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Family trip to France

My aunt, uncle, and two cousins (age 11 and 5) will be coming for 2 weeks in July to visit me in France. We will be staying in Paris for 3 days and are trying to decide which "pass" would be the best; Paris Passlib', Paris Discovery Passport, or the Paris Pass. I am 25 and considered an EU student, so like the boys I will have free access to most museums and monuments. We are trying to decide if it is worth it to but one of the 3 stated passes (especially for the no line aspect!). Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with any of the passes or advice for an alternative.

We will be heading down to Nimes for 4 days and would love some recommendations for "must-dos" and restaurants to try.

Posted by
2466 posts

The Paris Museum Pass is the one you need, if you want to avoid waiting in admission lines. Look for the signs indicating "ticket holders or Pass holders" and enter there. But everyone must pass through Security, no matter where you go. The PMP does include most of the museums and major attractions, and you can re-enter on the same day. You can purchase this in any tourist kiosk in the airports or major train stations, or simply buy it at the first museum or attraction that's covered in the PMP.

But you should compare prices and be realistic about how many museums and attractions you think you'll really be able to manage. Individual prices might end up costing you far less, and if you time your visits to arrive when things open, or later in the evening, you'll find that lines will be much shorter.

As far as transportation goes, Paris is a small city and very walkable, so you might have more fun just wandering from one attraction to the next.
For only 3 days, you could go with either "carnets of 10 loose "t" tickets" that anyone may use for a one-way trip on Bus or Metro/RER - each "carnet" costs 14.10 EU, and you can buy single tickets if you run out.
If you will always be home by midnight, the "Mobilis" day pass, which allows unlimited transport on Bus and Metro/RER, is a daily pass which is priced according to the zones you'll be travelling in. Might be worth your while if you're staying within central Paris, which covers Zones 1 + 2 and costs 7 EU per day.
Both these ticket options can be purchased in Metro stations using the machines or at manned booths with the word "VENTE" above.

Though the other passes you mentioned give slight discounts on some attractions, I think they're over-priced for what they offer.

Posted by
8554 posts

All of the passes you list are tourist clip jobs. Don't get any of those. The adults should get the Paris Museum Pass in order to use the short passholders security lines for the major museums. The kids can just walk in with them. I don't know about the EU student thing though; can you just walk in with student ID or do you have to line up to get a free ticket?

for transport the 5 year old can get a half price carnet of ordinary metro tickets for 7.05. Everyone else should just share a couple of carnet of 10 ordinary tickets for 14.10. Start by buying two of those and each of the adults and the 11 year old (adult for transport) gets 5 tickets. If you run out, get another carnet. Any of the other things included in those tourist packages can be purchased on the spot for less e.g. Seine cruise HOHO if you want it etc.

The things you mentioned are not passes but rather collections of ordinary passes you can buy there for less like the Museum Pass and the Paris Visite transport pass which is in itself a tourist clip job.