Last Updated on 3 December, 2020 by Veronica
We will talk about the two most popular cards to save money on your trip to Paris in today’s post. Is it worth buying the Paris Pass or the Museum Pass? Which one suits you best and why?
What is the Paris Pass, the Museum Pass, and the PassLib?
First of all, you have to know that the Paris Pass consists of 3 cards. One is the Paris Pass, another is the Museum pass, and the third is the transport card in Paris.
That’s right, as you’ve read it, the Museum Pass is included within the Paris pass but can be purchased separately.
The PassLib has emerged as a competition to the two cards mentioned above. It includes everything about the Paris Pass, and it’s a little cheaper. Keep reading because I will explain everything in more detail.
- Read: How to organize a trip to Paris step by step and super easy
- Read: Itinerary to visit Paris in 5 days
What Paris Pass, Museum Pass, and Pass Lib cards are for?
These cards are passes that save you money on your trip to Paris. They also serve to skip the lines since you will have preferential access and other advantages.
For example, as a I was telling you above, the Paris Pass comes with a card for the public transport in Paris, a wine tasting, a river cruise, a guide of Paris, among others that make it much more complete and attractive.
Comparison Paris Pass and Museum Pass
Depending on the style of your trip and the visits you want to make, you’ll be interested to buy the complete option offered by the Paris Pass or the option of museums and monuments, which is the Paris Museum Pass.
What does the Paris Pass include?
The Paris Pass allows you to enter with free admission to more than 60 attractions, monuments, and art galleries. (same as the Museum Pass, I’ll detailed them below)
- The metro card, which is the card for public transport.
- Free access to 7 additional attractions: includes entrance to Montparnasse Tower, a Seine cruise and a wine tasting.
- Day ticket for the touristic bus.
- Free guide with more than 120 pages about Paris and its places to visit.
- Skip the line at many attractions.
- Additional discounts at Galeries la Fayette, Hard Rock cafe, among others.
- Excludes Access to the Eiffel Tower
What does the Paris Museum Pass include?
The Museum Pass includes admission to more than 60 monuments and attractions. The most important are:
- Louvre Museum
- Orsay Museum
- Arc de Triomphe
- Torres de Notre-Dame (currently closed. 2020)
- Palace of Versailles
- Pantheon
- Conciergerie
- Sainte-Chapelle
- Pompidou Centre
- Excludes Access to the Eiffel Tower
What does the Paris PassLib include?
As I mentioned above, the PassLib includes everything the Paris Pass, that is, preferential entrance to more than 50 museums, monuments and tourist attractions; unlimited public transport (zones 1-3), tourist bus, Seine cruise and more.
- Paris Museum Pass: Priority access to more than 50 museums and monuments for 48 hours (2 and 3-day pass) / 96 hours (5-day pass)
- Unlimited access to public transport, zones 1-3, for 2, 3 or 5 days, depending on the option chosen
- Seine de Bateaux Parisiens Sightseeing Cruise (1-hour cruise)
- Tourist Bus (Open Tour): unlimited access for 1 day. Access to temporary exhibitions of the museums of Paris (except Catacombes and Crypte archéologique)
- Access to a guided tour of the Fragonard Museum + gift
- Printed guide
- City map
- Excludes Access to the Eiffel Tower
How do these cards work?
Once you have your cards, you have to put your name on it and the date you’re going to start using them.
Always try using it in the morning so you have the full day to take advantage of it.
To access the different attractions, you have to go to the entrance and show your pass. You don’t have to queue to buy any tickets. In some cases, you will face a small line to check bags or if you carry a large backpack leave it in the locker.
These cards have the advantage of saving you the queues, especially if you travel in the summer. However, you can’t skip the line at Sainte-Chapelle, or the one with the security control in the Palace of Versailles.
How much does the Paris Card Pass cost?
This pass can be purchased for 2, 3, 4 and 6 days. Depending on the number of days and the ages, the price changes.
For example, a two-day pass for an adult goes out at €130, for a teenager (12 to 17 years old) €75, and for a child (4 to 11 years old) €40. This is especially important if you’re traveling as a family.
Please note: Children under 18 years old and European citizens under 26 years old have free admission to most museums and monuments included in the Museum Pass itinerary.
How much does the Museum Pass cost?
The Paris Museum Pass includes more than 60 museums and monuments. There are passes for 2, 4 and 6 days.
The pass of two days’ costs 57 euros per person (over 18 years old), but if you want, you can upgrade it, that is, you have the possibility to buy this pass and add the cruise on the river, in this case the price rises to 69 euros.
The Museum Pass for 4 days’ costs 73 euros and you also have the option to buy it with the cruise on the Seine and that costs you 84 euros.
Pay Attention at:
- Children under 18 years old and European citizens under 26 years old, have free access to most museums and monuments included in the Museum Pass itinerary.
- To secure your entrance to the Louvre, book a time slot here
- On the first Sunday of the month, admission to most French museums is free.
Where you can buy these cards to visit Paris
These cards, both the Paris Pass and the Museum Pass are purchased online or at the tourist offices of Paris.
Our recommendation is to buy them online, and if you do so, with sufficient time, they will send them to your home.
If you buy them online, but you don’t have enough time to have them sent to your home, the best option is to pick them up in Paris.
Each card is assigned some pick-up location in Paris.
The Museum Pass you can pick up at the tourist office located at 23 rue d’Aboukir, 75002 Paris, just a 10-minute walk from the Louvre Museum. The office is open 7 days a week from 9:00 to 18:00.
The Paris Pass is collected at the Big Bus Ticket Shop. 11 Avenue de L’Opera. The nearest metro is Pyramides. Open from Monday to Sunday: 09.30 – 18.30
Plan your visit to Paris with the Paris Pass or the Museum Pass
- To know what Pass suits you more, these are my recommendations
- Make a list of the places you want to visit yes or yes.
- Are all the places you want to visit are included in the passes?
- Next to each place put the price of the ticket without the pass.
- Do the sum and see if it’s more or less that which costs the Paris Pass or the Museum Pass.
- Are you going to move around Paris in Public Transport?
- Do you want to do the wine tasting included in the Paris Pass? Would you like to climb the Montparnasse Tower? Would you like to take a cruise on the Seine?
Once you’ve made the list and answered those questions or questions that come up to you, you’ll know if the passes suit you or which of the two is worth the most.
I’m sure you’ll at least be interested in the Paris Museum Pass. For us it is essential, especially if you travel in the summer to save time from the lines.
Need help knowing what card pass is better for you? Leave your comment, and I’ll be happy to answer your doubts!
Prepare your trip to Paris
- How to organize a trip to Paris step by step and super easy
- Itinerary to visit Paris in 5 days
- What to see in Paris when it rains
- Must-Visit places – tours in Paris
- Watch the Moulin Rouge show
- Where to eat in Paris good, nice and cheap
- Visit Pere Lachaise Cemetery
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Book Your Trip
Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner.
Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel, hotel, or apartments on Booking.com.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s your protection in case anything goes wrong. You never go on a trip without it.
Best companies for activities
Check out Civitatis.com and find the best tours in English (French, Spanish and Italian)
Looking for the best companies to save money with?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money when I travel – and I think will help you too! (Is in Spanish yet)
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