paris musuem pass

The pass is can only be used for two consecutive days. On Wednesday the pass will be invalid.

Thanks for a nice, clear question! If you're staying beyond Wed, there are lots of Paris sites that aren't covered by the pass; see as many of them as possible on Monday (the ones that are open, anyway...), then use your pass Tues and Wed. Or, go crazy and spend the extra €15,00 for the extra day. That may be less than the admission price to just one museum...and don't forget that you can return to any museum over and over again ;-)

susan the pass isn't accepted or needed to skip lines everywhere , so do not assume you NEED to get the pass. |Have you looked at your itinerary and made a rough plan of what you plan to see on each day? Sometimes there is no point in getting a longer pass, a two day may be absolutely enough to use it for line skipping, and on days with no pass there are many places to visit where lines are simply not an issue. So unless you see at least 3 sites a day the pass is not always the best choice.

I want to second Pat's points. Rick Steves says only foolish travelers don't get a museum pass, but I don't agree. It depends on your itinerary. Of my three most recent trips to Paris: on one trip I got almost twice the pass's value; on another I barely made it break even; and on the third I didn't buy a pass at all, as I was mostly seeing things not covered by it. If a pass won't pay off financially, but you want to skip lines at one or two sites where lines are an issue (Versailles and Musee D'Orsay come to mind), you can buy tickets in advance online or at FNAC stores. Yes, the pass is consecutive calendar days, not hours. So, as Pat says, make a list of your tentative sights. See how many are on the pass, and how many days you will spend seeing them (as opposed to sights that are free or not on the pass). Then, buy accordingly. You may find it's better for you to buy a 4 day pass (cheaper per day, and so easier to make it pay off) - or no pass at all. Don't forget that some monuments, including the Arc de Triomphe, are also covered (this was part of why the pass was such a good deal that one time - I climbed the Arc twice, for no extra charge).

Another suggestion for someone who will be in Paris for multiple days but doesn't want to just run from museum to museum like a crazy person for 4 or 6 days: I suggest to friends that they think about which museums they REALLY want to see, check to see if they're on the pass (easy to do online), and then maybe buy two 2-day passes (AFTER you arrive in Paris). That way they can use one pass for 2 days, spending most of their time in museums, then take a break for a few days to see other things, wander, relax, etc., then use the 2nd pass to see more museums. This method is not so crazy-making as trying to spend too many days in museums. It may cost a little more to buy two 2-day passes as opposed to a 4-day one, but your time is more relaxed and enjoyable.

The museum pass is good if you are going to be a real "museum rat" in Paris. You can buy them for more than 2 days, also. Six days for sure, maybe 4. Best to make your list of the museums you want to see, then tally up the cost of going on your own versus the pass, and the number of days you want to use it. Entrance fees are in the R. Steves Paris guidebook. Think about heading to the Louvre and Orsay on the evenings they are open, when everyone else has left and you can get up close and personal with the Mona Lisa and Nike.

Museum passes are sold in 2, 4 or 6 day admittances. All major Paris museums have good websites, in english with up to date hours and admission, plus they let you know of room closures. I always check with the websites for the most uptodate and accurate information.

Being a museum rat myself, I think anyone visiting Paris would be nuts not to get the pass. But, I've been to the Louvre twice when it was open in the evenings, and never been able to get "up close and personal with the Mona Lisa". My experience is that day or night it's a there's always a mob.

Thanks everyone for all the great advice.

Two more comments: most museums have a free day (check Rick Steves' France book) and Rick's note that the museum pass allows you to skip the line at Versailles is (sadly) no longer true. We waited and hour and a half there!