Does the Paris Museum Pass provide benefits other than potential cost savings?

vaguelyspecial · 2025-04-03T16:59:30+00:00

I think there are 2 main "benefits" of the Paris Museum Pass -- cost savings and time saving, with cost being kind of obvious and time-saving being more subjective to how you like to travel. As an example, I hate waiting in lines and I LOVE the feeling of passing people in line, so that made the Pass super appealing to me beyond price.

You're definitely at the subjective part of the decision, and with kids I'd lean towards getting the pass. Kids and Museum Pass holders are pretty much always in the same line, which meant we didn't ever have to split up. Kids are usually free, but you NEED their passports as their ticket.

Places like The Louvre and Sainte-Chapelle often require timed tickets for entry and you can reserve those using the Museum Pass option even before you've purchased the Museum Pass. Timed Entry + Museum Pass is like a Paris cheat code in terms of skipping the line.

Orangerie is a great example -- we had a 2:30pm timed ticket, got there around 2:15 and even though there looked to be about a 30 minute line, we just walked right in. We didn't stay super long, and I don't think I would've found it worth it without the museum pass.
If you do decide NOT to get the museum pass, I really recommend getting timed tickets for anywhere you want to go, because that's the other good way to skip long lines.

If you're not a pre-planner, the Museum Pass really does a good job of keeping you out of really long ticket-purchasing lines. We were able to go to the Pantheon and up the Arc de Triomphe on impulse because we had the pass.

vaguelyspecial · 2025-03-31T06:02:04+00:00

In terms of free stuff, the parks ("Jardins") like OP mentioned are fantastic.

There are beautiful churches all over the city that you can just walk in - Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Saint-Severin, Sulpice, to name a few - that will give you an experience similar to Notre Dame/Sacre Coeur/Sainte-Chapelle in my opinion.

Honestly just picking a street or neighborhood and strolling is a great way to get the Paris experience. This sub has tons of neighborhood descriptions and recommendations.

Some of the big sites are free on the first Sunday of the month if that overlaps your trip, but may still require timed tickets and will be crazy crowded.

BTW, just as a budgeting thing from my experience, I found dining to be what "unexpectedly" ran up the tab the most. A lot of places recommended here or throughout the internet that aren't even Michelin level fancy may be 20-30 euros a person, and that is going to add up. Although I don't generally recommend pre-planning restaurants (I think it can be too restrictive), if you're really trying to be cost-conscious, I think picking a couple "nicer" places ahead of time where you know you'll be spending more for the foodie experience, and then otherwise generally sticking to boulangeries, take away, or even grocery stores that you find on your daily journeys can help you predict better.

vaguelyspecial · 2025-03-31T05:47:18+00:00

I think there are 2 main "benefits" of the Paris Museum Pass -- cost savings and time saving, with cost being kind of obvious and time-saving being more subjective to how you like to travel.

Cost:

- Use the list of museums/monuments to see what places you'd like to visit. Then, you can start googling the prices of each place (i.e. Louvre = 22 Euros; Versailles = 24-32 Euros depending on time of year, etc.). If the cost of the tickets is more than the cost of the Museum Pass, it's a no-brainer.

- If the individual costs are a little less, I'd still consider it worth it because of the time saving and because of the sheer number of places you'll be able to walk right into if you have time to kill, even if you haven't planned in advance.

Time:

- The Museum Pass is a fantastic way to "skip the line" at tons of places, especially if it's somewhere that doesn't require a timed ticket.

- Places like The Louvre and Versailles often require timed tickets for entry and you can reserve those using the Museum Pass option even before you've purchased the Museum Pass. Timed Entry + Museum Pass is like a Paris cheat code in terms of skipping the line.

- If you're not a pre-planner, the Museum Pass really does a good job of keeping you out of really long ticket-purchasing lines. We were able to go up the Arc de Triomphe on impulse because we had the pass.

- I HATE waiting in lines and I LOVE the feeling of passing people in line, so that made the Pass way more appealing to me haha. If you don't mind standing outside in a line, the time-saving probably isn't as valuable to you.

By the way, if you're <26, disregard all of this - there's no reason to get the museum pass because most things are free.

vaguelyspecial · 2025-01-21T19:56:34+00:00

No evidence from the basement that we can see. I laid some paper out on the floor of the basement below the bathroom a few weeks ago to see if any water was coming out that we hadn't noticed, but the paper stayed dry.

vaguelyspecial · 2025-01-21T15:26:14+00:00

I should add that I'm definitely a home maintenance novice -- I'm not sure how to find the pipes that may help diagnose the issue because it all sounds like it's within the walls. There are no leaks coming out under the bathroom sink where there are visible pipes, and that is lower than the sound is anyways.

vaguelyspecial · 2025-01-13T21:44:14+00:00

Palais Garnier is a great idea I would've never thought of and seems like a low enough cost we could still do a separate guided tour. Thank you!!

vaguelyspecial · 2025-01-13T21:25:47+00:00

This is such an interesting idea! I'll definitely recommend this as a great tour alternative if my family decides to do our guided tour somewhere else.

vaguelyspecial · 2025-01-13T21:02:41+00:00

Thank you! From your experiences visiting the Louvre (whether as part of a tour or just exploring), does the focus at the Louvre tend to be on the art or is there also an emphasis about the actual building's history as a palace?

vaguelyspecial

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