Is the Paris Pass Worth It?

If you are planning a trip to Paris and have done some research (see our post on a 3-day trip to Paris), you will definitely have come across something called the Paris Pass. The Paris Pass is essentially a prepaid attraction and transportation ticket valid for a certain number of days in Paris. The websites and advertisements for the Paris Pass make it seem like it will save you money on your next trip. However, how accurate are the claims? The following post does an analysis of the Paris Pass to answer the question: “Is it worth it?”

What Is the Paris Pass?

The Paris Pass is advertised as a sightseeing and skip-the-line pass for many of the most popular attractions in Paris. The pass includes over 75 local attractions and provides unlimited entry to those attractions over a set number of days. Also, depending on the number of attractions visited over the set timeframe, the cost of the pass can represent a discount on the normal entry price. In addition, because you already have an entry ticket to many places with the Paris Pass, you are able to skip the ticket purchasing lines at several local attractions. Anyone who has gone to Paris can attest that these ticket lines can be fairly long during popular times.

Paris Pass Cost

The Paris Pass varies in cost based on the length of time it is valid. The Pass can be purchased in 2 Day, 3 Day, 4 Day, and 6 Day varieties. These range from €109/adult for the 2 Day to €169/adult for the 6 Day. Child prices are much cheaper ranging from €39 to €69 for the 2 Day and 6 Day, respectively. Children are defined as 2 years of age to 17 years of age.

Length	Adult	Child
2 Day	€109	€39
3 Day*	€129	€49
4 Day	€149	€59
6 Day	€169	€69

*It is important to note that the 3 Day pass only includes a 2 Day Museum Pass. This means that it is only valid in museums for 2 Days, but it is still valid in other attractions for 3 Days.

Using the Paris Pass

Unfortunately, the Paris Pass has a few quirks to its use. Unless you read the footnote below the table above, you would be forgiven for thinking that the Paris Pass is one ticket. In actuality, it is two tickets: the Paris Pass and the Paris Museum Pass. Each of these provides entrance to different attractions. As you might expect the Museum Pass is needed for entrance to the museums, and the Paris Pass covers the remaining non-museum attractions. However, the collection and usage of the passes are completely different (see Obtaining the Pass below).

An important note is that while the Paris Pass provides admission to many attractions, reservations are still required at some of the most popular destinations. The Paris Pass provides pass holders with this information, so they do try to make this easier. However, just be warned that pass holders can’t just show up at all attractions and obtain entry without some earlier leg work for a reservation.

Finally, just as with a ticket sold at any of these attractions, the Paris Pass cannot be used for multiple entries to a single museum or attraction. For example, if you had a plan to visit the Louvre on Day 1 in the morning and visit again on Day 2 in the afternoon to see more, the Paris Pass will not cover the second entry. This may seem self-explanatory to some, but a common belief is that the Paris Pass is an unlimited access ticket to the included destinations. There are a few limitations on the Paris Pass with multiple entries being one of them.

Obtaining the Pass

The Paris Pass is emailed to you right after booking. It is a digital QR code that you can show on your phone for admission. Alternately, users have the option to print out the QR code and use a paper pass. The Paris Museum Pass, however, is not digital. It must be manually picked up at the redemption center upon your arrival in Paris. The redemption center is located at the Big Bus Information Center, 11 Avenue de l’Opéra, 75009 Paris. While this isn’t located far from The Louvre, having to add a stop to the first day of sightseeing is an annoyance. In addition, it probably costs money to get to the pickup location if this isn’t where you are starting your itinerary.

Activating Your Paris Pass

In order to maximize the use of your Paris Pass, many will want to know when the clock starts running. Both the Paris Pass and its coupled Paris Museum Pass start on the first day of use. No matter when in that day the first usage occurs, it counts as day one. The days of the pass then run consecutively until the time limit expires. The pass expires at 11:59 PM on the last consecutive day of the pass.

As an example, if you purchase a two-day pass and enter your first museum at 12:00 PM on January 3rd, the pass expires at 11:59 PM on January 4th. Using this example, it is easy to see that a 2 Day pass doesn’t necessarily equate to 48 hours of usage. Therefore, it is best to start using the pass early in the morning (8 AM or 9 AM) instead of in the afternoon (3 PM or 5 PM) as you will get the full use of your first day.

Analysis – 3 Days in Paris Scenario

While promotional materials for the Paris Pass will almost always “prove” its value, a real-life scenario is necessary to judge if that is really true. In this analysis, the 3 Days in Paris Itinerary will be used.

The 3 Days in Paris Itinerary includes the following ticketed activities listed along with their ticket price for adults and children.

Activity	Adult Cost	Child Cost
Sainte Chapelle	€11.50	Free
Seine River Cruise	€15	€7
Palace of Versailles	€20	Free
The Louvre	€17	Free
Montparnasse	€17	€12.50
Arc de Triomphe	€17	Free
Army Museum	€14	Free
Eiffel Tower**	€26.10	€13.10
	Total €137.60	Total €32.60

A 3-Day Itinerary would normally call for a three-day Paris Pass. Unfortunately, the Paris Pass creators have hamstrung the 3-Day pass by only allowing entry to museums on 2 of the 3 days. For this reason, visitors to Paris following this itinerary must purchase a 4 Day Paris Pass. The 4 Day Paris Pass costs €149 for adults and €59 for children. As can be seen above, the purchase of the Paris Pass is a poor value for both adults and children.

**An additional note related to the Eiffel Tower – The Paris Pass includes a guided climb to the second floor only. The cost shown above is an elevator ticket to the top, not stair access to the second floor as provided by the Paris Pass. Those wanting to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower will be disappointed by the Paris Pass offering. This means the Paris Pass is an even worse proposition if you want to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Analysis – 4 Days in Paris Scenario

In order to try another scenario, an example 4 Day Itinerary will be examined to see if the Paris Pass makes more sense in this situation. The 4 Day Itinerary will include the same activities as identified above plus the following:

Activity	Adult Cost	Child Cost
Previous 3 Day Itinerary	€137.60	€32.60
French Wine Tasting (Les Caves du Louvre)	€35	N/A
Musée d’Orsay	€16	Free
Montmartre Walking Tour	€12	€12
	Total €200.60	Total €44.60

As noted above, the 4 Day Paris Pass costs €149 for adults and €59 for children. In this example, the purchase of the adult pass saves visitors about €50. Keep in mind that the less than optimal Eiffel Tower visit is still included in the Paris Pass. If you purchased an elevator ticket to the top of the Eiffel Tower in addition to the Paris Pass, you are only saving about €24. €24 is still a good saving. Therefore, if you are confident in your itinerary, purchasing a Paris Pass would be a good idea. As an added bonus, the Paris Pass will allow visitors to skip the ticketing lines at many attractions.

Conversely, the child Paris Pass still represents a poor value in the 4 Day scenario above. As so many attractions admit children 17 and younger for free, the child Paris Pass is hard to justify in most circumstances.

Wrap-Up

As shown above, the Paris Pass can be both a bad value as well as a good deal depending on the itinerary. If you are doing the 3 Days in Paris Itinerary, the Paris Pass does not make sense. For this itinerary, purchase as many tickets ahead of time as possible to skip the lines. You will come out ahead by forgoing the pass. However, if you are following a different itinerary, the 4 Day scenario above shows that the pass can be a good value in some situations. Do your research and the analysis on your particular itinerary to see if an adult Paris Pass is appropriate. Finally, really check the value of the child Paris Pass. In the vast majority of cases, the child Paris Pass is not a good value.

If you have any questions about the Paris Pass, leave your questions below.

The cover picture of this post is used under a creative commons license as noted at this link.