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Paris Museum Pass worth buying it for our 13 days trip?

Hi!
First of all, thank you! This forum have been very helpful to us, so we can plan ahead and make some good decision before our long awaited trip. I received a lot of responses from our previous forum *'Need your help in our trip to Paris... Thanks to all of you, we received a lot of good suggestions. Now, we need your help in buying the tickets, please!!

Since my husband & I are going to Paris in June (peak tourist season), we're planning to buy the PMP 6 days €191.66 (tax incl.)

  • Do you think it is worth it to buy the PMP, since these 144 hrs. are consecutive and inseparable? I understand it still requires to reserve specific date/time slot for each Museum. I would rather buy the online pass now, if it's worthy, so I can separate the time/slots of the most visited museums.

Even though we'll be visiting a lot of Museums, we're no going with the mentality of the “Go Go Go!”, we want find ourselves meandering the city, enamored with its beauty. We want the experience of simply wandering the streets, stopping in cafes, enjoying some shopping and be fascinated with the intoxicating atmosphere that makes Paris 'Paris'. We're also staying one night in Chartres and one night in Versailles. Our agenda doesn't have to be so tight but we would still want to leave Paris with the feeling that we enjoyed the most of it, even though a little piece of my heart will be left behind after we leave.

We would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you!!
Anabel

Posted by
892 posts

It is truly impossible to say if it works for you.

But ftr, you can book now and buy the PMP later, any museum that requires a time slot doesn't require an actual PMP ##, you can just use 0000s to get the booking.

I got a 6 day one the first time I went but not the 2nd and I won't for my upcoming trip, but you'll have to add up the cost of the museums, etc. and compare to the pass price.

Posted by
8550 posts

The PMP is of no value unless you have calculated that it will save you money with your itinerary. It provides no line advantage over just reserving a ticket on line and most museums now require reserved time slots. And the louvre has very limited slots for PMP holders so it is quite possible that you can't get a time with the PMP where you could just buy a ticket. Due to abuse by Chinese tour groups, the old policy of multiple admissions to one museums e.g. 3 short visits to the Louvre or Orsay instead of one long long day, is not longer allowed.

Quite literally, the only value now is if it saves money because your itinerary has you doing lots of museums over a short period. You can test that by adding up the admissions. If you do buy it, book your ticket time slots as soon as possible (you don't need the PMP in hand to do so). I believe the Musee d'Orsay allows you to just enter without a reservation from the line for those with reserved tickets.

Posted by
14725 posts

I try to visit Paris every year and for myself, quit buying the Museum pass when they changed the rules in 2019 and that was even before the advent of timed entries. I think you are going to have to run the numbers and see if this is going to be an advantage to you. Most of my visits are very museum heavy yet, still, I just buy individual entries.

You'll need timed entries to only a few museums. Those are Louvre, Orangerie, Versailles, Orsay, Sainte-Chapelle. The Louvre restricts the number of entries for Museum Pass holders so if you go with the pass, make that reservation as soon as you've figured out when you want to go.

You do not need timed entries to the Cluny, Archeological Crypt, Quai Branley, the museums at the Trocadero area, The Conciergerie, Arts and Metiers, Army Museum + Napoleon's Tomb, etc.

There are many museums in Paris that are free including the Carnavalet (Museum of the history of Paris) and the Liberation and Resistance Museum and most ofthe museums run by the City of Paris.

Sites not covered by the Museum Pass include the Eiffel Tower, Catacombs, the Musee du Luxembourg

BTW, you can make timed entry reservations for the pass without having the pass in hand.

Posted by
7 posts

Based in your opinions, we have decided not to buy the PMP. We are going to buy now the tickets for the Museums we know the specific day that we want to go and we are going to separate the time/slots for some others.

Thank you everyone! I appreciate you all for taking the time to respond.
Anabel

Posted by
8550 posts

FWIW when we visited the Carnavalet a couple years ago they required a timed reservation even though it was free so check websites of places you want to visit. Smaller museums mostly don't have lines.

Posted by
892 posts

Carnavalet no longer requires timed admission, I will be there in 20 days lol

Posted by
14725 posts

Agree with Skunklet on the Carnavalet not requiring timed entries. I went last April and just walked in as opposed to the time I went right after they reopened post Covid and needed a timed entry (and had to stand in the rain in the forecourt!). They may require a timed entry if they have a special exhibition going on so do look at their website.

Let us know how things work out for you!