles is a bit of a time-suck, but if you get up early and only do a half-day visit, you’ll still have time to go to another site or two back in Paris – especially if you follow our tips at the end of the article.
↳ You don’t want to deal with money and tickets
If you’d like the ease of not having to make separate ticket purchases for each attraction and waste time in ticket lines, then the Paris Pass is also a good option for you. Even though you have to decide which day to visit certain sites in advance, you can do this through the Paris Pass App. A good variety of food and wine experiences are included in the pass, which means you have to deal even less with money.
Image Courtesy of Rodin Museum
Who shouldn’t get the Paris Pass
↳ Visitors 17 and under
Children 17 and under of any nationality, and European passport holders 25 and under, have free entry to ALL French National museums and monuments. This includes the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Versailles, and a wide range of other sites you might like to take the kids to. That said, the Paris Pass is available at a discount for children 17 and under AND it includes some sites and experiences that are NOT free for kids, like boat tours, hop-on hop-off buses, and climbing the Eiffel Tower. So some families might prefer to get the Paris Pass IF you plan on doing those activities too.
↳ Visitors with disabilities
France is a welcoming country for visitors with disabilities. Many museums and monuments offer free entry to visitors with disabilities and an accompanying guest (although you may need to reserve a free ticket in advance). Since the Paris Pass only includes the stairs at the Eiffel Tower, you’ll likely spend less by purchasing individual tickets to the few sites that don’t offer free entrance for you.
↳ You like to experience things at a leisurely pace
Although the Paris Pass is convenient, since you have to use it on consecutive days and it’s only really worth getting if you visit a minimum of 2 to 3 sites per day, it’s less appealing for those who like to take their time. However, if you book the pass for more days (so the price per day decreases), it could still make sense for you.
↳ You’re not into the popular attractions
The Paris Pass does include some great smaller museums, like the Rodin Museum and the Cinema Museum, however, the best savings offered by it come from visiting the more costly big-name attractions like the Louvre, Versailles, the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe. Unless you’re into visiting the specific venues included in the pass, you might want to simply purchase individual tickets to those venues when you arrive at them or in advance on Tiqets or GetYourGuide. That said, the Paris Pass includes some great tours, which are more costly than the museum entrance fees, so it could still be a good option for you.
↳ You want to have a local experience
To be honest, if experiencing the city as a local is your trip priority, you won’t want to visit many of the top attractions included in the Paris Pass. Parisians LOVE going to museums and cultural sites, but they usually go to temporary exhibits and smaller unique museums that aren’t necessarily included in the Paris Pass.
Image Courtesy of Musée de l’Orangerie via Facebook
Pros of using the Paris Pass
There are some great benefits of getting a Paris Pass, like the following:
✔ Saving money
If you plan on visiting 2 to 3 (or more) museums and monuments per day, plus take advantage of some of the other experiences included in the pass, then you can save a LOT of money. What’s more, the Paris Pass guarantees you’ll save money. If your pass costs more than if you purchased individual attraction tickets, they’ll refund you the difference. So, you really can’t go wrong IF you think you’ll be visiting some of the sites and doing a few of the experiences that are included. You’ll make savings or else you can apply for a refund.
✔ Free “hop on hop off” tour and Seine River cruise
Although we tend to not recommend the “hop on hop off” tour buses (they are quite touristy and not good for the environment), we totally understand that they can be a good option for some visitors – especially those with mobility issues, time constraints, or travelers with kids. When it comes to boat tours in Paris, we generally suggest taking the smaller riverboat cruises, but the one included in the Paris Pass will give you a good taste of the sites along the river.
✔ You can see attractions you wouldn’t have normally chosen
Since so MANY venues are included in the Paris Pass, you might be tempted to visit some museums and attractions that weren’t necessarily on your Paris bucket list and which you’ll really love. See our tips below on getting the most out of the Paris Pass below.
Here are some of the more unique attractions included in the pass you might want to consider visiting:
- Orangerie Museum – Home to Claude Monet’s famed water lily paintings as well as many other Impressionist and Modernist masterpieces.
- Architecture and Heritage Museum – A cool museum across from the Eiffel Tower which is like visiting buildings around the country all in one place.
- Quai Branly Museum – An anthropology museum right near the Eiffel Tower.
- Museum of Decorative Arts – A great collection of historic furniture and decorative objects, plus it hosts great temporary exhibits, often on fashion.
- Gustave Moreau Museum – One of our favorite former art studio museums located near Montmartre.
✔ Includes some unique food and wine experiences
One of the top factors that makes the Paris Pass worth it is the extra experiences that are included. Pass holders can do wine and food experiences which are entirely FREE, these really make the pass worthwhile. Many of the activities are close to popular sites included in the pass – another big plus. Here are some examples:
- Parisian breakfast at a traditional café – Enjoy a croissant, freshly squeezed orange juice, a baguette, coffee, and fresh fruit. The café is right across from the overly hyped historic cafés of St-Germain, but more local.
- French wine-tasting at the Caves du Louvre – Learn about French wine and try three different types.
- Champagne in Montmartre – Just show your pass at the selected restaurant near Sacré-Coeur and get a free glass of champagne and some small pastries.
- A free crepe and beverage near the Arc de Triomphe – A sweet crepe with a non-alcoholic beverage at a classic Parisian Café (which isn’t too touristy despite the area) – the perfect sightseeing break.
✔ Includes some walking tours so not only museums and monuments
Paris has many AMAZING museums and monuments, but one of the best things to do in Paris is explore its different neighborhoods. You can do this thanks to the tour options included in the Paris Pass and make BIG savings. About a dozen tours are free with the pass and they range from walking tours of the Left Bank and Montmartre to thematic tours like Emily in Paris and Hidden Gems of the Marais. These tours are normally worth €36 to €40 per person, so taking a few really makes the Paris Pass worth it.
Cons of using the Paris Pass
✘ Not all attractions in Paris are included
The Paris Pass includes over 90 attractions, so there are good chances that most of the places you’d like to visit are included. However, a few might not be, such as the elevators at the Eiffel Tower. The pass does include a guided tour of the tower with access to the 1st and 2nd floors, which is where you can admire the best views of the city anyway.
✘ Must be used on consecutive days
The pass MUST be used on days in a row and can’t be divided around to different days during your trip. This means that you’ll have to visit and do all the experiences included in the pass that you’re interested in on the set days you’ve selected for the pass. But with some good planning – and by following some of our tips below – this is possible.
✘ Must reserve for certain popular sites
Some sites, like the Louvre and Versailles, require you to decide in advance when you would like to visit them. This might seem like losing a bit of freedom, but ALL visitors are now required to do this. So, you would have to book an advance time if you bought individual tickets directly through these venues anyway, so, this isn’t a big disadvantage.
✘ It doesn’t help you “skip the line” as much as in the past
In the past, pass-holders would breeze past long lines at the ticket desk, however, since so many travelers now buy advance tickets (or are forced to), there are simply more people in what were once skip-the-line queues. You’ll still save some time by using the Paris Pass – and don’t forget about all the other advantages included in the pass.
How to determine if you should get the Paris Pass
Are the included attractions ones you actually want to visit?
Before making your decision, check over the list of venues and experiences included in the pass. If there are three or more per day for the number of days you’d like to book the pass, then the Paris Pass is worth getting.
Are you planning on taking a boat trip or hop on hop off tour bus?
If the answer to this question is yes AND you’re planning on visiting 2 museums or monuments per day, the pass will still save you money. You can also do these in the evening when museums tend to be closed, so you could squeeze in 3 attractions (or more) and then do the bus or boat.
Are you planning on exploring neighborhoods or doing some food and wine experiences?
If you were also thinking of doing a wine tasting or some neighborhood tours, the pass includes over 30 experiences (did we mention the macarons and chocolate experiences?). Therefore, if you can fit in some tours and experiences, the Paris Pass can save you A LOT of money.
Tips for best utilizing the Paris Pass
Make the most of late openings
Another great hack is to take advantage of the late openings at museums and monuments. The Musée d’Orsay is open until 9:45 pm on Thursdays and the Louvre closes at 9 pm on Fridays, this is also when these popular museums are less busy. The Arc de Triomphe and the Montparnasse viewing deck both close around 10 pm – 10:30 pm, so you can visit these venues after other sites close. The boat and bus tours are also available in the evening.
Make the most of the free experiences and tours
Many of the tours and experiences that are included in the pass are worth more than the attraction entrance fees, so adding one per day is another way to maximize the Paris Pass. For example, some of the food experiences are around €15, but other tours and experiences are valued at €35 to €40. This also means you won’t have to book these separately, so it’s less hassle and more savings.
Group together sites and experiences that are close to each other
You can REALLY maximize the benefits of the Paris Pass by visiting sites that are close to each other. For example, start your day with a free breakfast at Café Louise, do a Saint-Germain walking tour, visit the Musée d’Orsay or the Rodin Museum, then go up the Eiffel Tower, do the boat cruise which starts at the foot of the tower all the while getting around by the hop on hop off bus. This is a value of €172 but only costs you €46.50 to €84.50, depending on how many days you’ve selected. This is just one sample day illustrating how the Paris Pass is worth it, you might even be able to fit in a few other activities, like a nighttime visit to the Arc de Triomphe or Tour Montparnasse, which saves another €16 to €20.
How many days should you book a Paris Pass?
This can vary depending on how long you’re staying in Paris and how many sites you’d like to visit, but we can give you a little advice. Considering that the price of the pass goes down per day and that you can save up to €150 a day, especially if you include some experiences and tours, you might want to get a 3 or 4-day pass. If you’ve got a week in Paris, and it’s your first time in the city, a 6-day pass can be really worth it.
How to buy a Paris Pass
So is the Paris Pass worth it? If you feel it is, you can purchase it on the GoCity Paris Pass website. You can buy it up to two years in advance and wait to activate it closer to your trip date. They currently have a 90-day refund policy, so if you have to cancel your trip in advance, you can get your money back. Don’t forget, as we mentioned above, passes sometimes go on sale, so if you click that link and see a discount, get your pass while you can save some money.
We hope you’ve found this article useful in deciding if the Paris Pass is worth it for you to buy. Everyone is different, so it might or might not be the best match for you or your travel needs, either way, we’re sure you’ll have a fantastic time in the City of Light.
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