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Paris pass review (2022) — a good value or waste of money.

Are you wondering if the Paris Pass is worth the price? Read our in-depth review of the Paris Pass and analysis of its value.

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The Paris Pass is one of the most popular sightseeing passes—but is this tourism pass a good value? In this in-depth Paris Pass Review, I’ve crunched the numbers and analyzed the practicalities of the pass to see if the Paris Pass is worth the price.

Luckily, as far as sightseeing passes go, the Paris Pass is actually one of the best city sightseeing passes since it covers just about every major attraction in Paris—so it ends up being a great value for a lot of users.

But you have to be strategic with how you use the pass to ensure the Paris Pass is a good value — this guide outlines how to extract the maximum value from your Paris Pass and analyzes who should buy the Paris Pass and who should skip it.

WHY BELIEVE ME? I lived in Paris for nearly two years (and have visited multiple times), so I feel that we can give the pass a fair value assessment since I’m familiar with most of the museums, monuments, the Metro, and other attractions. UPDATE The Paris Pass was slightly rebranded under the ‘Go City’ brand and some aspects of the pass were changed in 2022, so this guide has been fully updated to reflect all the changes.

What Is The Paris Pass?

The  Paris Pass  is a tourism pass that gives you entry into more than 50 museums and attractions throughout Paris — in many cases you get to skip the long ticket lines (which can be a huge time-saver at popular attractions). 

The Paris Pass is a package that is made up of two separate components:

• Paris Museum Pass: This is a physical card that gives you entry into the 50+ museums in Paris (i.e Louvre, Orsay Museum, Arc de Triomphe, Versailles, etc) — it essentially covers every museum.
• Paris Pass: This digital pass is more of a sightseeing pass that covers things like an Eiffel Tower guided climb, various walking tours, Seine boat cruise, Hop-On, Hop-Off bus tour, Montparnasse tour observation deck, Salvadore Dalí museum, and a handful of other experiences like wine tastings, etc.

However, the Paris Pass is no longer bundled with a public transportation pass (previous versions of the Paris Pass came with an unlimited Paris Metro/Bus pass). I actually prefer this new version since the Paris Pass is now cheaper and people who prefer walking are not forced to buy an unlimited transportation pass.

Paris Pass Price

The Paris Pass comes in four configurations ( Update: They removed the 6-Day pass option )

• 2 Days: €124 (€62/day)
• 3 Days: €149 (€50/day)
• 4 Days: €169 (€42/day)

There are often sales (typically during the off-season) so check the Paris Pass Website for any current specials.

Each pass is for consecutive days and the first day starts on the day you activate the card. For example, if you start using your pass in the late afternoon or evening that will still count as your first day.

What Does The Paris Pass Cover?

The Paris Pass includes entry to all the major museums (and multiple smaller museums), the national monuments, and a few other attractions.

The Paris Pass also covers tourism-focused things like a guided Eiffel Tower climb, various walking tours, a Seine boat cruise, Hop-On, Hop-Off bus tour, Montparnasse tour observation deck, Salvadore Dalí museum, and a handful of other experiences like wine tastings, etc.

Listed below are  some  of the best and most popular attractions on the Paris Pass and the entry prices. You can view the full list on the  Paris Pass website .

• UPDATE (Jan. 2020):  Paris Pass users are now required to pre-book a timeslot at the Louvre.
• The Pompidou is Paris’ modern art museum (it is the largest in Europe). It is worth visiting if you’re a fan of modern art.
• Housed in a former rail station, the Orsay is my personal favorite museum in Paris and I’d recommend it to all visitors. It houses the largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist masterpieces in the world, featuring painters such as Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Seurat, Sisley, Gauguin, and Van Gogh.
• A newly opened museum with more than 5000 works from Picasso.
• The Rodin Museum is a small museum near Les Invalides and the Eiffel Tower. The museum is housed in Rodin’s home, but the garden that surrounds the house was my favorite as it contains many of his famous sculptures.
• The war museum is a national military museum of France. It is split up into two sections — ancient and modern wars. It has all the guns, cannons, swords, and other military weapons you could want. Additionally, the site also features Napoleon’s Tomb, which is impressive to see.
• This small museum is tucked away in the amazing neighborhood of Montmartre.

MONUMENTS AND HISTORIC BUILDINGS

• Climb to the top of the Arc de Triomphe for a great view of the city.
• Originally built as a church, it is now where many of France’s most celebrated citizens are buried.
• This church has the most beautiful and impressive stained-glass windows in Paris.
• This massive palace shouldn’t be missed — the grandeur and opulence are amazing (and overwhelming). Visiting Versailles will take up most of your day, so don’t plan on doing anything else major that day.
• The Château de Fontainebleau is basically a less crowded version of Versailles. This trip will also take a full day.

OTHER SITES & ACTIVITIES

• The hop-on-hop-off bus tour is a popular choice among many tourists. It is a bit of an expensive way to travel the city, but its circuit does hit all the major sights of Paris. It is a pleasant and convenient method of getting an overview of the city — especially if the weather is nice. Plus, Paris is a beautiful city, and the bus is a nice way to see the architecture and get an idea of the city’s energy.
• NOTE: If you don’t want the guided tour, a normal ticket to walk up to the second floor is €10.50 or a ticket to the very top via the elevator is €26.
• Want the best view of Paris? Well, check out the Montparnasse Tower (which is the only skyscraper in Paris). It offers amazing 360-degree views of the city and it is largely void of hoards of tourists. I enjoyed doing this.
• This no-frills boat tour of the Seine might be touristy, but we really enjoyed it. We wouldn’t waste your time on it during the day, but it is a very enjoyable experience at night when all the buildings are lit up — plus it’s a relaxing way to end a busy day.
• Montmartre & Sacré Coeur Walking Tour
• Hidden Gems in Le Marais
• Walking Tour Along the Seine
• Scandals & Love Affairs at Pere Lachaise Walking Tour

How To Calculate The Value Of the Paris Pass

To calculate the value of the pass, it is best to create a sample itinerary and then crunch the numbers. I’ve outlined the basic process I use below:

Step One: Study The Pass & Crunch the Numbers

The best way to start is by comparing the daily cost of each pass to the amount it would cost to do all activities without the pass.

• 2 Days: €109 (€55/day)

Now you have a rough idea of how many things you’ll need to do each day so the Paris Pass is a better deal than buying tickets separately.

For example, the Four Day Paris Pass costs a total of €169 — which averages around €42 per day.

So simply look through the Paris Pass Website and jot down which activities you want to do and how much each costs if you were to buy tickets individually.

Not sure what activities on the Pass Pass are worth visiting? I cover my top picks and write out a sample itinerary later in this guide since I know all this can be overwhelming.

I’ll cover strategies on how to get the most out of the Paris Pass but I recommend against cramming your schedule full of museums just to get your “money’s worth.” This leads to museum burnout. Personally, I rarely visit more than two a day but Louvre and Versailles can easily take up a full day.

And don’t forget that half the beauty of Paris comes from strolling the streets, admiring the architecture, and relaxing in the parks and gardens—all of which are free.

I also look at how many of the extra non-museum attractions—like the hop-on-hop-off bus, river cruise, Montparnasse Tower, the various walking tours— look interesting since these can give you a nice break from museums. By the way, all these things are solid so I wouldn’t consider them “tourist traps” even though they’re geared towards tourists.

Step Three: Consider The Non-Monetary Benefits

The Paris Pass also gives you a few benefits beyond saving money that you might want to consider.

First, the pass lets you skip many of the lines so that alone can save you a lot of precious time — especially at popular attractions during the busy season. I know I’d rather not wait in line for an hour or two every day.

Second, the pass lets you choose how much time you spend at an attraction without feeling like you’re not “getting your money’s worth.” For example, if you’re just interested in a few paintings at a museum you can pop in for a short visit and then leave to go visit another museum. Or if you’re simply not feeling a museum, you can leave and not feel like you need to spend a few hours there because you paid full price to visit.

Third, the Paris Pass includes a lot of activities that you might not normally consider so it’s a good way to have an unexpected experience you otherwise wouldn’t.

Forth, ok, this is a bit of a weird one but another traveler told me how the Paris Pass was great for finding a clean bathroom because there are so many museums — all of which will have nice bathrooms. So they’d just pop into a random nearby museum. Is this a huge selling point? Not really, but it’s can come in handy.

Crunching Numbers With Example Four-Day Itinerary

Let’s crunch some numbers and run through a sample itinerary to see if the Paris Pass is worth the price. I’ve based this example on the four-day Paris Pass—which is €169 or €42/day.

Note: I tried creating realistic itineraries by grouping attractions by proximity and I tried to not overload days with multiple museums or too many activities. For example, I tried to mix museums with monuments and I mixed the relaxing things like bus tours and river cruises with more taxing activities like the Louvre and Versailles. I also tried to focus on the best activities that the Paris Pass offers so I left out the “fluff” that the Paris Pass throws in to inflate the value of the pass.

• Louvre: €17
• Paris Big Bus Tour: €39 (you could substitute a walking tour if you don’t like bus tours.)

DAY TWO 

• Sainte Chapelle: €10
• Muse d’Orsay: €14
• Orangerie Museum: €9
• Versailles: €18 (you can substitute The National Museum of the Middle Ages, the Army Museum, or one of the neighborhood walking tours if you don’t want to spend the day at Versailles).
• Rodin Museum & Gardens: €13
• Pompidou Museum: €14
• Arc de Triomphe: €12

As you can see, it’s fairly easy to reasonably get more than €42/day worth of value from the Paris Pass.

In this specific example, you’d be saving around €60 (which is about a 33% discount).

Strategies For Maximizing The Value Of The Paris Pass

How you utilize the Pass Pass has a major impact on its value so a few simple things can affect whether the Paris Pass will end up saving you money or costing you extra.

Check Opening Hours

Most museums are closed at least one day a week—usually Mondays or Tuesdays. Some museums also close fairly early around 4-5 pm so this is important to factor in while scheduling your visit.

Additionally, some museums are open late one night each week so that’s a great way to get more museum time in (plus the crowds tend to be much smaller during these times).

Check Reservation Requirements

Thanks to a combination of over-tourism and COVID restrictions, a few major museums and attractions are limiting capacity and starting to require visitors to make reservations — even if you have the Paris Pass. This is especially an issue during the busy season so there is a chance you might not get a spot.

The reservations are free but you’ll still need to make them online so you may need to do this a day or two in advance. Here are the main attractions requiring a reservation (but double-check their websites as things could change):

• Palace of Versailles
• Sainte Chapelle
• Orangerie Museum

The Three-Day Paris Pass Comes With A Two-Day Museum Pass

The Three-Day version of the Paris Pass only comes with a Two-Day Museum Pass—which is a bit of a bummer because this makes you squeeze in your museum days into just two days.

Free Museum Days (First Sunday Of The Month)

Nearly all museums and monuments in Paris are free on the first Sunday of the month. If you can avoid it, try not to have that day be one of the days you use your pass since it would have been free anyway.

Additionally, the free museum days tend to be crazy busy so that impacts your visit.

Bundle Your Activities Wisely

The best way to get the most out of your Paris Pass is to schedule out each day in a wise manner.

First, separate out daytime activities and nighttime activities. For example, most museums and monuments are roughly open 10 am-5 pm but a few have later opening hours so save those attractions with later hours for the evening.

Second, I highly recommend trying to cluster your sightseeing geographically so you don’t have to crisscross the city multiple times.

Third, a few of the activities on the Paris Pass are a bit outside the city so you’ll want to take travel time into consideration. Versailles, for example, is about a 50-minute train ride from the center of Paris so you’ll want to get an early start if you plan on doing other activities in Paris that day.

Don’t Waste the First Day

The day you use your pass counts as a full day — no matter when you activate it. For example, if you use your pass for the first time at 8 pm, it will count as a full day.

Do Things You Actually Want To Do

The Paris Pass is full of things that you may not want to do — like the Grévin Paris Wax Museum, FlyView Paris Virtual Reality Experience, or the Parc Astérix amusement park (these are all more geared towards children).

So actually study the pass to make sure it covers things you want to do.

Who Should Consider Buying The Paris Pass?

To help make things a bit easier, here are a few types of travelers who should strongly consider buying the Paris Pass because I think they’ll get a lot of value from it.

People Who Want to See a Lot in a Few Days

If you’re in Paris for only a few days and you want to see as much as possible, I think you’d get a lot of value from the Paris Pass. As mentioned before, the hours you save by skipping some lines is a nice luxury — especially in the summer.

Travelers Who Want To Do Non-Museum Activities

It’s the non-museum activities that give the most value to the Paris Pass. Here are what I think are the best non-museum activities on the Paris Pass:

• Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus: A nice way to get a good overview of the city.
• Montparnasse Tower Observation Deck (this is a good evening/night activity — especially in the summer when it doesn’t get dark until around 9:45)
• Seine River Cruise: A nice evening activity.
• Dali Paris: This isn’t on the Paris Museum Pass
• Various Walking Tours: I’m always a fan of walking tours.

Travelers with Children (17 and Under)

It is no surprise that waiting in line for an hour with kids is a nightmare so the Paris Pass will help in many cases. Obviously, very young children might not have the energy to do all the attractions.

While we didn’t cover it in this guide, the Paris Pass also includes other kid-friendly things like the Aquarium and Wax Museum — which both costs €20+.

Travelers Who Want to See Paris at Their Own Pace

If you’re not too worried about the price, the Paris Pass is a nice option just for the fact that you can hop in and out of museums and attractions as you like and you don’t have to wait in line. Additionally, you can also leave a museum and not feel guilty that you’re not “getting your money’s worth.”

Convenience/Skipping The Lines

If you simply don’t want to worry about arranging transportation or museum tickets, the Paris Pass is a nice option. You just have to get your pass delivered to your home and you’re all ready to go once you arrive. Also, being able to skip the lines is going to be a huge time saver — especially in the summer.

Who Should Consider Skipping The Paris Pass?

But the Paris Pass isn’t for everyone so many travelers will find that it doesn’t match up with their travel style. Below are a few cases where you might be better off skipping the pass.

Budget Travelers Who Are Only Visiting a Few Museums

If you’re the kind of traveler that only wants to see one or two things a day then I’d recommend skipping the pass.

You Don’t Care About the Non-Museum Activities

If you’re not interested in extra activities like bus tours, river cruises, etc., then you’ll most likely be better off skipping the pass. It’s theoretically possible to get your money’s worth by visiting only museums but you’ll need to visit three museums a day and that quickly becomes overwhelming.

Travelers Who Don’t Want To Plan

The Paris Pass gives users the most value when it’s used strategically — which takes a bit of pre-planning. If you’re the kind of traveler who doesn’t like planning then there is a good chance you might enjoy seeing Paris without having to stay within the confines of the pass.

Europeans Under 26 & Students At European Universities

A large amount of 26-year-old residents of the European Economic Area (EU, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein) get free or drastically reduced entry to a majority of the museums in Paris.

Furthermore, if you have a European student ID you’ll often also get free/reduced tickets.

Where To Buy The Paris Pass

The Paris Pass can be purchased online via the  Paris Pass Website . You can print your pass at home or show your pass digitally via your phone.

You’ll also need to pick up the physical Paris Museum Pass in Paris at:

Big Bus Information Center (Open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM) 11 Avenue de l’Opéra 75009 Paris

There is no physical pass for postal delivery.

Interested in buying the Paris Pass?  If you click this link I’ll get a small commission for the sale—it doesn’t cost you anything extra and it helps keep this website running.

More Paris Travel Tips

Learn more about Paris by reading our Paris Travel Guide — we cover everything from the Best Budget Restaurants in Paris and The Best Things To Do in Paris to Where To Stay In Paris and The Best Hostels in Paris .

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Home > Paris Pass Comparison: What is the Best Paris City Pass?

Paris Pass Comparison: What is the Best Paris City Pass?

Why a paris tourist pass.

If you’re planning a trip to Paris and you want to visit most of the main tourist attractions, a Paris city pass (or Paris tourist pass ) is well worth considering.

With a Paris pass, you will save yourself both time and money because a Paris city card generally works out cheaper than purchasing individual attraction tickets, and you won’t need to bother with lining up for tickets at the various attractions.

A Paris tourist card usually includes top museums in Paris and famous Paris landmarks like the Louvre Museum , Arc de Triomphe, Sainte-Chapelle , Orsay Museum, Château de Versailles , and more.

We’ve put together this Paris Pass Comparison to help you decide which is the best Paris pass for your upcoming trip. Take your pick from money-saving Paris passes – Paris PassLib vs. Paris Pass and more – and decide which is the best city pass for Paris for you.

Looking for the Best Paris City Pass: Paris Passes Compared

Paris City Pass vs Paris Pass; Paris PassLib vs Paris Pass; Paris Pass vs Paris City Pass; Which Paris Pass is best?

There’s no right or wrong answer; that really depends on what attractions you’d like to see and how many days you have in Paris. Here’s a table with the most popular Paris passes compared, so you can decide what is the best Paris City Pass for you.

Paris Passes FAQ

What paris card has the biggest choice.

While the Paris Museum Pass has more Paris attractions listed (60+ museums and landmarks), the Paris PassLib has, in our opinion, the biggest choice because it combines tourist attractions and experiences such as bike rental, walking tours, and workshops.

What Paris Tourist Pass offers the best value?

The Paris Pass (now also known as Go City Paris Pass ) is the most comprehensive of the all-in-one passes: it includes museums (Louvre, Orsay, etc.), tours, a Seine River Cruise, and an Eiffel Tower guided tour (up to the second floor).

Can I visit the Louvre Museum when I want with any of these Paris Passes?

Due to the new entrance policy of the Louvre Museum, all the Paris pass holders need to book a date and time slot in advance to visit the Louvre. This online reservation has no extra cost.

When you book your Paris card, you will receive a PDF with all the information on how to book your Louvre Museum time slot.

What if I only want to visit a couple of sights?

The Paris passes are only convenient if you visit many sites. If you want to see only a few sites, choose the Paris PassLib’ , the Paris Seine Pass (if you are interested in those three specific attractions), or the Paris Top 3 Museums (for visiting the Louvre Museum, the Orsay Museum, and Centre Pompidou). You can also have a look at the list of best Paris combo tickets with good combinations of tours & tickets for everyone.

Paris Pass vs Go City Pass, what is the best pass for Paris?

Formerly known as The Paris Pass by Go City, it is now marketed as Go City Paris or Go City Pass Paris , so we are talking about the same Paris sightseeing pass.

What if I only want a Paris Transport Pass?

Check out our quick guide to Paris’s metro , where you will find all the Paris transport passes available.

GOOD TO KNOW:  To avoid overcrowding, some sites (e.g., Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle, Versailles ) make it compulsory to reserve a time slot. This applies to all the visitors, pass holders or not. Of course, the reservation of a time slot is free since, by purchasing the pass, you have already paid for the entrance tickets. You will receive all the details and instructions with the pass purchase confirmation.

1. Paris Museum Pass

The Paris Museum Pass is definitely the best pass for Paris for museum lovers, with skip-the-line entry, over 60 museums, and other top attractions in Paris and the surrounding regions. You can read more about this fantastic Paris card in our Paris Museum Pass review .

You can buy the Paris Museum Pass for 2, 4, or 6 consecutive days.

What’s Included

» The Paris Museum Pass includes skip-the-line tickets to more than 60 museums (the permanent exhibitions) and other monuments in Paris and the surrounding regions.

» The list includes popular tourist places like the Louvre Museum, Versailles, Orly Museum, Centre Pompidou, and Arc de Triomphe. Click here for the full list .

» This Paris card comes with a booklet to help you work out which attractions to see while you’re in Paris.

How Does it Work?

1. Purchase your Paris Museum Pass online and choose either the 2-day, 4-day, or 6-day pass options.

2. After the payment, you will receive a voucher by email.

3. Remember that some museums require booking a date and time slot to visit. Everything is explained in the Paris Museum Pass booking confirmation.

3. Upon arrival in Paris, go with your printed email confirmation to the agency (located near the Louvre Museum) to exchange the voucher for your Paris Museum Pass.

4. Now, whenever you go to one of the included museums or attractions, simply skip the ticket line and show your pass on entry.

5. The days of use for the Paris Museum Pass are consecutive and are based on calendar days. If you begin using your Pass at 14:00, for example, that day will be considered day 1

Click here to buy the Paris Museum Pass

2. The Paris Pass (now Go City Paris)

For those who want to see it all while in Paris, The Paris Pass is the best city pass for Paris. Enjoy top museums and landmarks of Paris, plus interesting guided tours to Montmartre, Stade de France, and more, and fun experiences like French apéritifs, wine tasting, or perfume workshops.

The Paris Pass includes a ride with the hop-on hop-off bus, a Seine River Cruise, a guided tour of the Eiffel Tower (up to the second floor), and a visit to Tour Montparnasse’s observation deck.

You can buy The Paris Pass for 2 or 3 consecutive days.

What’s Included?

» Access to more than 35 museums, activities, and guided tours (including guided tour up to the Eiffel Tower-second floor).

» Entrance to the Louvre Museum, Orsay Museum, Centre Pompidou, Palace of Versailles, Arc de Triomphe, and many other interesting museums. See the full list here .

» Paris Bus Tour – one-day access to hop on hop off bus – and Seine River cruise.

» 120+ page guidebook to help you work out which attractions to see while in Paris.

» Discounts at a wide range of shops and restaurants in Paris.

1. Purchase The Paris Pass online and choose either the 2-day or the 3-day option.

2. You will receive a voucher by email.

3. Upon arrival in Paris, go with your printed email confirmation to the agency to exchange the voucher for your The Paris Pass.

5. Your Paris Pass is activated the first time you scan it through at an attraction and is valid for consecutive days of your pass duration.

Click here to buy the Paris Pass

3. Paris City Card

Visit the best of Paris with the Paris City Card , sold by Tiqets.com . The Paris City Card lets you visit three of the best attractions in Paris: the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, and an apéritif on a Seine Cruise. The pass also comes with a city audio guide to upload to your smartphone that you can follow when you please.

This is one of the few Paris passes that include the Eiffel Tower (up to the second level), so it is great for first-timers in Paris. In addition to this offer, you’ll also get a 10% personal discount code to use on your next booking on Tiqets.com . Enjoy other iconic Paris attractions and activities, like Versailles Palace, the Arc de Triomphe, the Catacombs of Paris, the Musée de l’Orangerie, and more!

There’s no time limit for this Paris tourist pass. When you book, you need to select the start date of your Paris city card and your desired dates for each venue. It can be the same day or any other day as per your choice and the availability of the tickets.

» Entrance to the Louvre Museum.

» Access to the Eiffel Tower, second floor, + an audio guide.

» A 1-hour apéritif cruise on the Seine River.

» City audio guide app for your smartphone.

» 10% discount on your next booking with Tiqets.com

1. Purchase your Paris City Card online and choose the start date of your pass.

2. Choose the dates and time slots for each of the attractions (Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, Seine Cruise). You can visit the three attractions on the same day or on different days.

3. Complete secure payment and receive the tickets by email. You will also receive a personal discount code which will make you save 10% when you visit another nearby attraction.

4. Get your tickets by email – follow the instructions and enjoy your visits!

Click here to buy the Paris City Card

4. Paris PassLib’

The Paris PassLib’  is a product sold by the Paris Tourist Office . It offers access to 54+ Paris attractions and experiences, but you can only choose five from the list.

This city pass for Paris is not a physical product but an app to download into your mobile device (the instructions are in the purchase confirmation). This means that there’s no pick-up point; once you purchase it online, you are ready to go!

Starting from the first activity used, you’ll have one year to take advantage of all the activities and attractions included.

» We counted more than fifty-five activities included in this pass ( click here for the full list ). However, this Paris visit card only allows you to choose three from the list.

1. Purchase the Paris Passlib’ online

2. After downloading the Paris Passlib’ app onto your smartphone, scan your QR code and choose your activities/attractions from the provided list.

3. For each of the chosen activities/attractions, follow the instructions to book.

Click here to buy the Paris Pass Lib’

5. Paris Seine Pass

Get the most out of the iconic Seine River , Paris’ most beautiful avenue, with the Paris Seine Pass sold by Tiqets.com .

The Paris Seine Pass lets you visit three of the best attractions along the iconic Seine River: the Orsay Museum , the Sainte Chapelle , and an atmospheric Seine River cruise . Enjoy the best of Medieval Paris, stunning Modern Art, and drinks along one of the most famous rivers.

In addition to this offer, you’ll also get a 10% personal discount code to use on your next booking on Tiqets.com . Enjoy other iconic Paris attractions and activities, like Versailles Palace, the Arc de Triomphe, the Catacombs of Paris, the Musée de l’Orangerie, and more!

There’s no time limit for this Paris tourist pass. When you book, you need to select the start date of your Paris card and your desired dates for each venue. It can be the same day or any other day as per your choice and the availability of the tickets.

» Entrance to the Orsay Museum and the Sainte-Chapelle.

1. Purchase your Paris Seine Pass online and choose the start date of your pass.

2. Choose the dates and time slots for each of the attractions (Orsay Museum, Sainte-Chapelle, Seine Cruise). You can visit the three attractions on the same day or on different days.

Click here to buy the Paris Seine Pass

And there you have it, the Paris Pass Comparison with the available Paris passes compared. Paris City Pass vs Paris Pass; Paris Pass vs Museum Pass, what is the best Paris pass for you?

Click here to read more Paris Tips

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About WORLD IN PARIS

Quirky parisian explorers with a preference for lesser-known sights, we are continuously looking for new ideas and tips to bring you the best of the city of light read more about us ., we’re elisa, norbert, valérie, and cédric, four travel bloggers and friends living in paris. quirky explorers with a preference for the local side of our city and its lesser-known sights, we are continuously looking for new ideas to enjoy the best of paris & around . do you want to go beyond the louvre museum or the eiffel tower keep clicking for first-hand information & our best tips learn more about us.

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The Paris Pass - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Paris tourist passes 2024 pros & cons

Is a tourist pass essential in paris.

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Visitor passes

Visitor passes are not essential, but they are very valuable, you will want a pass if...., you will not need a pass if..., ticket queues and security queues, compare the main  different paris passes:  updated 2024 prices.

• Paris City Pass : Recommended by About-France.com The cheapest and best value of the all-in-one pass: includes museums (Louvre, Orsay etc.) , travel and sightseeing. Adult passes start at 109.90 € for two days. Check out or buy
• Go City Paris inclusive :   Check out or buy .  More attractions to choose from, but most of the additional ones are less known and others are outside Paris
• Go City Paris explorer:   Does not include  public transport  Provides access to between 2 and 7 attractions only; includes a Disneyland option  More info here
• Paris Pass'Lib. Access to between 3 and 6 attractions only, to be chosen from a list. Four tarifs with different lists.
• Paris visite: Travel only - just a Paris public transport pass. 2 day adult pass zones 1-3: 19.50 €  More info here
• Paris Museum pass : Museums only : just gives entry into the main museums (Louvre, Orsay etc.) 2 day pass 52 € . More info here

The passes in more detail....

•    Buy your pass in advance, and avoid the queues to get in.  It is pretty well impossible to visit everything covered by these two inclusive passes, even with a five or six day pass, as the list of attractions covered includes several that are well outside Paris . And the passes do not include cafés and restuarants where you will want to stop off and relax
• Paris Pass'Lib Culture . this has replaced the "museum pass". This pass keeps changing. Now it comes in 2 versions, offering entry to between 3 and 6 attractions out of a list. With the cheapest version (35€), choose 3 activities out of a list of 17. With the more expensive version (75€) choose five out of a list of 18 attractions - the difference being the Eiffel Tower. A Pass'Lib is valid a year.
•   Go City Paris explorer  This may be  a good idea if you want to include a day at Disneyland Paris, since the 104€ cost of a 3-attraction pass is the same as the indicated "normal" adult day-ticket to Disneyland alone. (For the record fixed-date adult day passes for Disneyland Paris cost between 81€ and 124€ on the Disney site depending on date). Otherwise, it is mainly useful for people spending up to two months in Paris, who know that they will want to visit certain attractions.  Passes are valid for between 2 and 7 attractions only. Take care:   the choice of attractions is capped by a "purse value" which  is the maximum amount you can use based on the standard gate price for each attraction. For example, with a 3-choice adult Explorer costing 119 €,  you can visit three attractions the sum of whose normal ticket prices is not greater than €205... which could include both Disneyland and Parc Astérix. One advantage of the Paris Explorer pass is that it can include the second floor (not the top) of the Eiffel Tower. However, be warned; the date and time of the Eiffel tower visit has to be booked in  advance, and the claimed 42€ value of the tour to the second flooor of the Eiffel Tower can be misleading. The actual cost of access to the second floor of the Eiffel tower is not 42€ but just  16.70 € if you take the elevator (lift), and just 10.50 € if you walk up (Prices as from  2023)  (see Eiffel Tower )

Paris visite:   [Public transport only ]

• Paris Museum pass   [Museums only ] - giving unlimited admission to some 60 monuments / museums in and around Paris, excluding the Eiffel Tower. Prices start at 52 €uros for two days or 66€ for four days.  This pass - best purchased on the day at the first museum you visit -  does not include any transport, so things like Seine river cruises, metro tickets and sightseeing tours must be purchased separately. See below. The Paris Museum Pass is included in the Go City inclusive pass and the Paris City Pass (see above). 
• Choose tickets à la carte :   Just buy tickets for what you have time to see.  Check out sightseeing bus tickets and river-bus tickets below; check out prices for individual monuments on their websites, which are listed at the foot of our Paris tourist attractions page .  Tickets for many attractions can now be bought on the attraction's own website, and with an online ticket (print your own or on your phone) you don't need to stand in a queue to buy on the spot.
• Hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus pass  The Open-Tour /Cityrama service, has a choice of hop-on hop-off passes from 39 € for a one-day pass, and covers four different routes (plus optional Batobus service on the Seine). Alternatively Big Bus Tours (formerly les Cars Rouges) run open-top guided tour buses linking nine major sites; a two -day pass costs  45€.
• The "Batobus" and travel on the Seine. The Batobus are river buses that go up and down the Seine from the Eiffel tower to the quai de Montebello (near Notre Dame). There are 8 stops in all. An adult day pass at the start of 2022 costs 19 €, and a 2-day pass (consecutive days) costs 21 € per adult.

WHICH PASS BEST SUITS YOUR NEEDS?

• Do you want to take in at least three paid entry attractions a day (between monuments, museums, river cruise...)  . If so, the  Paris City Pass is probably your best value option, 
• Do you want primarily to visit Paris's world-class museums, more than other attractions? If so, the  Museum Pass may be your best solution.
• Do you want to avoid the big paid-entry sites, with their queues, and enjoy Paris by visiting smaller museums, taking in Paris's free attractions (including museums), soaking in the atmosphere of the old streets and riverbanks, and enjoying the bars and cafés ? If so, you don't need a pass at all, it would be a waste of money. Just pay at the entrance to the paid-entry sites you visit, and enjoy the others for free.
• Do you plan to use the metro or buses several times in a day, including getting to and from your hotel located in central Paris or the inner suburbs? If so, the Paris city pass will give you free public transport plus entry to dozens of attractions. Alternatively the Paris Visite transport pass will just provide you with free travel in the city for the duration chosen.
• Do you want to pack in as much as possible in a short space of time, including the main sights ?  If so, the  Paris City Pass is your best value option. If you want a pass including hop-on hop-off buses, the go for the  Go city Paris inclusive Pass
• Are you spending a few weeks in Paris, during which time you'll visit different attractionsin your own time, on different days? Then maybe the Go city Paris explorer pass is best suited to your needs.

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Is the Paris Pass 2024 worth it? We review prices and value here

After a couple of slow years like every other city, Paris is booming again and 2024 looks like another busy year for the city and its major attractions. The Paris Pass made some changes and then changed back last year and now in 2024 it’s easier and more straightforward than it’s been in a while. And unlike many other major tourist cities, most attractions in Paris didn’t increase prices in 2023 so the Paris Pass is about the same price as last year as well.

The Paris Pass can be a great tool for many visitors. Not only does it allow free entry into most of the top tours and attractions that are most popular with first-time visitors, but it also helps you plan an efficient itinerary that will save you a lot since so many of the best attractions are close together. As we will discuss below, I highly recommend both the hop-on, hop-off bus tour (in the morning) and the 1-hour Seine cruise (around sunset) whether you buy a Paris Pass or not. Fortunately, they are both included.

Note : This article was last updated in March, 2024. This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated (at no extra cost to you) if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. This helps to keep this site going.

The main Paris attraction passes

• Paris Pass  – This includes a Paris Museum Pass (see below) and an All-Inclusive attraction pass, which includes entry to most of the famous attractions and tours that are not specifically museums.
• Paris Museum Pass  – This includes only admission to nearly every major museum in Paris.

If you are NOT interested in things like the Hop-on, Hop-off bus tour, the Eiffel Tower guided climb, the (highly recommended 1-hour Seine Cruise or the wine tasting experience, then the Paris Museum Pass alone will save you money.

Prices for the Paris attraction and transportation passes

Paris Pass 2024 prices

2-day passes

• 2-day Adult Paris Pass: (including a 2-day Museum Pass) €179
• 2-day Child Paris Pass (ages 4 to 11): €94

3-day passes

• 3-day Adult Paris Pass: (including a 2-day Museum Pass) €214
• 3-day Child Paris Pass: €109

4-day passes

• 4-day Adult Paris Pass (including a 4-day Museum Pass): €275
• 4-day Child Paris Pass: €130

6-day passes

• 6-day Adult Paris Pass: (including a 6-day Museum Pass) €300
• 6-day Child Paris Pass: €140

Exclusive discount for Price of Travel readers

• Get  5% off  all Paris Passes

Use coupon code: GO5POT  – Look for “promo code?” in Step 4 of checkout)

>>> Click here and use promo code GO5POT for a discount of 5% off all orders of Paris Passes. If a larger discount is available anywhere, you’ll get the lowest price using this link.

Prices of the most popular museums covered by the Paris Museum Pass, which is included with the Paris Pass

Palace of versailles: €18.

Louvre Museum: €17

If you are an art fanatic, feel free to spend 4 or 6 hours in the Louvre or even visit twice. But honestly for most people, it gets overwhelming after an hour or maybe two. When I bring new people to Paris I walk them to the Mona Lisa and then to the Venus de Milo. By that time we’ve passed by thousands of paintings and sculptures and been there 45 minutes. After that we look around at anything else that has caught our eye, and then exit through the gift shop. A focused hour is more enjoyable for most people than wandering around for four hours unsure of what you are looking at. It’s also always pretty crowded.

Musée d’Orsay: €16

Arc de Triomphe: €13

You already know what the Arc de Triomphe looks like, and it’s definitely worth going up to the observation deck on top because you’ll get many of your best Paris photos from there. Most people will climb the 234 stairs, but they also have an elevator for anyone who doesn’t look like climbing 234 stairs is possible (or a wise move). The HOHO buses stop here and it’s a good place to get off for a visit because many other people also get off so there will be empty seats on top when you want to get back on. That isn’t true of several other stops.

Sainte-Chapelle: €11.50

What ISN'T included in the Paris passes

• Eiffel Tower Elevators – 2nd floor elevator: €18.10, 3rd floor elevator: €28.30
• Catacombs of Paris: €18.00

The Paris Pass DOES now include a guided walk up the 700 steps to the 2nd Floor including expert commentary, but obviously the climb isn’t ideal for everyone.

Extras included in ONLY the Paris Attractions Pass

Eiffel tower guided climb to 2nd floor: €38.

This is an exclusive deal for Paris Pass holders and it’s not for everybody, but it will be the highlight of your Paris trip for many. This is a climb of the 674 stairs up to the 2nd Floor (out of 3) with interesting live commentary and explanations in English. It takes 3 to 4 hours in total, so you won’t be racing up. If you are fit enough this will be amazing. And honestly, the 3rd floor isn’t much higher and it’s so high that all of your best photos will be from the 2nd Floor anyway.

Wine Tasting: €36.00 (includes free full-size bottle of wine for each person)

1-day Big Bus Paris hop-on, hop-off tour: €45.00

Whether you buy a Paris Pass or not, I highly recommend you take the HOHO bus tour on your first full morning in the city, and you will have seen all of the main sights and know how to get back to them later before noon.

Bateaux Parisiens River Cruise: €18.00

Parc Astérix: €59

Montmartre & Sacré Coeur walking tour: €36

Emily in Paris: The Unofficial Tour

Fans of the hit Netflix show will definitely be interested in this 2-mile guided walking tour of some of Paris’s loveliest neighborhoods. It only goes on Tuesdays and Fridays as of now at 1:30 PM so you’ll want to plan well in advance and make reservations. You’ll see the character’s apartment and other famous exteriors including Gabriel’s restaurant along with the bakery where she has her first pain au chocolat. If you don’t watch the show it’s definitely not worth it, but if you do this will be a major highlight.

Grevin Wax Museum: €26.50

This is the French equivalent of Madame Tussauds and it’s far more enjoyable than most people expect. With a central location close to several other included attractions, the Grevin Wax Museum is in a gorgeous building filled with over 450 characters that look so lifelike that you keep expecting them to move. There are obviously many French historical figures, but also international historical figures and athletes and actors and pop stars. You’ll know scores of them. While it’s true that you might not normally pay €26.50 to visit a wax museum, it’s great with the Paris Pass because you can just pop in for an hour or so in between other places. Most people are very impressed.

The Paris Big Bus Tour and Seine River Cruise are great ways to get oriented for first-time visitors

Whether you buy the Paris Pass or not, you’ll want to strongly consider taking the Paris Big Bus Tour (included in the Paris Pass) as well as the Seine River Cruise. Both of these offer an excellent and efficient look at all of the famous places you might want to visit later, and you can do both of them in half a day. Take the hop-on, hop-off bus tour as early in the day as you can, and plan on doing the Seine river cruise just after sunset in order to see how beautifully lit the bridges and famous buildings are at night.

Is the Paris Pass good value?

Another thing to consider is that if you lock in your sightseeing expenses before you arrive there will be the temptation to just rush from one thing to the next to get the most from your money. If you happen to have a day when you only get to one or two attractions, you might have a sense of guilt over missing your pre-trip goals.

On the other hand, if you prefer to pay in advance and then challenge yourself to make sure you see all the amazing sights that Paris has to offer, then the Paris Pass can be a great deal. If you are mostly interested in the museums then the Paris Museum Pass is probably the better deal, but if you also want to take a bus tour or a river cruise or do the wine tasting then the Paris Pass is the way to go.

For great value hotels check out our  recommended Paris hotels  section, which gives you 5 excellent choices without the hassle of going through nearly two thousand hotels in the area.

New: How to get the most out of a 2-Day or 3-Day Paris Pass

>>> Best 2-Day and 3-Day Paris Pass itineraries for maximum value and best sights

Important advice for getting good value out of a Paris Pass

After using so many of these city passes through the years, and also getting some comments from customers who don’t feel like they got good value out of the Paris Pass, I can reveal two important bits of advice for Paris Pass holders.

1. Start early in the day, at least on your first couple days using the pass

Some people complain that by the time they got to their first attraction of the day, the place was packed, so they started on a bad note and then felt rushed the rest of the day trying to catch up.

2. Plan your day and route before you leave your hotel

The Paris Pass comes with a very helpful booklet that shows all of the attractions on a map, with hours of operation. If you spend some time before you leave your hotel for the day, planning an efficient route that connects the attractions you want to see that day, it will all seem easy and you’ll get the most out of your Paris Pass.

If you aren’t able to plan ahead like this then maybe the Paris Pass isn’t ideal for you. If you aren’t able to spend a bit of time planning ahead, chances are you’ll be racing around and wasting a lot of time, and you’ll be unhappy with the Paris Pass.

The Paris Pass is ideal for:

• First-time visitors to Paris who want to cover most of the main sights in a few days
• Travelers who want to see and do as much as possible on a short trip
• Visitors who want to orient themselves with the bus tour and Seine river cruise

The  Paris Museum Pass  by itself is ideal for:

• Culture vultures who plan on visiting at least 2 museums each day but don’t care about tours or anything else
• Budget travelers coming during busy season who want to skip the ticket queues

Visiting with no pass is ideal for:

• Visitors spending more than 7 days in the city who might prefer to see only one sight per day
• Backpackers and other extreme-budget travelers

Use coupon code: GO5POT ( – Look for “promo code?” in Step 4 of checkout)

One last thing to consider about budgeting your time in Paris

Also, remember that there are only so many hours in the day, and you can only do one thing at a time. The Louvre itself takes at least 3 hours even for a “quick” visit, and while you are inside it doesn’t matter if you get 50 or 100 other “free” things included, you’ll only have time to do a few per day at the most.

The Paris Pass is a popular and efficient way for first-time visitors to see all the best sights in a short time, with little stress and almost no time wasted in ticket queues. Whichever way you decide to visit Paris, you will have a good time. If you can get a discount on the Paris Pass, it’s obviously a better deal and worth considering.

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Is the Paris Pass 2024 worth it? We review prices and value here " --> All Comments

Hi there, it says that the pass has a purse value. Since the pass itself comprise of 3 different passes, I was wondering if the purse value is deducted from the Attraction pass solely or from both Museum and Attraction Pass.

I’m not sure what a “purse value” is. Sorry I couldn’t be more help. -Roger

Hello, Looking for cheapest way for 3 to get from CDG to paris center (eiffel tower). Have you heard of bus 19 from CDG? thank you for your advice.

I’m not familiar with bus line 19, but I do know there are public buses from CDG into central Paris for a bit over €5 per person. The problem is that they obviously get stuck in traffic pretty regularly, so it can take 90 minutes if you get unlucky. The RER trains cost about €10 and take about 35 to 40 minutes, with no traffic to worry about. Personally, I think that extra €5 is money well spent, especially after a flight, but it does appear that you can go cheaper on buses. -Roger

Hey Roger! first of all, thank you for such a helpful blog. my family of 5 ( 2 are under 18) will be reaching Paris on the 11th of April in the morning around 10 and will leave for Amsterdam on 16th morning, which gives us around 4 days, all the while staying in the 9th/10th arrondisement. we are planning to do the river cruise and the hop on hop off, visit Louvre, Muse Du Orsay, Notre Dame, Saint Chapelle, Montparnasse tower, Versailles and Disneyland and of course a little shopping and strolling around. Would you suggest a 3 day Paris pass for everyone(2 are under 18)? I thought that we will activate the attractions and the visite pass on the first day, museum pass on the second day and the last day can be Disneyland. What do you suggest..? please revert back as soon as possible. Thank you so much!

I sometimes answer questions on weekends, but not always, and this last weekend I was on a trip. Your plan sounds really good and I’m sure you’ll have an excellent time. It’s nice that the Paris Pass allows you to activate the three components separately, so you are wise to use it this way.

As you’ve noticed, it’s a tricky question whether to buy a Paris Pass for a teen under 18. It’s true that everyone under 18 will get in free to the Louvre, Versailles, and other museums, but those over 11 years old have to pay the full adult admission price for the HOHO Bus, Seine Cruise, and Montparnasse tower. Those 3 things add up to €71 plus it includes a 3-day unlimited travel card that is worth about €27. A 3-day Teen Paris Pass using the 5% discount is about €99, so it’s basically the same price if you just use it for those 3 attractions and the transit card. If you do anything else that is NOT a standard museum then you’ll be saving money with the Teen Paris Pass. It all comes down to whether you’ll do anything else and I’d imagine you will if you can do it for free for the whole group.

By the way, those under 18 don’t even need a ticket to the museums so if you go as a group you can just show the Paris Pass for the adults and they can go in with you, without having to get in the ticket queue. I hope that helps and I’m sure you’ll have an excellent time. -Roger

Dear Roger,

my friend and I would be visiting Paris in early June for about 10 days. We are not quite sure of the places that we should go other than the standard tourists attractions like the louvre, the eiiffel tower, champselysee, luxemburg gardens and louis vuitton foundation etc. Would the Paris Pass be useful as i feel that the cost of the 6 day pass is quite pricey. Also, if there’s any advice that you have for transportation costs all around Paris as well as possible places to visit that may not be so well known or included in the Paris Pass, please feel free to let me know! Thank you!

Paris is an amazing city, but 10 days is quite a long time to spend in any city unless you’ve got a long list of things you want to see. Generally speaking, you’ll be able to see everything interesting to you in 4 days or so, or really 4 nights and 3 full sightseeing days. After that you’d end up going to museums and other attractions that won’t be all that interesting. So you might consider just getting a 3-day Paris Pass and using it for 3 full sightseeing days and doing all of the most interesting things on those days.

After that I’d suggest going somewhere else for at least a few days. Nice is a great option along the Mediterranean coast. There are some other ideas to consider on my article about the best France and Italy itineraries . If you buy train tickets at least a month in advance you’ll find the prices to be pretty reasonable.

On the other hand, Paris is a really lovely city and some people just like to rent an airbnb and hang around, living like a local for a while. You can shop at the local markets and make some dishes on your own. There is no shortage of interesting things to do in Paris, but I still wouldn’t recommend going to 10 different museums and palaces and such because that will get old after a few days. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger

Thanks Roger for the quick response. it was really helpful. What would be the weather in Paris during September?

September should be very nice in Paris, but of course it’s hard to say and weather websites can tell you more. Paris doesn’t really have a “rainy season” and it can rain any time of year, so it’s best to check the forecast shortly before you go and pack accordingly. Sorry I couldn’t help more. -Roger

Paris City Pass Comparison

Which city pass should you buy.

Latest update: March 7, 2024

In a nutshell: Our tips for Paris city passes

• When exploring the sights in Paris , you can save time and money with a Paris City Pass.
• If you’re staying in Paris for at least 3 days and want to see as much as possible, the Paris City Pass is the best option.
• The best pass if you want to experience as many attractions as possible in 2 days is the Paris Museum Pass .
• Our recommendation if you want to visit only a few attractions and also go to Disneyland Paris is the Paris Explorer Pass .
• If you only want to visit the main attractions and a few museums, a pass is not really worth it for you.

In our article you will learn from our Paris expert Meike, which Paris Passes are available, what services they include and what advantages and disadvantages they have. You’ll have all the information you need to decide which pass suits you best.

Our recommendation for those in a rush: this is the best Paris city pass

In this article, we’ll describe each Paris pass in detail and show you the advantages and disadvantages that go along with each pass.

But if that’s too much for you, here’s a quick overview of the passes which are, in our opinion, most worthwhile.

#1 The best Paris pass if you’d like to see as many attractions as possible in at least 3 days

Best choice: the Paris City Pass This pass is ideal if you’re making a city trip of at least 3 days to Paris and want to see as much as possible of the over 60 included attractions and museums. Unfortunately, the Paris City Pass no longer includes public transportation , but you can tour the city for 24 hours by a hop-on-hop-off bus and directly get from one attraction to another. To do this, simply show the driver your digital City Pass which you’ll receive by mail.

Besides, you have priority entrance to the Louvre, Centre Pompidou, and Musée d’Orsay, which is definitely an advantage at such busy museums.

And for the ultimate Paris feeling, a boat ride on the Seine is also included.

Get the Paris City Pass

#2 The best Paris pass if you want to see as many attractions as possible in 2 days

Best choice: the Paris Museum Pass

If you’re only in Paris for 2 days, the Paris Museum Pass is more worthwhile. It works the same way as the Paris City Pass, except that the boat ride on the Seine and the hop-on hop-off tour are not included. But in 2 days, you wouldn’t have time for the boat trip anyway if your focus is on museums and sights.

For about 8.50 euros per day, you can buy an additional ticket for public transportation.

Get the Paris Museum Pass

#3 The best Paris pass, if you want to visit Disneyland too

Best choice: Go City Paris Explorer Pass  If you only want to visit a few sights and also spend a day in Disneyland Paris, the Paris Explorer Pass is ideal for you. The Explorer Pass includes many museums and attractions, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and a boat trip on the Seine.

In addition, you can use the hop-on hop-off bus in Paris for one day with the Explorer Pass.

Public transportation, however, is not included in the Explorer Pass.

Get the Paris Explorer Pass

#4 The best Paris pass if you only want to visit a few attractions

Best choice: buy individual tickets If you’d only like to visit the Eiffel Tower and a few other museums or sights, a pass isn’t worth it.

With an affordable day ticket for 8.50 euros, you can tour around the whole city using public transportation.

Before heading to the attractions you’d like to visit, you should buy individual tickets online. That way, you’ll save a lot of time standing in line.

Is a Paris city pass even worth it?

Buying a pass has various benefits, but it’s still not worth it for every Paris visitor.

As a holder of a Paris pass, you gain priority entrance to a lot of museums and sights, through which you can save a ton of time on weekends or in the summer.

The entrance areas of many attractions are divided between visitors without tickets, visitors with single tickets, and visitors who have a Paris pass.

It’s practically impossible to use all of the offers covered in the passes, there are just too many. But because the entrance fees to the sights and museums in Paris are relatively expensive, a pass is often financially worth it.

The Eiffel Tower is unfortunately not included in all of the passes. So if you decide to get a pass that does not include it, you will have to buy a separate ticket.

If you’re younger than 26 years old, a pass is generally not worth it for you. A lot of Paris museums and attractions are free if you’re under 18, and even for under 26 year olds with a European ID.

Also, all visitors with a disabled person ID card and their companion usually gain free entrance. In case you belong to one of these groups, the Paris passes are all unnecessary for you.

Choosing the right Paris pass

When choosing the right pass, you should first think about what you’d like to see and do, and then see which pass fits best to your plans.

Our tip: Don’t pack your day too full. You should give yourself at least two to four hours per attraction, and don’t forget that you also have to eat something in between.

Some of the included offers can also be planned for the evening hours. For example, the Montparnasse Tower and the Arc de Triomphe are open until late, and a boat ride on the Seine is also much more beautiful in the dark than during the day.

Some of the museums are open once a week until 9 or 10 pm, and you can visit the Centre Pompidou every day until 9 pm. So you don’t have to be done with everything  by 6 pm.

For those in a hurry: a quick overview of the passes

For a quick, first overview, We’ve made a compact summary of the passes and their services for you here in a table.

Further down, we will describe each individual pass briefly.

How do the passes work?

As in many other cities, city passes in Paris are offered especially for tourists. You pay a set price, let’s say for three days, and you can then use all the services included in the pass during those three days.

All passes are valid for a certain period of time, for example three or five days. When booking the passes, you don’t have to commit to a specific date yet.

Your pass is activated when you use it for the first time, either at the entrance of a museum or on a metro ride. From this day on, your pass is valid for the period you have chosen.

This period of time cannot be paused. A three-day pass that is activated on a Tuesday is valid for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The days are counted as calendar days, not in 24-hours. If you use your pass for the first time at 5pm, that day counts as your first day. You’d then waste a lot of time, so, if possible, make sure to activate your pass in the morning.

You can download the Paris All-Inclusive Pass, the Paris Explorer Pass and the Paris Passlib’ to your phone. You’ll get the Paris City Pass and Museum Pass digitally by mail.

#1 Paris City Pass (Turbopass)

The Paris City Pass from the German pass provider Turbopass is our personal favorite.

What does the Paris City Pass offer you?

The Paris City Pass offers an all around worry-free package for your stay in Paris:

• Entrance to over 60 museums and attractions
• Boat ride on the Seine
• Visit to wine cellar with wine tasting
• Fly View Paris (a virtual flight above Paris)
• Various guided sightseeing tours of the city (often only English)
• Optional: Skip the line Eiffel Tower ticket

Attention: Guided tours don’t take place daily, so if you’d like to participate in one or more of the tours, be sure to take a look at the available dates while planning your trip. For some tours, you have to register on the website at least 24 hours in advance.

Here are some examples of included tours:

• City tour “Street art & flea market”
• Guided tour: artists’ quarter Montmartre with visit to Sacre Coeur Basilica
• Guided tour: football stadium Stade de France

How much does the Paris City Pass cost?

The Paris City Pass is available for various periods of validity. The longer the pass is valid, the lower the price is per day.

In the following overview are the prices for the Paris City Pass (without the Eiffel Tower) :

109.90 euros

139.90 euros

159.90 euros

179.90 euros

199.90 euros

In the following overview are the prices for the Paris City Pass (including access to the Eiffel Tower) :

154.90 euros

184.90 euros

204.90 euros

224.90 euros

244.90 euros

Advantages of the Paris City Pass

• Over 60 museums and attractions included
• Hop-on hop-off bus included
• Extensive offer
• In some cases priority entrance
• Various guided tours

Disadvantages of the Paris City Pass

• Public transortation not included

Our conclusion on the Paris City Pass

In our opinion, the biggest advantage of this pass are the tours offered with it. Don’t expect a dry history lesson, but instead a relaxed tour in good company.

All tour guides speak English, so you don’t have to worry about your knowledge of French at all.

When using the pass for two days, you won’t notice too much of a price advantage. Even so, the Paris City Pass is a convenient one, and even for two days it’s affordable and an all around worry-free package.

If you stay for three days or longer, and you’re out and about a lot, you’ll quickly save money and time with the Paris City Pass.

We like the fact that it’s optional to include the ride up the Eiffel-Tower. So when buying your pass you can pick either option.

#2 Paris Museum Pass

The Paris museum pass is solely an entrance ticket for attractions without additional services like the metro or boat rides.

This pass is by far the cheapest and, just like the other passes, has the advantage that you can avoid some of the lines.

Even though the name suggests it, the Paris Museum Pass isn’t exclusively for museums, but also many other historical attractions.

If you’d like to organize your stay in Paris as affordibly as possible and would like to dedicate it to art and culture, then the Paris Museum Pass is just for you.

What does the Paris Museum Pass offer you?

The Paris museum pass includes entrance to over 60 museums and attractions, for example:

• Musée du Louvre
• Musée de l’Armée and Les Invalides
• Centre Pompidou
• Musée du quai Branly
• Conciergerie
• Musée d’Orsay
• Musée Rodin
• Sainte-Chapelle

How much does the Paris Museum Pass cost?

The Museum Pass is available for 2, 4 or 6 days. Prices are listed in the following overview:

Advantages of the Paris Museum Pass

Disadvantages of the paris museum pass.

• Public transportation is not included
• No further services included

Our conclusion on the Paris Museum Pass

The Paris Museum Pass is already worth it if you visit two attractions per day, even if it’s just for a two-day stay.

We’d suggest that for a four-day trip, you buy a pass for two days. That way, on the days the pass is valid, you can concentrate on the included offers, and then on the other days you’ll still have plenty of time for shopping, wine and the Eiffel Tower.

This way, you can really take advantage of the pass.

If you’re spending six days in Paris, the Paris Museum Pass is even more worth it. Even if you only visit one or two attractions a day, you’ve already saved money.

#3 Paris Passlib’

The Passlib’ is available in four different versions: Mini, City, Explore and Explore+. The Mini version has the least number of included attractions, while the Explore+ version has the most.

What does the Paris Passlib’ offer you?

• Different range of offers depending on the pass
• Boat trip on the Seine
• One audio tour of your choice (out of nine available)
• Eiffel Tower and Louvre tickets (included in City, Explore and Prestige passes)
• Hop-On Hop-Off bus (included in Explore and Explore+ passes)

How much does the Paris Passlib’ cost?

There are several options with the Paris Passlib’.

If you buy the Passlib’ Mini you can pick three of the 33 available activities. The Passlib’ City includes 55 activites, of which you can choose five. With Passlib’ Explore and Explore+, you have a choice of 72 experiences and can pick six on the first and seven on the second.

Prices are listed in the following chart:

Advantages of the Paris Passlib’

• Different prices with varying choice of attractions
• Valid for 1 year
• Wide range of offers
• Guided tours also included

Disadvantage of the Paris Passlib’

• Top sights, such as the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre, as well as more unusual offers only included in the more expensive categories
• Public transport not included

Our conclusion on the Paris Passlib’

The Passlib’ offers you plenty of variety. Anything from admission to museums and castles to tastings and even a sightseeing flight over Paris is included.

Depending on which option you choose, however, you’ll only have a limited selection of attractions to choose from. For example, you can’t visit the Eiffel Tower or take part in a workshop with the Mini version.

The more affordable pass versions are therefore a good choice if you only want to visit the more crowded sights from the outside and are more interested in exciting museums or impressive churches.

Another tip: A tour with the open roof, double decker bus is decidedly nicer in good weather than during rain or snow storms. If you sit in the lower level of the bus during rain, you’ll unfortunately see only half as much.

Get the Paris Passlib’

#4 Paris All-Inclusive Pass

The Paris All-Inclusive Pass is basically the next step up from the Museum Pass and the Passlib’ and includes even more offers. It’s the right pass for ambitious visitors who can’t get enough of Paris.

What does the Paris All-Inclusive Pass offer you?

• All the offers of the Paris Museum Pass
• 1 day Hop-On-Hop-Off-Bus
• Admission to Eiffel Tower
• 1 wine tasting
• Admission to Montparnasse Tower
• Admission to wax figure museum Musée Grévin
• Guidebook with city map

How much does the Paris All-Inclusive Pass cost?

You can get the Paris Pass for 2, 3, 4 and 6 days. The 3 day pass includes a museum pass for 2 days, while the other passes each include the museum pass for the entire length of validity.

In the following is an overview of the prices:

Advantages of the Paris All-Inclusive Pass

• Eiffel Tower included
• Very extensive and varied offer
• Guided tours included

Disadvantages of the Paris All-Inclusive Pass

• Public transportation not included

Our conclusion on the Paris All-Inclusive Pass

We personally find this pass way too extensive for two days. To make it worth it for just two days, you would have to constantly rush from one place to the next.

If you’re in Paris for four or six days though, things look a little different. If you’d like to visit a lot of places, this pass provides you with a ton of possibilities during a longer stay, without letting it get too stressful.

Overall, the Paris city pass is a better choice if you’re only staying in Paris for 2 or 3 days, as it’s slightly cheaper than the All-Inclusive Pass but still similar in its offers. The Paris All-Inclusive Pass is the better option if you’re staying for four days or longer, as it is then cheaper than the Paris City Pass.

Get the Paris All-Inclusive Pass

#5 Paris Explorer Pass

Go City’s Paris Explorer Pass offers a wide range of museums, attractions and tours. The Explorer Pass also includes a one-day ticket to one of the Disneyland Parks (either Disneyland® Park or Walt Disney Studios®).

What does Go City’s Paris Explorer Pass offer you?

• Attraction-based pass
• Admission to over 40 museums and attractions
• 1 day at Disneyland Paris
• Hop-On Hop-Off bus for one day
• Admission to the Eiffel Tower
• Ticket to the Louvre
• Aperitif cruise with champagne on the Seine River
• Guided tour of the Lafayette Gallery

How much does Go City’s Paris Explorer Pass cost?

The price of the Paris Explorer Pass depends on the number of attractions you want to include.

In the following chart you can find an overview of the prices:

Advantages of the Explorer Pass

• Over 40 museums and sights are included in the pass
• Ascent of the Eiffel Tower
• Access to a Disneyland Paris Park
• Large variety of attractions
• Guided walking tours of Paris

Disadvantages of the Explorer Pass

• No public transportation included
• Only a limited number of Disneyland Paris tickets are available
• The Hop-On Hop-Off bus is considered an attraction

Our conclusion on the Explorer Pass

With the Paris Explorer Pass, you should take a good look at the attractions included and know in advance how many attractions you would like to visit. The pass is worth it if you choose attractions such as Disneyland, the Eiffel Tower, and the Hop-On Hop-Off bus.

Since there are many options included in the Paris Explorer Pass that would be quite expensive individually, the Explorer Pass is actually a great way to save some money.

Our tip: Disneyland Paris is very popular, so you should reserve your ticket as early as possible. Please note that you activate your pass with your order. Since the pass is only valid for 60 days, you should reserve your ticket no earlier than 6 weeks and no later than 1 week before your visit. You can find out how to do this in your confirmation email.

The differences of the Paris passes at a glance

You now know about each of the different passes in detail. So that you can directly compare the passes, you’ll find a compact overview of the offers included in each pass and how they all differ below.

These differences lie exclusively in the included offers. Apart from that, all of the passes work the same way.

Even though the passes essentially include the same offers, such as the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe and Musée d’Orsay, they do differ quite a bit from each other if you look closer.

You can see exactly where these differences are in the following table:

Our tip: Make a list of the museums, sights and activities that you definitely want to have on your itinerary in Paris. Then compare your list with the table to see which pass includes all your favorites.

Which pass works best for whom?

Unfortunately we can’t give a general answer to this question, because everyone has their own idea of the perfect Paris trip. So, we identified two motivations that might have led you to consider searching for a Paris pass:

• You’d like to save money
• You’d like to treat yourself to a worry-free, complete package

Motivation #1: Saving money

If you’d like to make your Paris visit less expensive by buying a pass, the Paris Museum Pass, Paris Passlib’ or the Paris City Pass could all be an option for you.

By far the cheapest pass is the Paris Museum Pass. If you’d simply like to save money with your pass whilst discovering the art and culture of Paris, then it’s perfect for you.

Here’s an example: What do you have to visit in two days to make the Paris museum pass worth it?

• Louvre (17 euros)
• Sainte-Chapelle (13 euros)
• Musée d’Orsay (17 euros)
• Centre Pompidou (15 euros)
• Musée Picasso (14 euros)
• Total price of individual tickets: 76 euros
• Paris museum pass for 2 days: 70 euros

As you can see, you’ll save a couple of euros with the museum pass. The savings are definitely not huge, but you’ll also save time that would otherwise be spent standing in line.

If you want to see more than two attractions or museums per day, the financial savings will become even greater. But then it’d also be a quite stressful itinerary.

Get the the Paris Museum Pass

Motivation #2: The worry-free complete package

You don’t want to worry about your metro tickets any more than you do about the outrageously long lines?

Then you should rule out the Museum Pass, because besides admission to the included museums and attractions, it doesn’t provide any further services.

But the other three passes are all potential candidates for you, so the choice is yours. All three include many exciting sights and a boat ride on the Seine. Only the Paris City Pass includes public transportation.

Here’s an example for four days with a Paris City Pass for 4 days:

• Four days of hop-on hop-off (162 euros)
• Day 1: city tour (19 euros) + Arc de Triomphe (13 euros)
• Day 2: Centre Pompidou (14 euros) + Versailles (28.50 euros)
• Day 3: Sainte-Chapelle (13 euros) + wine tasting (36 euros)
• Day 4: Louvre (17 euros) + boat ride on the Seine (21 euros)
• Total price of individual tickets : 321.50 euros
• Paris City Pass for 4 days : 159.90 euros

In this example, you’d save 160 euros with the pass, compared to the individual tickets.

Paris without a city pass

A Paris pass doesn’t have to be a given, you can visit everything just as well with individual tickets! It just depends on how many ticketed attractions you’d like to visit.

But because Paris is a well-visited city and there are often long lines for museums and attractions, we definitely suggest that you order tickets online.

That way you can enter right away without waiting and no valuable time is wasted at the entrance. In this table we’ve given you another overview of how much the Paris attractions cost:

Our conclusion

So that the passes are worthwhile, you should concentrate on the included offers on the days that the pass is valid.

We personally like the Paris Museum Pass , the Paris City Pass and the Explorer Pass best. Which one you choose in the end depends most on what exactly you’d like to do and what your priorities are.

If you’d rather wander through the streets of Paris and you don’t want to visit the well-known attractions and museum, we’d do it without a pass.

To conclude, here are a few answers to some frequently asked questions about the Paris passes.

Are there discounted passes for children and youth?

Yes, partly, but they’re completely redundant. A lot of the museums and attractions are free for all under 18 years old and all under 26 years old with a European ID card or passport.

If you’re under 26 years old, a pass isn’t worth it for you.

How do I get my pass?

The Paris All-Inclusive Pass, the Paris Explorer Pass and the Paris Passlib’ can be downloaded to your phone.

You can have the voucher sent to you by email and then you’ll also have it only digital.

You can pick up the museum pass at the tour office near the Louvre which is open every day from 9 am to 4 pm.

Are the passes cheaper on site in Paris?

No, the prices are the same online as on site.

Is the Eiffel Tower included in any of the passes?

Yes, the Eiffel Tower is included in three of the five passes: It’s in the Passlib’ (City, Explore and Prestige), Paris All-Inclusive Pass and the Explorer Pass. You can also optionally add the Eiffel Tower to the Paris City Pass.

Is a visit to Disneyland included in any of the passes?

Yes, Disneyland is included in the Paris Explorer Pass.

Now you should have all the information you need to find the best Paris city pass you. Do you still have questions or have you already had experiences with one of the passes yourself? Then we look forward to your comments.

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Paris pass review: is it worth it.

There’s no doubt that the Paris Pass – an all-in-one visitor card for travellers – is both a useful and easy way to explore the best of this amazing city.

Granting visitors free access to over 60 attractions across the city, as well as hassle-free travel around Paris, the pass definitely has some very appealing credentials.

But is the Paris Pass worth it financially?

As a dedicated budget traveller, I was committed to finding this out on my recent trip to Paris and feel very fortunate that the kind folk at Paris Pass gifted me one of their 2 day packages to put this money-saving offering to the test.

So here bringing you the full lowdown, is my honest Paris Pass review, which will give you all the answers about just how worthwhile this city card is…

Related Posts

• Top 10 Free Things to Do in Paris
• How to Travel from London to Paris by Bus
• 11 Epic Day Trips from Paris + Budget Tips

The Paris Pass kindly sponsored my 2 Day Pass, but, as always, my views are my own.

This page contains affiliate links meaning Big World Small Pockets may receive a small commission on any purchases at no extra cost to you.

Paris Pass Review

First, up, I want to give you an overview of how this review article is going to shape up, as well as remind and reassure you that, as always, this post is giving to give you my honest advice based absolutely on my personal experience.

First up, I’m going to let you know how the Paris Pass works – what it is and what it does.

Then I’m going to go through its advantages and disadvantages – what I see are the great bonuses, as well as the annoying downfalls of this travel card.

Next, I’m going to give you a top 2 day Paris itinerary that will show you how to make the best of this pass.

And I’ll even price up this itinerary, both with and without the Paris Pass, to clearly show you the evidence of whether this pass is worth it… or not.

And finally, I’ll talk about some of the longer Paris Passes (3, 4 and 6 days), before giving you some of my exclusive Paris Pass tips, which I’ve picked up from using this card myself.

So, let’s get on with it…

How Does it Work?

It’s hard to consider whether the Paris Pass is worth it without taking a quick moment to explain exactly how this card works.

Essentially the Paris Pass is comprised of 3 parts:

• 1x Paris Museum Pass
• 1x Paris Attraction Pass
• 1x Paris Travel Card

Between these 3 different passes, which come together under the umbrella package of the Paris Pass, holders are eligible to visit a huge selection of:

• Paris Museums – such as the Louvre and the Towers of Notre Dame multiple times
• Paris Attractions – such as a cruise on the Seine River and access to the Montparnasse 56 th Floor once
• Paris Travel – such as unlimited transport via Metros, RER, buses and trams within zones 1-3

Paris Passes are available for different lengths of time (2 days, 3 days, 4 days and 6 days) and for different ages (adult, teen and child).

Prices vary depending on the length of pass and the holder’s age.

The longer pass you buy, the greater the value it offers.

Passes are set for a consecutive number of days and are activated after their first use.

What this means is that you can buy the card far in advance (up to 12 months before your travels in fact), but that it won’t start until you get to Paris and use it at the first attraction or museum.

Advantages of the Paris Pass

There are definitely some huge advantages to the Paris Pass, which you should bear in mind when trying to work out whether it’s worth it for you.

#1 Free Access

Once you purchase your Paris Pass, you’re granted free access to over 60 attractions in and around the city.

The vast majority of the things you want to see in Paris are included i.e. the Louvre, Notre Dame and the Palace de Versailles as some key examples.

All these attractions come under the Paris Museum Pass, which means they can therefore be accessed multiple times.

This is great because it means you don’t have to waste time trying to buy multiple tickets to enter everywhere in Paris.

Here the Paris Pass makes your travel life simple by combining access to pretty much all the attractions you want to visit in the city, into one handy digital card.

The Paris Pass now even includes climbing the Eiffel Tower, so if you want to enter and ride the life to the top of this icon with a guide, this is the way to do it!

#2 Free Tours

In addition to the free attractions, the Paris Pass also gives you the opportunity to sample some great tours around the city, including wine-tasting and cruises on the Seine (which are both included under the Paris Attraction Pass).

These really add an extra level to your Paris experience; after all, even the hardest culture vultures can get a bit museum-ed outQ

In fact, I loved exploring the city via the free bus and walking tours included in my Paris Pass perhaps more than the museums.

I think this is largely because the Pass gave me the chance to experience things I normally wouldn’t have done, such as a Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour that I actually thoroughly enjoyed!

Am I beginning to show my age here!

#3 Fast Access

The Paris Pass will also allow you to jump the queue in many of Paris’ top attractions.

If you’ve been to this city and stood in any of the ticket lines before, you’ll know this can be both a real drag, as well as a drain on your precious sightseeing time.

One of the best things about the Paris Pass, therefore, is that in many places it will allow you to skip the ticket queue, saving you precious time in this amazing city and spare you the boredom of standing around for hours on end.

This makes the Paris Pass especially useful for families, as well as those short on time in my opinion.

Armed with a Paris Pass, my top queue jumps were at the Arc de Triomphe and the Musée d’Orsay, where I reckon I saved almost an hour at each!

#4 Easy and Convenient

And so, cutting out both the need to buy tickets and stand in long lines, there’s no denying one of the top advantages of the Paris Pass is the level of convenience it presents.

This is also true of the Paris Travel Card that comes with the Pass and allows you to hop on and off public transport without having to negotiate ticket machines or fines!

If you don’t speak French or aren’t a particularly confident traveller, the Paris Pass will definitely help remove many of the stresses that can occur during a trip to this bustling metropolis.

Add into this the fact that you can buy the Paris Pass from the comfort of your own home, while you are planning your trip, and the ease and convenience of this tourist travel card is definitely one of its major advantages.

#5 Money Back Guarantee

And while we’re talking about buying the Paris Pass online from home, before your trip, it’s also worth mentioning this card offers a 30 day money-back guarantee.

So if you order the card online, you’ll automatically receive a 30 day guarantee against any non-use of the product, giving you a full refund if you do not use and activate your pass.

In case your plans change, this is a great insurance option that gives you flexibility in the event of any unforeseen changes.

Just enter your details below and I'll email it you - simple!

Information will be sent to the email provided above

Disadvantages of the Paris Pass

Making sure you get the best value for money from your Paris Pass can only really be achieved by putting a bit of time into your travel planning, as this review explores in more detail here…

#1 Organisation

Ensuring the Paris Pass works for you will mean planning your visit, or at least having a rough outline of how you want to spend your time in the French capital ahead of your visit.

For example, if you mostly want to enjoy restaurants, bars and parks, the Paris Pass is unlikely to be worth it for you.

However, if you want to see many of the city’s key attractions such as museums, historical buildings and icons, then it’s likely your trip to Paris will hugely benefit from the Pass.

As such, having even a vague idea of what it is you want to do in Paris is crucial to ensuring you get the best value from this city card.

#2 Research

Along with organisation, you’ll also need to do some Paris research ahead of your trip.

By this, I mean that it really does pay to know what is included in the Pass and what you want to see during your time en Paris!

It might sound a bit pedantic, but honestly, it’s a really good idea to construct a rough itinerary for your visit to ensure you can get your money’s worth from the length of pass you’re looking to buy.

2 Day Paris Pass Itinerary: Example

However, I totally understand that planning a rough itinerary in a foreign city you’ve never visited before can be hard to do!

So, to help you do just that, I’ve constructed a perfect 2 day Paris itinerary, with a budget breakdown, that will ensure you get great value from your Paris Pass.

Let’s get stuck in…

• Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour – 2 routes available and a great way to help get your bearings in this city
• Paris Story – 1 hour film giving you a great introduction to Paris
• Musée du Louvre – The world’s most visited museum, which contains the Mona Lisa
• Notre Dame Towers – Climb to the top of this 12 th century Gothic Cathedral and then head inside it
• Centre Pompidou – Leading modern art museum
• Montparnasse Tower – Take in the Paris night sky from the city’s tallest building
• Musée d’Orsay – Home to the works of Degas, Monet and Van Gogh
• Musée Rodin – Showcases the master sculpture’s greatest body of work
• Wine Tasting – Visit the historic Royal wine cellar of Les Caves du Louvre
• Musée Picasso – The only public collection of Picasso’s works in the world
• Bateaux Parisiens – Cruise the Seine for an hour
• Arc de Triomphe – Ascend Paris’ iconic landmark after dark

Is the Paris Pass Worth it Financially?

Based on the above itinerary, I’ve done a budget breakdown (with prices correct at the time of publication) as follows:

1 Day Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour – €33

Eiffel Tower Climb – Guided Tour to 2nd Floor – €35

Musée du Louvre – €17

Notre Dame Towers – €8.50

Centre Pompidou – €15

Montparnasse Tower – €19

Musée d’Orsay – €16

Musée Rodin – €12

Wine Tasting Tour – €35

Musée Picasso – €12

Bateaux Parisiens River Cruise – €17

Arc de Triomphe – €12

2 Day Paris Travel Card – €19.50

Total – €251.00

The 2 Day Adult Paris Pass costs €124.00.

This means that yes, the Paris Pass is worth it financially!

But that’s not all.

Because in addition to the saving, you need to remember all the other advantages that come with the Pass as well, which also make it worthwhile.

These include the added benefits of…

• less time waiting in lines
• not having to worry about speaking French
• not having to navigate ticket systems, especially when it comes to public transport
• being able to visit the attractions that come under the Museum Pass multiple times at no extra cost

3, 4 & 6 Day Paris Passes

It is also worth pointing out that the longer the length of your Paris Pass, the more cost effective it becomes.

For example, while a 2 Day Adult Paris Pass costs €124.00, a 3 Day Pass costs only €149.00.

A 4 Day Pass is then €169.00 and a 6 Day Pass just €199.00

So, the longer you have on your pass, the less the daily rate and the more time you have to explore the 60 free attractions.

Essentially, this means greater value for you!

The Palace de Versailles, for example, is one of the city’s top attractions not included in my 2 day Paris itinerary above.

I would love to have visited it and, with an extra day up my sleeve and by buying a longer length Paris Pass, this sort of flexibility would have been open to me.

If this all sounds like a good idea to you too then …

Order your 3, 4 or 6 Day Paris Pass online here and now and save tons of time and hassle by getting it even before you reach Paris!

Other Top Tips for the Paris Pass

#1 Start Early in the Day

Most of the museums are open from 9am-6pm, with last entrance normally 45 mins before closing.

If you want to get the best value out of your Paris Pass, therefore, I highly recommend starting your day early, so that you have as many hours as possible to visit the free attractions.

Again my suggested itinerary above makes use of this, by placing those activities that are still available after 18:00 into the evening slots.

#2 Make Use of Public Transport

With your Paris Pass, you have a free travel card anyway, so make use of this at no extra cost, by hopping on as much public transport as possible.

Doing this will get you around the city faster, allowing you to visit more attractions in a shorter space of time and making sure you get the best value possible from your Paris Pass.

#3 Buy Your Paris Pass in Advance

I’d also suggest buying the Paris Pass in advance.

Not only will this allow you to plan and organise your use of it ahead of time – helping you get the most out of it – but it will also mean you don’t have to waste time in Paris sourcing and buying the Pass.

Simple order your Paris Pass online today and have it on your phone and ready to go ahead of your trip – meaning your time in this great city can just be spent enjoying it!

You can order up to 12 months ahead of your trip and doing so also makes you eligible for the pass’ 30 day money-back guarantee.

#4 Get the App

And the 4th tip of my list of Paris Pass hacks is to download the app.

Yes the official Paris Pass app is now available on both iOS and Android and can help you a great deal with navigating your way around the capital, discovering the attractions included in your pass, as well as planning and building your own customisable itinerary.

PIN IT TO PINTEREST!

So if you’re asking me whether I had an easier, less stressful, jam-packed and more exciting time in Paris due to my Paris Pass, then I’d have to say yes.

As such, I’d certainly agree the Paris Pass is worth it… and I think this review shows that.

What do you think?

Have you had experience with the Paris Pass?

Let me know all your thoughts in the comments box below…

Creator of Big World Small Pockets, Stephanie Parker is a travel addict! Originally from Jersey in the Channel Islands, Stephanie adventures the world collecting tips, advice and stories, to share with a smile

4 thoughts on “ Paris Pass Review: Is It Worth It? ”

Greetings, We’re traveling with 2 kids ages 9yrs and 13yrs old in August? It seems we have to really pack a lot in 2 days to make it worth it, right? How many hours do you spend in Louvre and D’Orsay? With all walking with kids, we’re not climbing the Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame is only visible outside since it’s burned? We’re going to Versailles. Versailles is almost a one day event and maybe add others in the evening that’s included in the pass? Any suggestions?

Hi Argie, great to hear you are travelling as a family to Paris – honestly you could spend all day in the Louvre, or you could just spend a few hours, depends how into art your kids are! The D’Orsay is smaller, but still jampacked, I’d say a couple of hours too, but maybe do them on different days to spread the load out! Versailles is definitely an all-day event and likely you might be quite tired afterwards. I think kids would enjoy the Montparnasse Tower and they may like getting up the Arc de Triomphe too – it’s physical rather than intellectual which might appeal to them. A boat ride on the Seine would be nice for families too I thin, and the hop on hop off bus is a nice option for kids as well. I do give an itinerary and breakdown in the post, so consult this to see if you think the Pass would be worthwhile for you. Then consider the advantages of queue jumping etc, which are going to be a big plus in August. Plus the included travel card. Happy Paris planning 🙂

I’m very pleased to find this website. I want to to thank you for ones time for this particularly wonderful read!! I definitely enjoyed every little bit of it and I have you book-marked to see new stuff in your site.

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Which Paris Tourist Pass is the Best – A Comparison of All Paris Attraction Passes

Paris has so many attractions and museums. One of the best ways to save money on attractions in Paris is to purchase a Paris tourist attraction pass. This blog will show you the differences between the most popular Paris attraction passes.

Are you visiting Paris for the 1st (or 2nd or 3rd) time and want to see all the famous attractions and museums? Are you trying to plan your Paris trip and want to do everything there? There is so much to see and do in Paris that it can be overwhelming to plan the trip.

Aside from millions of museums and tourist attractions, what’s even more confusing is the number of Paris tourist passes that are on the market.

It is very confusing to understand what all the Paris sightseeing passes offer and how they compare to each other. This blog will show you the most popular Paris attraction passes, what attractions they offer, their price points and limitations and help you decide which Paris attraction pass is the best pass for you.

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What Are the Popular Paris Tourist Attraction Passes You Can Buy?

There are numerous Paris sightseeing passes but I will only talk about the top 5 most popular Paris attraction passes that are on the market right now.

These Paris attraction passes each offer something unique and different for visitors and museum lovers:

• The Paris Pass (by Go city)
• Paris Explorer Pass (by Go City) <– the most popular

Paris Museum Pass

Paris city pass (by turbo pass).

• Paris Passlib (6 types)

In addition, there is a Paris Visite Card that is a travel only pass (like subway, trains, etc.)

Each of these Paris tourist passes fall under 2 categories:

• All Inclusive Pass
• Build your own attraction-based pass

How do Paris Attraction Passes Work?

All of these Paris tourist passes work similarly by requiring you to purchase the pass upfront. Once you buy the pass you can use the pass to visit either a certain number of attractions/ museums or as many as you can within certain number of days .

You will also need to use the Paris attraction pass you buy to make reservation (pick time slot) at some of the attractions and museums in Paris but you can get skip-the-line perk at some of these attractions.

Since there are so many passes, let me explain in detail how each of these Paris attraction pass works and what they each cover/ does not cover.

FYI : Most museums in Paris is free for children under 18 and free for EU resident under 24. Most museums are also free the first Sunday of every month (or certain months during non-peak season).

Paris All Inclusive Pass vs. Attraction Based Pass

All inclusive pass for paris.

An all inclusive pass is a pass based on the number of consecutive days. If you purchase a 3 day all-inclusive pass then you have 3 days to use the pass. The pass will expire at the end of the third day.

For example: if you have a 4 day all-inclusive pass for Paris and you visit your first attraction at 3pm on a Monday, your pass will be valid for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

You can visit [almost] unlimited number of attractions that are available on the pass (assuming you make the necessary reservations). Each attraction can only be visited twice (no repeating!).

An all-inclusive pass for Paris is best for someone who has only a few days in Paris and wants to see it all! Most importantly it is for someone who can get up early and aims to see as much as possible eacy day.

All inclusive pass include:

• The Paris Pass
• Paris City Pass

Attraction based pass for Paris

As the name implies, an attraction based pass is based on the number of attractions you purchase.

For example, if you buy a 3 attraction pass, then you can visit 3 attractions or museums in Paris. You generally have a much longer period of time to visit these attractions and are not restricted by the number of consecutive days.

These attraction based passes are great for someone who likes to take it slow and not worry about cramming everything in given a certain day. It is also great for someone spending a long period of time in Paris.

Attraction based pass for Paris include:

• Paris Explorer Pass
• Paris Passlib

Are Paris Tourist Passes Legit?

If you are worried the tourists passes are too good to be true then you don’t have to. These Paris attraction passes are 100% legit and can help you save money, if you use them correctly .

Each of these Paris passes has their own unique attributes and no pass is the same. The companies have all been operating for years around the globe so they have negotiated rates with all the attractions and museums.

Therefore if you follow the tips provided in this guide you will save money.

Detailed Paris Sightseeing Pass Comparison

The paris pass (by go city).

The Paris Pass is perhaps the most famous Paris attraction pass on the market. Before I visited Paris and researched into all the attraction passes, the Paris Pass is the name I heard the most frequently.

The Paris Pass is also known as the Go City Paris All Inclusive Pass.

Which company runs the Paris Pass?

The Paris Pass is owned by Go City.

Go City is a travel company that offers city attraction passes for many destinations, including New York City , London , Barcelona , Dubai , Chicago , Bangkok , Sydney and other cities in Asia, Europe, and North America.

How does the Paris Pass work?

The Paris Pass is an all-inclusive attraction pass that provides you access to 80+ attractions based on the number of consecutive days . The Paris Pass offers day passes for 2, 3, 4 or 6 days .

For example, if you are planning to visit Paris for 4 days, you can purchase the 4 day Paris Pass and visit different attractions, tours and museums that are covered under the Paris Pass for 4 days straight.

Once you’ve purchased your Paris Pass, you will receive a confirmation email with details on how to download and activate the pass on the app or you can print out the email confirmation at home.

Paris Pass is activated when you visit any attraction or pre-book an attraction before your visit.

For some of the attractions in Paris, you will need to make reservation ahead of time to pick a time slot (you can’t just show up!). But for other attractions you can get the skip-the-line priority and never have to wait that long.

The Go City Paris Pass includes Paris Museum Pass . You can request the PDF copy using the Go City online reservation page

• 2 or 3 Day Paris Pass include a 2 day Paris Museum Pass
• 4 Day Paris Pass includes a 4 day Paris Museum Pass
• 6 Day Paris Pass includes a 6 day Paris Museum Pass

Paris Pass Purse Value

The Paris Pass is subject to a purse value, which is the max amount you can use based on the standard gate price for each attraction.

You can read more about the purse value on the official website .

Paris Pass Refund Policy

The Paris Pass has a 90 day cancellation period from purchase date. So you can return any non-activated pass.

How much does the Paris Pass Cost?

*Note that most museums in Paris are free for anyone under 18 years old and EU residents under 24 years old.

Prices of the Paris Pass are subject to change and there are many seasonal promotions and discounts.

What attractions and museums are included in the Paris Pass?

The Paris Pass covers over 80 top attractions in Paris. Since the all Inclusive Paris Pass includes the Paris Museum Pass, you can visit all the museums in Paris as well.

You can see the full list on their website .

But some of the most popular and noteworthy attractions and museums covered by the Paris Pass include the following:

• Eiffel Tower Guided Climb (this is to walk up the stairs to the 2nd floor with a guide)
• 1 Day Big Bus Paris Hop-on Hop-off Tour (2nd day free till April 30th)
• Seine River Cruise
• Louvre Museum
• Palace of Versailles
• Arc de Triomphe
• Tour Montparnasse
• Parc Asterix
• Montmartre & Sacre Coeur Walking tour
• Musée d’Orsay
• Sainte-Chapelle
• Orangerie Museum
• Emily in Paris: The Unofficial Tour
• and many more

What are the pros and cons of the Paris Pass?

Pros of Paris Pass

• Great for first or second time visitors in Paris and you want to see it all.
• It has the most attractions compare to any other Paris attraction passes
• The Paris Pass includes attractions and tours that are not found on any other passes so even if it’s not your first time in Paris, you will still find a ton of things to do.

Cons of Paris Pass

• Paris Pass does not include Disneyland and it does not come with a travel card, so it does not cover public transit or train rides .
• There is a purse value you need to be aware of, so this would require some planning and may limit how many things you can see in a day.
• You only go to the 2nd floor of Eiffel Tower (not the top).

Purchase your Paris Pass here .

Paris Explore Pass (by Go City)

Explore Pass is by the same company as the Paris Pass, but they work very differently.

How does Explore Pass Work? How is the Paris Explore Pass different from the Paris Pass?

Paris Pass is an all inclusive pass that’s based on how many days you purchase whereas Explore Pass is based on how many attractions you purchase ahead of time.

Explore Pass offers 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 attractions for a set price and you do not need to do them in consecutive days. You have 60 days after you activate the pass to finish up the rest of the attractions; therefore making it super flexible and there is no time crunch.

For example, if you buy a 4 attraction Explore Pass, you go to the first attraction on July 1, then you have 60 days including July 1st to go to the other 3 attractions before the pass expires.

In addition, each Explore Pass is subject to a purse value , the maximum amount you can use based on the standard gate price for each attraction. You can read more about the purchase value on their official website .

If you do not use the pass you can refund it within 90 days also.

How much does the Paris Explorer Pass cost?

Prices of the Paris Explorer Pass are subject to change and there are many seasonal promotions and discounts.

What attractions and museums are included in the Paris Explorer Pass?

Paris Explorer Pass covers 50 attractions, some includes the most popular museums! You can get the full list of attractions on their website .

Paris Explorer Pass no longer includes Disneyland Paris unfortunately.

Some of the most noteworthy attractions the Paris Explorer Pass include:

• Eiffel Tower 2nd floor Guided Climb (this is to walk up the stairs to the 2nd floor with a guide)
• Louvre admission ticket + tour of the surrounding area
• Musée d’Orsay admission + one-hour guided tour of Parisian bridges
• 1 day Big Bus Paris Hop-On Hop-off Tour (2nd Day free until April 30th)
• Champs-Élysées Walking Tour and Arc de Triomphe Entry
• Paris Aquarium
• Macaron Pastry Class <– I did something similar and it was really fun
• Emily in Paris: The Unofficial Tour & many more!

Essentially it covers very similar popular attractions as the Paris Pass, but with more tours and admission to the top museums without needing the Paris Museum Pass .

What are the pros and cons of Paris Explorer Pass?

Pros of the Go City Paris Explorer Pass

• Paris Explore Pass gives you a lot of flexibility in terms of what and when to visit these attractions in Paris.
• It includes a ton of really cool tours and activities
• It is one of the cheapest Paris city passes

Cons of Go City Paris Explorer Pass

• You need to follow the purse value , which can somewhat restricted in what you can do and you need to calculate and play around with the combination of attractions to fit within the purse value.
• It does not include public transportation
• It does not include the Paris Museum Pass

Purchase your Go City Paris Explore Pass here .

The Paris Museum Pass is the only museum pass in Paris. It offers you access to over 50 museums and monuments in Paris and the Paris region.

Paris Museum Pass is an all-inclusive pass based on the number of consecutive days . You have the option to purchase a 2 day, 4 day or 6 day pass.

The pass is activated when you go to your first museum. You get to skip-the-line at many of the museums and monuments with this pass.

If you purchase a Paris Pass or a Paris City Pass , Paris Museum Pass is included with them.

Note that you may still be required to book a time slot or make a reservation in order to visit the museums.

How much does the Paris Museum Pass cost?

*Note that most museums in Paris are free for anyone under 18 years old and EU residents under 24 years old therefore there is no children’s Paris Museum Pass.

Prices of the Paris Museum Pass are subject to change and there are many seasonal promotions and discounts.

What museums and monuments are included in the Paris Museum Pass?

As you can imagine, this pass covers all major museums and monuments in Paris and around the Paris region. You can find the full list here . But some of the most famous ones include:

• Musée d’Orsay
• Centre Pompidou

What are the pros and cons of Paris Museum Pass?

Paris Museum Pass is great for museum lovers, it basically covers everything you can think of and much much more.

Of course, given it is even called the Museum Pass, the pass does not include things like Eiffel Tower, Seine River Cruise, or any public transportation.

In addition, most museums in Paris are free on the first Sunday of the month (usually during off-peak season), so plan accordingly!

Purchase your Paris Museum Pass here or here .

Paris City Pass is an all-inclusive sightseeing pass to experience Paris based on number of consecutive days.

It is owned by Turbo Pass, a German based company that offers attractions passes in major cities of the world, including New York, London, Rome, Barcelona, etc.

Paris City Pass offers 7 attractions/ tours and over 50 museums and monuments in Paris because it includes the Paris Museum Pass .

If you book your City Pass for three or five days , you will receive your Museum Pass with a validity of one extra day . If you book your City Pass for 2 days, you will just get the 2 day Paris Museum Pass.

How does the Paris City Pass work?

The Paris City Pass works exactly the same way as the other all-inclusive pass such as Paris Pass and Paris Museum Pass.

The pass is based on number of consecutive days you want to purchase and you can visit any of the 60+ attractions and museums that are included on the pass (museums are included with the Paris Museum Pass). Paris City Pass offers 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 day passes.

A day is defined as calendar days, starting at 5:30am and concluding at 5:30am the following day.

Once you make the purchase, the Paris City Pass can be downloaded to the Paris City Pass App .

The Paris City Pass is valid for 12 months before you activate, and it is activated the moment you use your pass at the first attraction or tour.

All Passes can be cancelled up to 1 day prior to your departure date. A cancellation fee of 30 € is applied to each Pass.

How much does the Paris City Pass cost?

Prices of the Paris City Pass are subject to change and there are many seasonal promotions and discounts.

What attractions are included in the Paris City Pass?

Paris City Pass includes over 60 attractions and museums in Paris, because it includes the Paris Museum Pass . For the list of attractions, see the official website .

Some of the most popular attractions include:

• Eiffel Tower 2nd Floor access (costs extra)
• Arc de Triomphe observation deck
• 24H Paris hop On hop Off Bus City Tour
• Montmartre and Sacre Coeur Guided Tour
• Ballon de Paris Generali
• Cheese tasting
• Guided tour of Stade de France (football stadium)

What are the pros and cons of Paris City Pass?

Pros of Paris City Pass

• Paris City Pass is a great value since it includes the Paris Museum Pass and a 24H hop on hop off bus. The Paris Museum Pass itself is worth at least 55 Euros (for 2 day one, and worth more for 4 and 6 day pass).
• Paris City Pass also includes some interesting tours like the football stadium tour and cheese tasting

Cons of Paris City Pass

• Paris City Pass does not include Disneyland® Paris
• It costs extra 40 Euros to go up to the 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower, making it a much more expensive pass compared to Go City Paris Pass
• You need to get the physical Museum pass that comes with the Paris City Pass (the Paris City Pass itself has an app).
• There is a 30 Euro fee associated with cancellation, so no free refunds

Purchase your Paris City Pass here .

Paris Passlib (and Paris PassLib’ Culture)

The Paris Passlib and Paris PassLib’ Culture are a flexible attraction based pass (instead of consecutive days).

There are 4 types of Paris Passlib: mini, City, Explore and Prestige and 2 types of Paris PassLib’ Culture passes.

How does Paris Passlib work?

Paris Passlib’ Mini lets you choose 3 attractions (from a list of 32).

Paris Passlib’ City lets you choose 5 attractions (from a list of 52).

Paris Passlib’ Explore lets you choose 6 attractions (from a list of 71).

Paris Passlib’ Explore+ lets you choose 7 attractions (from a list of 71).

You cannot just choose any attractions however, there are different “categories” of experiences. For example, with the Passlib’ Explorer pass (6 choices), you can only choose 3 experiences from Category A,2 in Category B and 1 in Category C.

How does the Paris PassLib’ Culture Pass Work?

Another 2 passes that fall under Paris Passlib are the PassLib’ Culture passes.

Paris Passlib’ Culture 3 lets you choose 3 activities out of 17

Paris Passlib’ Culture 5 lets you choose 5 activities out of 19, including the Eiffel Tower.

You can see the list of attractions for these 2 culture passes here .

Paris Passlib is valid 1 year from the first time used, giving you a lot of flexibility.

How much does Paris Passlib cost?

Prices of the Paris Passlib are subject to change and there are many seasonal promotions and discounts.

What attractions are included on the Paris Passlib?

One thing to note is that even when it says you can choose 6 attractions from a long list, the selection is tiered. You can only choose 2 or 3 expensive ones and 2-3 cheaper attractions.

You can check the official website for more information on attractions included and what you are allowed to choose.

Pros and cons of Paris Passlib and Paris PassLib’ Culture Pass

Paris Passlib Mini and Culture 3 passes are probably the cheapest Paris attraction pass you can find. If you are happy with the selection, then Paris Passlib is perfect for you.

However since there are so many options and what you are allowed to pick is not as straightforward, you need to really make some choices in order to plan what you want to see.

These passes are non-refundable whereas some other passes mentioned above have a generous refund policy.

Purchase your Paris Passlib here or here for Passlib City (5 attractions).

Summary of Differences Between All the Paris Tourist Attraction Passes

Here is the summary of the key similarities and differences of all the popular Paris attraction passes.

Which Paris Attraction Pass is the Best?

Since there are so many options for the Paris attraction pass, which pass is worth it? How do you get the most value out of any Paris attraction pass you buy?

The short answer is it depends (sorry I know that’s the answer for everything). If you can plan properly based on your interest or based on value, any of these Paris attraction passes can be worth it. But you need to do some homework first.

So which Paris attraction pass is the best?

Well this depends on how long you are staying in Paris and what you want to do. But let me address some of the obvious things first.

What you should know before purchasing a Paris sightseeing pass

Eiffel Tower 2nd Floor only . Almost all the passes take you to the 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower instead of the very top. But if you want to go to the top, you will need to buy your own ticket but it’s not very expensive.

None of the Paris tourist passes take you to Palais Garnier (Opera house). You will need to pay for your own ticket and tours if you want to visit the Opera House.

No one pass includes Disneyland .

Reservation is required for many attractions and museums . You still need to plan ahead of time even with the pass so you can make reservations to enter museums and attractions. If you don’t, you might not be able to get in so don’t wait till last minute especially during peak summer season.

Museums are free for some people . Almost all popular museums in Paris is free for anyone under 18 years old and EU residents under 24 years old.

Most museums are free the 1st Sunday of the month . If you happen to visit the 1st Sunday of the month especially during non-peak season (like November to March), you don’t need any pass to visit museums.

What you should consider to determine the best Paris tourist pass for YOU

• The most comprehensive Paris city pass is the Go City Paris Pass , with the largest number of attraction, museums, and tours. It is also perfect for those with 2 days or 3 days in Paris and want to maximize their days.
• The most popular pass is the Paris Explorer Pass because of the number of attractions it includes and the flexibility it gives you.
• If you want to see museums and monuments in Paris , then the best option would be Paris Museum Pass , Paris City Pass and the Paris Pass (only if you plan to get the 4 or 6 day option).
• If you only have one day in Paris , then you should only consider getting the attraction based pass such as the Paris Explorer Pass or the Paris Passlib’ Mini (instead of getting the passes based on number of days since they all start with minimum 2 days).
• If you are spending a long time in Paris , you should also consider getting the attraction based pass like the Paris Explorer Pass instead of consecutive day all inclusive passes so you can take your time to explore.

How to maximize value (and save the most) of the Paris tourist passes?

In general, the more days or attractions you purchase, the cheaper per day/ attraction it is! For example, a 2 day Paris Pass is €159 (so it means it’s €79.5 per day), whereas a 4 day Paris Pass is €229 (average $57.25 a day).

So if you buy a 2 day Paris Pass, you need to do at least 3 activities to break even; but if you buy a 4 day Paris Pass, you only need 2 activities a day to break even, anything extra you do means you are saving money.

If you are anything like me, you would probably use Google Sheets and Google Map to map out everything you want to do way ahead of time.

When I plan trips, I use 30 minute increments on Google Sheets and I figure out the most efficient way to get from place to place (and how long it takes).

If you need some inspiration on a Paris itinerary, check out my 4 day Paris itinerary .

Personally I think in order to maximize value and save money using Paris tourist pass, you do need to do some advanced planning. Here are some tips:

• Know how many days you have in Paris
• List out everything you want to do and see in Paris and the price of each attraction
• Estimate how long you need to spend at each attraction based on Google and Tripadvisor reviews (like don’t think you can just spend 30 minutes at Eiffel Tower because it can take 3 hours)
• Pin attractions on Google Map and see how long (and how to get to) each location. Can you just walk or do you need to take public transportation (to see if it’s worth it to get the Paris travel card)
• Be honest with yourself. What type of traveler are you? Are you super chill and just wanna hit up 2-3 spots everyday or are you up at 6am and try to see 5-6 things everyday and go home at midnight?
• Do you care to see museums besides Louvre?
• Are you traveling with children? Children get into museums for free
• Are you visiting Paris on a Sunday? Museums are free first Sunday of every month during Nov to March

Once you answer these questions, you can plan out the best Paris itinerary for you and see how much you would spend on attractions without Paris attraction pass. This can help you determine which Paris tourist pass to get!

But in conclusion, Paris Explorer Pass gives you the best value and flexibility. In addition, Paris Pass covers the most number of attractions and it’s a great option if you are staying 4 or 6 days since it is the cheapest day-based pass.

Who should not buy a Paris sightseeing pass?

Paris tourist passes are not for everyone. If you fall under any of these categories then it may not be worth it for you to get a Paris attraction pass:

• If you are a EU resident under 24 years old (most museums are free)
• You are visiting on the first Sunday of the month and only want to see certain museums
• You are in Paris for shopping and eating, not for tourist attractions
• You only want to go to Eiffel Tower and maybe 1 or 2 other attractions (then it’s cheaper to just buy the tickets yourself)

In conclusion, if you are traveling to Paris for the first or second time and want to go to museums and see other famous attractions, then a Paris attraction pass is a great option to save money. Some prior planning is necessary but it can be a huge money saver for your Paris trip!

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Middle East latest: Rockets 'fired towards US military base in Syria'

At least five rockets are launched from the Iraqi town of Zummar towards a US military base in northeastern Syria, security sources tell Reuters. The attack against American forces is the first since February, when Iranian-backed groups in Iraq stopped targeting US troops.

Sunday 21 April 2024 22:33, UK

• Israel-Hamas war

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• Iran 'displayed power' in attack on Israel, Supreme Leader insists - despite failure
• Rockets fired from Iraq towards US military base in Syria
• Baby delivered in emergency C-section after mother killed in Rafah strike
• Netanyahu: Israel will increase pressure on Hamas 'in coming days' 
• Sean Bell: New details hint at impact of Israeli strike on Iran
• At least 14 Palestinians killed in West Bank raid, authorities say
• Analysis: Iran isn't biggest threat to the coalition right now
• Live reporting by Bhvishya Patel and (earlier)  Narbeh Minassian

At least five rockets have been fired from Iraq's town of Zummar towards a US military base in northeastern Syria, two Iraqi security sources have told Reuters.

Two security sources and a senior army officer said a rocket launcher fixed on the back of a small truck had been parked in Zummar border town with Syria.

The military official said the truck caught fire with an explosion from unfired rockets at the same time as warplanes were in the sky.

The attack against US forces is the first since early February when Iranian-backed groups in Iraq stopped their attacks against US troops.

It comes a day after Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani returned from a visit to the US and met with President Joe Biden at the White House.

Hezbollah has claimed it downed an Israeli drone that was on a combat mission in southern Lebanon.

The drone that was brought down above the Al Aishiyeh area in southern Lebanon was "waging its attacks on our steadfast people," a statement by the group said, according to Reuters.

Hezbollah is an Iranian proxy operating from Lebanon and it frequently trades rocket and drone attacks with Israel across the Lebanese-Israeli border. 

Earlier today, Iran's supreme leader dismissed any discussion of whether Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel hit anything there.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's comments to senior military leaders did not not touch on the apparent Israeli retaliatory strike on the central city of Isfahan on Friday, even though air defences opened fire and Iran grounded commercial flights across much of the country.

The 85-year-old made the comments in a meeting attended by the top ranks of Iran's regular military, police and paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, a powerful force within its Shiite theocracy.

We have been reporting this weekend on the Israeli raid at Nur Shams, in the occupied West Bank.

The raid began in the early hours of Friday and troops were still exchanging fire with armed fighters into Saturday.

Here are some of the images that have emerged from the region...

By Alex Crawford , special correspondent

The UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon has told Sky News the dangers in the region have not gone away and called for calm, wisdom and de-escalation as a matter of urgency.

Joanna Wronecka spoke from her office in Beirut about her worries and appealed for restraint from all those involved.

"I'm very concerned," she said. "Because we need just a small miscalculation and the situation can escalate even more."

She was referring to the spike in cross-border firing between the Israeli military and the Lebanese Hezbollah fighters who've been trading attacks with growing intensity since 7 October.

You can read Crawford's full piece here...

The campaigner who was called "openly Jewish" by a police officer last weekend, has been offered a meeting with a senior Metropolitan Police officer.

In a statement, the force said assistant commissioner Matt Twist had written to Gideon Falter, chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, to offer a private meeting.

The meeting is "to both apologise to him personally and discuss what more the Met can do to ensure Jewish Londoners feel safe", the police said.

We reported this morning the Board of Deputies of British Jews will meet Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley this week, along with the Jewish Leadership Council and antisemitism charity CST regarding the incident (see post at 2.05pm).

 A baby girl was delivered in an emergency caesarean section after her Palestinian mother was killed along with her husband and daughter by an Israeli attack in the Gaza city of Rafah, Palestinian health officials have said.

The baby is stable and improving gradually, Mohammed Salama, a doctor caring for her, said.

Her mother, Sabreen Al-Sakani, had been 30 weeks pregnant.

The baby will stay in hospital for three to four weeks, Dr Salama said.

"After that we will see about her leaving, and where this child will go, to the family, to the aunt or uncle or grandparents. Here is the biggest tragedy. Even if this child survives, she was born an orphan," he said.

Israel has carried out near-daily air raids on Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's population of 2.3 million have sought refuge from fighting elsewhere.

It has also vowed to expand its ground offensive to the city on the border with Egypt despite international calls for restraint.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had a telephone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today and discussed the state of the region, a spokesperson for the German government has said.

"The chancellor emphasised that it was essential to avoid a regional escalation," the spokesperson said.

It comes as Iran and Israel, who have been locked in a shadow war for years, try to dial back tensions following a series of escalatory attacks between them as the Israel-Hamas war inflames the wider region.

Israel war cabinet member Benny Gantz has spoken with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and asked him to reconsider the decision to sanction the IDF's Netzah Yehuda battalion, the American news website Axios reports, citing Mr Gantz's office.

For context : This weekend a report from Axios claimed the US was expected to announce sanctions within days on the IDF battalion for human rights violations in the occupied West Bank.  

Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu has already responded, warning it is "forbidden" to sanction the IDF.

The Axios report adds it would be the first time the US has imposed sanctions on an Israeli military unit.

Israel and Iran have been at war for decades but they have been fighting in the shadows.

Analysts believe both countries are now trying to ease tensions following a series of escalatory attacks between them.

Here, our international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn   explains how we got here and what could be next.

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House Republicans release aid bills for Israel and Ukraine, eyeing weekend House votes

WASHINGTON — Facing a divided party and pressure to act, House Speaker Mike Johnson rolled out three bills Wednesday to provide assistance to Israel , Ukraine and Taiwan , with the hope of holding final votes on Saturday.

The bills represent a major test of Johnson’s ability to navigate a thicket of political and global challenges with a wafer-thin majority. And it comes as Johnson, R-La., faces a serious threat to his gavel from Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene , R-Ga., and Thomas Massie , R-Ky.

Johnson's biggest challenge is Ukraine funding , an issue that has bitterly divided the GOP. He has been squeezed by conservative security hawks who want to help Ukraine fend off Russia’s aggression and by an empowered isolationist wing that is feeding off former President Donald Trump’s criticism of NATO and prior Ukraine aid measures.

Multiple Republicans say they oppose any funding for Ukraine, meaning that a significant share of Democrats will be required to carry that measure over the finish line. Many of the provisions in the bills resemble the package passed by the Senate in one bundle, which Johnson rejected and refused to put to a House vote.

In a message to members before releasing the legislation, Johnson said there would be "three bills that will fund America’s national security interests and allies in Israel, the Indo-Pacific, and Ukraine, including a loan structure for aid , and enhanced strategy and accountability."

He said Republican leadership will come forward with an amendment process "alongside a fourth bill that includes the REPO Act ," which is aimed at seizing Russian assets to benefit Ukraine; the House-passed bill to ban TikTok in the U.S. unless it divests from its China-based owner; as well as "sanctions and other measures to confront Russia, China, and Iran."

“We expect the vote on final passage on these bills to be on Saturday evening,” Johnson said in a text message obtained by NBC News.

He said there will also be a "border security bill that includes the core components of H.R.2" — a conservative, House-passed immigration bill — moving under a separate process. That measure serves as a sweetener for reticent conservatives who are unhappy that the aid bills don't include domestic immigration provisions.

Swift conservative pushback

Multiple House conservatives pushed back immediately on social media Wednesday after Johnson's message went out, complaining that the border measures weren't directly tied to Ukraine funding.

"The Republican Speaker of the House is seeking a rule to pass almost $100 billion in foreign aid — while unquestionably, dangerous criminals, terrorists, & fentanyl pour across our border. The border 'vote' in this package is a watered-down dangerous cover vote. I will oppose," Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, wrote on X .

Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., the most recent chair of the hard-right Freedom Caucus, said: "Anything less than tying Ukraine aid to real border security fails to live up to @SpeakerJohnson's own words just several weeks ago. Our constituents demand — and deserve — more from us."

Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, earlier called aid to Ukraine unnecessary, saying: “I’m not giving them a nickel today, tomorrow or next week."

“Putin is not going into Poland. I don’t care what you say. Besides, anyway, it doesn’t really matter because ... when Donald Trump wins, Putin’s leavin’. Putin’s leavin’ Ukraine,” Nehls said ahead of the bill’s release, without explaining his logic.

House Democrats have repeatedly called on Johnson to bring up a Senate-passed foreign aid package instead, calling it the best — if not only — path to getting a bill on Biden's desk. They have posted a "discharge petition" with 195 signatories to end-run Johnson and force a vote on that bill. It needs 218 votes to come up, meaning it will need the backing of some Republicans in addition to Democrats.

At a Wednesday meeting with Democrats, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., told members that they need to use their “personal relationships” with Republicans to garner support for the discharge petition, according to two people familiar with her comments.

Treasury Secretary Yellen dials up pressure

At a bilateral meeting later Wednesday with Ukraine Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen plans to dial up the pressure on House Republicans to act.

“The failure of House Republicans to act to support Ukraine in this pivotal moment of the war for so long has been inexcusable—and detrimental to our national security,” Yellen will say, according to a Treasury source. “Every moment of delay by House Republicans strengthens Putin and emboldens America’s adversaries around the world who are closely watching to see if we, the United States, maintains its resolve to support a democratic Ukraine as it fends off an autocratic Russia.”

Meanwhile, Greene has not said when she might force a vote on her "motion to vacate" the speaker's chair, which would take a simple majority to remove Johnson from his job. Her effort gained a cosponsor in Massie on Tuesday, who predicted Johnson would be voted out.

It's not clear the votes are there to oust Johnson. Many conservatives, including some who voted to remove former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, have not joined the effort to oust Johnson. Some Democrats have also said they'll vote to protect Johnson from a motion to depose him.

But Massie said that would only hurt his standing with the GOP in the long term.

“Then he goes further in the hole with Republicans. He becomes toxic to the conference. For every Democrat who comes to his aid he’ll lose 2 to 3 more Republicans,” Massie said. “He doesn’t have much shelf life after that.”

Johnson struck a defiant tone Tuesday when asked about the threat to his gavel, calling it “absurd” while saying he’s “not concerned” about the motion and will continue to do his job.

Sahil Kapur is a senior national political reporter for NBC News.

Rebecca is a producer and off-air reporter covering Congress for NBC News, managing coverage of the House.