So you’re in Paris and it’s almost for sure that you will visit at least one or two museums. I mean, you’re in Paris! A trip to the Louvre is out of the question, you simply need to see Mona and Lisa! And who doesn’t want to admire a masterpiece collection of Van Gogh’s work?

Here’s the tricky part – Should you get a pass? Is it worthwhile? Which one should you get?

There’s just so many questions! With so many passes in the picture, it’s very easy to get confused on which one is more suitable for your needs. Hence, to help you make a decision, I’ll provide some insights from what I’ve gathered and analysed in regards to these passes. Specifically, I’ll narrow down to two passes: Paris Museum Pass and Paris Pass.

Option 1: Paris Museum Pass

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Paris, in my opinion, is an extremely walk-able city. The attractions are very close to one another, and the summer is not unbearably hot to walk the city. Therefore, you hardly need to use the subways. In fact, a walk in Paris is an attraction to me – it simply is so beautiful. If you plan your attractions and the routes to take in advance, or if you’d just like to follow Google maps and walk from one attraction to the nearby next, all you need is really just a handy Museum Pass for the entries!

Like me, I planned my route in a strategic and geographically convenient way, and stop for a coffee to people-watch when my feet are sore. You guessed it – people-watch is a must-do in France, especially in Paris! They even arrange their chairs to face in only one direction towards the streets. Believe it or not, the coffee shops would hire ‘good-looking’ people to sit around outside of their shops, eventually they will attract more customers to join them.

So What Does This Pass Include?

The pass entitles you free entry to over 50 museums, monuments, and art galleries in Paris, which they are definitely be more than sufficient for a regular tourist. Check out the list of places covered under the museum pass here. In addition, you’ll be able to skip the lines (except for security checks) at these attractions which I guarantee that it’s very useful for this touristic city. Imagine you’d have to queue more than one hour for a single museum, there goes your precious limited time wasted and cut short your day! Even if you only need to skip the queue at one museum, the time saved is more than worth it.

Of course, if you are an EU citizen aged 25 & under, entry is free for some of the museums. All you need to do is present your photo ID/passport at the entrance. Some places like Panthéon requires you to exchange a free ticket first before entering. Some museums that I’ve visited and are free for EU citizens aged 25 and under are:

  • Panthéon
  • Sainte Chapelle
  • Musée d’Orsay
  • Musée de l’Armée
  • Picasso Museum
  • Palace of Versailles
  • Musée du Louvre

If you plan to only visit these museums, then you’re one of the lucky ones who don’t need the museum pass!

A Word of Caution

I would recommend keeping the number to a maximum of 4 museums in a day to avoid tiring yourself out and truly enjoy what the museums have to offer. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself running from one place to another without appreciating the showpieces, only to maximise the usage of your museum pass. After all, what the museum pass does is cutting away the unnecessary time wasted in queuing. The last thing a tourist wants is to have 50% of the time wasted in queuing, right?

Prices for Museum Pass

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The Paris Museum Pass comes in 3 prices:

  • 2 consecutive days – €48
  • 4 consecutive days – €62
  • 6 consecutive days – €74

You can spread out the places in 2, 4, or 6 days. If your intention is to visit only one place like the Louvre, you probably don’t even need the pass to skip the queue. This is why I’d recommend you to plan the places of interests in advance, so you’ll know what pass to purchase strategically.
For example, you can even purchase a 2-day pass if you’re only going to visit 1 last museum on the 3rd or 4th day, and the individual entry ticket and 2-day pass sums up to be much cheaper than a 4-day pass.

Finally, check out my blog posts on how I’ve spent 4 days in Paris and my routes to sightseeing. Also, I’ve shared about how I ‘beat’ the insane security lines which you cannot escape from with any passes!

Where to buy the Paris Museum Pass?

POS 1: Online

You can purchase online here for the pass to be delivered to you.
Shipping costs :

  • Courier, in Paris (at your hotel) : € 12
  • Post, in France : € 6,35
  • DHL abroad :
    • Zone 1 (Germany, Spain, Great Britain … ) : € 14,50
    • Zone 2 (Hungary, Estonia, Bulgaria, … ) : € 22
    • Zone 3 (USA, Canada, rest of the world) : € 24
    • Delivery time : 4 (working) days for delivery by courier in Paris (within 48h), 7 (working) days for France, 4 (working) days for the rest of the world.
  • You can also collect your pass free of charge from the central Paris Tourist Office located at 25 Rue des Pyramides.
    They are open daily from 10:00 – 19:00 (9:00 – 19:00 in the summer excluding 1st May.
POS 2: From CDG or Orly Airports

At CDG airport, you may purchase the pass at the tourist Information Desk at Terminal 1, 2C, 2D, 2E, and 2F. However, do note that they are all closed on the 1st January, 1st May, and 25th December.

  • Terminal 1: Arrival level gate 4. Opens from 0715 – 2045 daily.
  • Terminal 2C: Arrival-Departure level gate 5. Opens from 0715 – 1430 daily.
  • Terminal 2D: Arrival-Departure level gate 7. Opens from 0715 – 2030 daily.
  • Terminal 2E: Arrival level gate 7 Connecting gallery. Opens from 0715 – 2045 daily.
  • Terminal 2F: Arrival level gate 11. Opens from 0715 – 2045 daily.

At Orly airport, you may purchase the pass at the Terminal Sud and Ouest. Do note that they are all closed on the 1st January, 1st May, and 25th December.

  • Terminal Sud: Arrival level gate L. Opens from 0715 – 2030 daily.
  • Terminal Ouest: Arrival level gate A. Opens from 0715 – 2030 daily.
POS 3: From within Paris

You may also purchase the pass at some of the museums the pass is usable at, for example:

  • Panthéon
  • Sainte Chapelle
  • Musée d’Orsay
  • Musée de l’Armée
  • Musée Rodin
  • Centre Pompidou
  • Arc De Triomphe
  • Musée du Louvre

You may also purchase the pass from the visitor centres at Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est.

  • The visitor centre at Gare du Nord is open daily from 0800 – 1800.
  • The visitor centre at Gare du l’Est is open from Monday to Saturday only, from 0700 – 2000.
POS 4: From Abroad

The pass is also available for sale at some of the cities like Spain, Italy, UK, South Korea, and Japan. For more details on the location, visit here.

POS 5: Contact your hotel / airbnb

Some hotels and airbnbs do sell the Museum Pass and have them ready in stock. You should contact them in advance to reserve for you, in case they run out of it during the peak season. This was how I purchased mine from my hotel, Hotel Aiglon, at no extra charges.

Option 2: Paris Pass

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Although I’d highly recommend you to opt for the Museum Pass, the Paris Pass is also a convenient pass if you’d like to explore Paris less on foot and more guided. I’d also recommend this pass if you’re travelling with elderly companions or those who may have trouble walking on foot for a long period of time. On top of the same coverage as the Museum Pass, it also covers some extras that I would like to highlight:

  • A 1-day hop on-and-off Paris Bus Tour visiting 9 major attractions worth €34
  • An audio-guided 1-hour Bateaux Parisiens River Cruise worth €14
  • A guided tour of the Palais Garnier Opera House worth €15.5
  • Grévin Wax Museum’s ticket worth €23.50
  • Montparnasse Tower’s ticket worth €14.50
  • Dali Exhibition’s ticket worth €11.50
  • A self-guided wine tasting tour and a bottle of wine at Les Caves du Louvre, for adult only, worth €30 (advance booking is recommended although you can also walk-in)
  • Unlimited usage of the metro, RER, buses, trams, SNCF, Montmarte Funicular in Paris zone 1-3
  • A Paris 120+ page guidebook
  • Special discounts at selected shops and restaurants in central Paris

Prices for Paris Pass

The Paris Pass comes in 4 prices:

  • 2 consecutive days – €135 / €83 / €46
  • 3 consecutive days – €169 / €99 / €52
  • 4 consecutive days – €199 / €109 / €58
  • 6 consecutive days – €239 / €129 / €75

*Above three prices are for adult (18 & above), teen (12-17), and child (4-11) respectively.

As you can see, the prices for Paris Pass are 3 times more than the Museum Pass. If you plan to participate in all the benefits highlighted above, then go for the Paris Pass. Otherwise, a careful planning is advised when considering between the Paris Pass and Paris Museum Pass.

Where to buy the Paris Pass?

POS 1: Online

You may visit here to purchase the Paris Pass directly.

POS 2: Delivery
  • They offer the global standard untracked delivery at €9.95 (€39.95 with a trackable FedEX).
    • If you’re opting for the delivery to your country, allow a 15 working days to receive your order (6 working days for FedEX).
    • For UK delivery, the fee is €3.95 for standard delivery within 6 working days and €9.95 for Express UK Shipping within 4 working days.
POS 3: From within Paris

They also offer pick-up in Paris at €2. Simple print your order voucher emailed to you upon completion of your purchase online from:
Big Bus Ticket Shop
11 Avenue de L’Opera
75001 Paris
Nearest Metro: Pyramides (Exit 2 on to Rue de l’Echelle)
Time: Monday – Sunday 09.30 – 18.30

Have you made up your decision?

Don’t worry, planning to visit a foreign country is tough, so make your choice wisely and take the time you need. If minimising cost is a priority, then give this process the time it needs. After you pen down the details and routes, then figure out the estimated timeline, and lastly calculate which pass is the most suitable one for your visit. Everyone has different needs in travelling so there is no ‘correct’ pass, just a more ‘suitable’ pass for you.

I would say that both the Paris Museum Pass and Paris Pass are definitely worth it. On my first day of using the Museum Pass, I had my doubts as there was hardly any queues at the places I went.

Until I arrived at Musée d’Orsay. 

There was this ridiculously long queue right at the entrance, and you could imagine the pure bliss that I felt, to be able to walk right through the front entrance without having to queue for more than one hour.

That’s right – even if the pass has helped me once in the day, it already saved a very precious one hour’s time that could be used for… food!

I hope this post has helped you understand the differences between the two passes, and eventually guide you to make a choice on the most suitable pass to ensure a smooth journey for your trip in Paris!

Do leave a comment if you have any suggestions, or ask me any questions you may have!