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Is it recommended to get a Paris museum pass

We'll be travelling in Paris on Dec.9-16. We'll be visiting the major meseums only due to the time limites. Can some one please give me some ideas if purchasing 2 or 4 days paris museum pass is a good idea to avoid queue or just saving money?

Posted by
1806 posts

You're traveling in the off season, so queues won't be as bad as high season. Look at the websites of the museums you intend to go to and add up the admission costs, compare this price against the price of a museum pass and see if you will realize any cost savings. Be sure the museums you want to visit are open on the day you want to go before you buy a pass. Some museums may be closed on certain days of the week and most offer shorter opening hours in the winter.

If you do decide to get a museum pass, buy it in Paris and don't waste your money ordering it online. You can purchase pass at the airport and many other locations.

Posted by
524 posts

For convienence, time saving and money saving - I would say it was absolutely worth it. Esp if you plan on going to Versailles. I don't know what lines are like in Dec - but the line to get a ticket in Versailles is LONG (an hour wait when I was there just to get the ticket) and can be avoided if you have the Paris museum pass. There are lots of little things that are included with that pass that you might not realize you will end up going to.

We bought ours at the Orsey museum and the line there was maybe 20 minutes. Not bad. And then I think it covered for us; the Louvre, Napolean's tomb, climbing Notre Dame, Saint Chappelle's church and probably more? I don't think it covered the Eiffel. This is from memory, so don't take me at my word on what is covered and not. But it worked great for us.

Posted by
204 posts

Yes. We have been in Paris during this time period and found that the pass is great for some museums and ok for others. It helps to avoid long lines at the more popular sites.

Posted by
421 posts

I like it helps jumpt the lines and it saves time...worth every cent I think

Posted by
11507 posts

Not always worth it, I don't buy it ,, and I have been to Paris many times. I know many people love it,, and there ARE some advantages,, but , I think that with you going in off season those would be minimal.

Versailles tickets can be bought in advance online. PLus, doubt it will be that busy then anyways..

Louvre,, hey, I go every summer ,, and I avoid lines by using the entrance from the underground shopping mall( off Rue Du Rivoli).

This past July lines at Orsay were about 15 mintues for me.

If you attend more then 3 sights a day then it may be worth it money wise,, but, really , in December, not really for line avoidance .

Most of us here have seen the lines,, but in the summer, for places line Notre Dame Towers and St Chapelle, would be interesting to hear from posters who have visited those places in the winter though.
Oh, forgot, the pass does NOT allow line skipping at ND Towers anyways..

I suggest you make a list of the sights you want to see, then figure out if its worth it to you personally. Keep in mind many museums are closed either monday or tuesday,, so plan accordingly.

Posted by
360 posts

I love the pass & buy one every time I visit pais. It may not be the cheapest way to go, but it's certainly the most convenient. I always find myself stopping at museums I didn't plan to visit just for a look as it doesn't cost any more. Also, it's a great way to find a reasonably clean loo.

Posted by
4 posts

We just returned from 12 days in Paris. We did not purchase the museum pass. The pass runs consecutive days so you have to do all your museum trips in a few short days. We did not want to do a museum overload so we took our chances and just used good timing to avoid the long August lines. We took advantage of the late night at the Louvre and just walked in on an August Friday night-no line! For Versailles we purchased our entrance tickets at the tourist office just across the street form the train station. Orsay, we got there early in the morning and we only waited 20 minutes in line. With careful planning you can get the most form your visit.

Posted by
253 posts

Wow, does anyone who has ever purchased the museum pass for Paris NOT thought it was a great idea?

Posted by
15560 posts

I love museums so it was a no-brainer for me. However, keep in mind these other "hidden" benefits:

The pass is good for a number of sights which aren't museums: Pantheon, Arc de Triomphe, Sainte-Chappele, Invalides - to name a few.

You have "free" entrance to sights you may otherwise write off as "not worth the price."

You won't feel bad about "not getting your money's worth" if you visit a sight and decide to leave after a short time (too crowded, too boring, or just too tired).

Posted by
15560 posts

Yes John, the same people who thought Paris was dirty and the people rude and the food overpriced and the waiters surly. They aren't allowed to post here :-)

Posted by
867 posts

We used the Paris Museum Pass last April and found it to be a great value. I agree with Ceidleh (the first response) in that only you can ultimately decide if the pass is a good value for you or not by adding up the places you want to go in the timeframe that you want to go and measure it up against the cost of the pass. I realize that April is not the winter, but it is not peak season either, and the lines were not too bad except at the places where the pass would not allow you to skip the line anyways. It seems that the right timing, buying your ticket at the right places (or online), and using the right entrances would probably minimize your time in line during the off season if you decide to go without the pass. Have a good trip!