Museum Passes, Transport Passes and More Passes?

I can't answer to Rome or Amsterdam, although I have been to both places, I just haven't had enough time there to be much help .

So, for Paris.

First, no need to buy the Museum Pass ahead of time , it only costs you more and is one more thing to have to carry around and not lose before you arrive. No advantages to prebuying.

Second, it is helpful if you sit down and try and decide which sites/musuems really matter to you. Also, which days said sites may be closed ( many museums close either monday or tuesday). Also, are you the type of person who wants to see many museums quickly , or do you enjoy leisurly touring one a day, then shopping and long lunches??

Since I have always gone in summer, I have just purchased a carnet or two of tickets( book of ten) for metro( its about 11 euros I think, and covers 10 one way trips) .. I walk most places,, but , in winter I have a feeling a warm dry metro may be more attractive some days.

I have never used a museum pass, but I have never gone in winter either, plus I usaully do only one to two sites a day.. a MP isn't good value for me. Others here love them though.

Another advantage to the Paris Museum pass is that you may end up seeing things you would not have seen otherwise. For example, I went into both the Archeological Crypt (which no longer sells the pass btw) and the Conciergerie. I found both interesting but wouldn't have paid separately. Plus, when I added up all my 'Must see anyway' museums, the pass was cheaper...

The biggest value in the Museum Pass is in time saved. The longest queue at most museums is usually not the entrance line, but the ticket line. Bypassing this line can save you anywhere from minutes to hours, especially during the busy holiday season.

Another tip- buy the pass at one of the smaller museums (no line) or the Orsay museum (separate entrance for buying the pass). Otherwise, if you buy the pass at an attraction like the Pompidou Center, for example, you will have to wait in the same long line as all of the regular ticket buyers.

The best transportation pass (if any) for your time in Paris depends upon what day of the week you will arrive and what day you will depart. For a list of all your transportation ticket and pass choices with links to detailed explanations of each one, go here.

I'll chime in on the Roma Pass.

If you will use some public transportation (bus & metro underground), and visit at least two of the major sites on the card, such as Colosseum/Forum/Palentine Hill (one entry) and the Borghese Gallery or Capitoline Museum or National Museum of Rome, then it makes sense to buy the Roma Pass.

While there have been some reports of it being sold out at the various sites, I don't think it's necessary to pre-buy it. The Tourist Info office alongside Track 24 sells them. The TI is down the track quite away from the main part of the station, near the baggage deposit. We missed it the first time because we got off of the train past the point on the track where the office entrance is.

Thanks everyone for all the tips. Feeling alot better now.