We are five adults and one 17 year old going to Paris in two weeks. We are planning to buy five museum passes and understand the 17 year old does not have to buy tickets for Paris Museums.
But will she have to wait in a separate line to get in or can she enter with us? If she has to wait line I think it would be best to buy a pass for her too.
Would appreciate any information, Thanks, Kate
Hi! I took 5 students to Paris and wondered the same thing. Good news! They can be in line with you. In general you just show them your pass and they wave you and your kids by, however in some cases they may ask to see ID and it's a good idea fro them to have their passport or student ID with birthdate on it. Have fun!
Thank you so much - you saved us a ticket, Kate
Don't overlook the less well known museums and monuments on the list of those that honor the pass. We always get museum passes even though we've been to Paris many times and to the popular museums many times as well. The smaller museums often have snack bars and always have restrooms and you can walk right into most of them. Two favorites are Chateau de Vincennes and the Basilique Cathedrale de Saint-Denis. Both are easily reached using the Metro line # 1 to the end of the line for Vincennes and RER D to the end of the line to see the tombs of the kings of France at Saint-Denis. The Arab Institute along the Seine east of Notre Dame is worth a visit and maybe lunch at their excellent restaurant. Near the Tracadero? Pop into the the Musee de la Marine, almost always empty but so handy for a quick break.
I recommend that you buy a longer pass rather than a shorter one. Are you there for 5 days? Then buy a 4 day pass. Don't try to cram all museum visits into 2 days.
I agree with buying a longer pass, the cost per day goes down a bunch with the longer passes and not having to rush to see things is worth it.
I also agree with getting to know some of the "lesser" sights that are free with your pass. With a pass, stopping in for a quick look around makes sense, without a pass you would skip them. Using them as a source for good clean toilets is a good idea.
I'll second St. Denis. I'm a history buff and the sheer number of French royalty buried in the crypt is amazing.
Not so much for Vincennes. There is very little to see. The keep has something like ten empty rooms to look at. The chapel is small and also empty. There is some view from one side of the castle - and that's about it. The rest of the space is used as archives/storage for French government agencies and not viewable for the public. I think some people are enamoured by it's connection to Marquis de Sade. For me, it wasn't worth the time spent to get there.
I, too, suggest the longer pass. It's money well spent and if you're in the neighborhood you can just pop into places. If you're not feeling it, leave and go elsewhere,
I got this pass for my school group and we really used it. We averaged 3-4 activities a day in three days. I knew that the chances of the students getting back to these places was slim, so we really made the most of it. I wouldn't do it any other way now.
