My husband and two boys, 11 and 13, will be in Paris in Aug. 2019 for seven nights. I'm trying to figure out if the Paris Pass is a good idea for us. I'm aware that the boys would get into museums free but I'm mainly concerned with being able to skip the ticket lines. My kids are not, to put it mildly, the greatest at lining up and I would pay extra, without going crazy, to de-stress the situation as much as possible. So, should I buy it. Our plans are not over-ambitious - I want to plan on 1-2 sites a day. If it goes well an they can do more then great. If not, also great, we have an air bnb and I'm totally happy hanging out in Paris. My husband and I have both been to Paris before but this will be the boys first international trip.
Posted by
Green Bay
20247 posts
Are you talking about the Paris Pass, or the Paris Museum Pass? The first is a rip-off, the second is a good deal. I would think they could line up with you in the security line, but I will leave that others who have experienced this situation.
Posted by
OP
28 posts
I'm actually looking at both the Paris Pass or the Museum Pass.
Posted by
OP
28 posts
I should also add, I'm trying to figure out if I should buy passes for my kids too. It they are with us, and we have museum passes, can they just proceed to the security line with us or do they have to first line up in the the ticket line?
Posted by
Green Bay
20247 posts
The Paris Pass includes the Museum Pass as well as the Visite transit pass which is overpriced to begin with and a zillion discounts for things you'll never do, plus a very generous profit for the promoters. Save your money and just get the Museum Pass and we'll see about whether the kids need it or not. And there are cheaper ways to use the Paris transit system than the Visite.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
15852 posts
The Paris Museum pass is GREAT. We'd buy it again in a minute. The Paris Pass, on the other hand, is seriously overpriced. As Sam said, there are less expensive ways of to deal with transport than with this pass. There is NO need to buy any sort of museum pass for your kids.
The FAQ section on the Paris Museum Pass website answers a lot of questions, such as....
http://en.parismuseumpass.com/rub-faq-16.htm
"Do children need a PARIS MUSEUM PASS?
No, children under 18 and european citizens under 26 are allowed FREE access in most of the museums and monuments included in the PARIS MUSEUM PASS itinerary."
"Do children in my party under 18 years of age have to queue up to get in?
No. The few establishments that issue tickets for free entry are not among the most often visited attractions."
This means your children get in with you unless it's a museum which requires getting free tickets for them (scan the fine print of those you're interested in).
http://en.parismuseumpass.com/rub-m-by-name-5.htm
Editing to add: everyone stands in a check-point queue at Sainte-Chapelle. You'll also stand in other security check queues at museums which have them but they're usually not a long wait and can't be avoided. Tours De Notre-Dame, obviously, will not be accessible for some time.
Posted by
OP
28 posts
Thanks everyone! This is helpful - and so speedy! I think I am going to get the museum pass for me and my husband. And blow our savings on a bicycle tour of Versailles.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
If the adults have Museum Passes, you have to line up to get free tickets for the kids at the Arc de Triomphe and the Musée de l'Armée. For everything else, your kids go in with you, without needing to get tickets for anybody (the Museum Pass acts as your ticket).
As Sam says, the Paris Museum Pass can be a good deal; the Paris Pass rarely is.