Is Paris Pass Worth It?

The Paris Tourist Card is a great option if you are on vacation in the city of light, with more than 80 attractions included and excellent discounts, the Paris Pass will be your main ally.

Nicolas Reffray

Nicolas Reffray

9 min read

Is Paris Pass Worth It?

Paris, France | ©Chris Karidis

Tourist cards can be very useful when visiting a city, especially in the case of Paris, which has a lot of attractions and places to visit. The main purpose of this type of passes or tourist cards is to save you a few euros and in some cases skip the annoying queues at the most popular attractions.

If you are looking for what to see and do in Paris I can assure you that there are plenty of options. It is a huge city, full of incredible activities to do. So, whether you have several days or just a few, the Paris Pass card can be a good way to enjoy the French capital without overspending. In this article I will tell you why it is worth it and how to get the most out of it.

When is it worth buying the Paris Pass?

Photo of the Eiffel Tower| ©Valentin Antonucci
Photo of the Eiffel Tower| ©Valentin Antonucci

If you are thinking of traveling to Paris, I recommend you to buy the Paris Pass tourist card a few days before arriving in the city, so you can take your time to see which of all the available attractions you want to visit. This type of card is ideal if you plan to tour the city of light and visit museums, climb the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe, stroll along the Seine River or visit the Palace of Versailles.

The Paris Pass includes no less than 80 of the main attractions in and around the city. You can choose between museums, exhibitions, gastronomic tours, entrance to monuments, viewpoints, and much more. You have options of 2, 3, 4, 4, 5 and 6 days to choose from, in which to group the sites you want.

If, however, you plan a more relaxed trip and just want to walk around at your leisure, or you plan to stay longer and have no urgency to visit everything in a short time, then the Paris Pass is not the best option for you. You should keep this in mind when thinking about buying it.

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Is it worth buying the Paris Pass for a long trip?

Amazing Eiffel Tower| ©Pedro Szekely
Amazing Eiffel Tower| ©Pedro Szekely

The reality is that this type of tourist cards are designed to group as many attractions in as few days as possible, so if you do not have this rush and you have more time to walk around at your leisure, it may not be worth it for you. Although you can hire it for specific things, in case you know you want to visit certain museums, such as the Louvre and Orsay, or dedicate some days of your trip to visit and visit, and the rest to rest and enjoy like a flâneur.

If you have several days ahead in Paris, you may prefer to take one of the best guided tours of the Louvre Museum, where, in addition to the entrance you will have an expert local guide, to better understand the unfathomable beauty of one of the most important museums in the world.

Buy your Paris Pass Tourist Card now

Is it worth buying the tourist card for a short trip?

Packing your luggage| ©Vlada Karpovich
Packing your luggage| ©Vlada Karpovich

Absolutely. The Paris Pass was designed precisely for trips of just a few days. With options ranging from 2 to 6 days, you can enjoy unmissable attractions such as a guided walking tour of the Montmartre district with entrance to the Sacre Coeur basilica, wine and gourmet food tastings, queue-free climb to the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe, entrance to the most important museums of the French capital, and much more.

If you are traveling for only a few days, the Paris Pass will become your best ally when it comes to visiting and saving. It is ideal if you want to see the main sights of Paris in 3 days, for example. It will also help you to organize your time, as you can synchronize the Paris Pass with the Go City app, so you can see which of the attractions are closer. On the other hand, you will avoid endless queues at each place and you will be able to enter directly.

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Is it worth it if I only want to see the main attractions?

Loire Valley| ©Pedro Szekely
Loire Valley| ©Pedro Szekely

Yes, it is worth it. If what you want is to see the main attractions of the city of Paris you can also get this tourist pass, as it includes all the must-see places to visit in Paris. Here are some of the monuments or museums that are included in the catalog of this card:

Of course, keep in mind that for some of these sites you still have to book the visit in advance even if you have the pass. And do not forget that you can also access with this card to the tourist buses of the Big Bus company, as well as the cruises of the company Bateaux Parisiens.

Buy your Paris Pass tourist card now

Is it worth it if I travel with children?

Guided Tour with Children| ©MTSOfan
Guided Tour with Children| ©MTSOfan

The answer is a resounding yes! When traveling with children you should be able to make the most of your time. With children you can't stand in long lines or take forever, because what used to be a pleasure trip can turn into a nightmare. So, if you are thinking of visiting the Palace of Versailles with kids or maybe the Louvre Museum with kids, the Paris Pass will save you from waiting and queues, so you can start enjoying from the moment you enter.

Traveling with kids can be a very enriching experience, both for them and for you, but it is very important to be prepared and know that it is not the same trip you could do with your partner or with friends. Traveling with children requires your full attention and dedication so that the little ones have an unforgettable time.

Is it worth it if I go to Paris in summer?

Paris Plages, summer| ©ParisInfo
Paris Plages, summer| ©ParisInfo

Of course it is! Paris is a city with so much to do, both indoors and outdoors, and having the Paris Pass will help you make the most of it all. The city of Paris in summer is ideal for enjoying a boat trip on the beautiful Seine River, the gardens of Versailles, a guided walk through the Latin Quarter or the Rodin Museum.

There are truly so many options for Paris to enjoy in the warmer months of the year. With the Paris Pass tourist card you can organize your tour as you like the city of love is a unique experience not to be missed. Let the pleasant temperatures guide you through the best of Paris. A tip: don't forget to have a picnic on the banks of the Seine.

Is it worth it if I go to Paris in winter?

Snow in Paris| ©Yann Caradec
Snow in Paris| ©Yann Caradec

With its leaden skies, Paris in winter is an excellent idea for a vacation, and thanks to the Paris Pass tourist card you can sign up for the best indoor attractions for a much lower price. You can visit the Orsay Museum, La Orangerie, the Louvre, the famous indoor galleries, the Lafayette galleries and countless guided tours of the best of French gastronomy, one of the most recognized around the world.

The Parisian winter, although a little cold, is ideal for visiting the city, and Paris is so vast that you can find activities for all tastes. That's why the Paris Pass is absolutely worth it if you visit the city in winter. If you are lucky enough to have snow during your stay, I recommend you to wrap up warm and cross the bridges over the Seine, or have a mulled wine to warm up.

Is it worth it if I am going to visit the city of Paris in a weekend?

Outside view of Notre Dame| ©Fred PO
Outside view of Notre Dame| ©Fred PO

Getting to know Paris will take you a long time, as it is a really huge city. If you only have a weekend and want to visit the main attractions of the French capital, then the Paris Pass is perfect for you.

Touring Paris in 2 days may seem like an impossible task, but with the help of this tourist card you can climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower, take a boat ride on the Seine River, visit Montmartre, the incredible architecture of the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Sainte Chapelle or much more, skipping the queues and making the most of your time. If you are only in Paris for a weekend, don't hesitate, the Paris Pass is absolutely worth it.

Is it worth buying the tourist card if I want to see museums?

Museum corridors| ©Tom Yoemans
Museum corridors| ©Tom Yoemans

Of all the things this tourist card has to offer, visiting museums is one of the activities with the most options on the Paris Pass. Among its 80 attractions include the Louvre Museum, the Orsay Museum, the Musée de l'Orangerie, the Musée de l'Armée, the Dali exhibition in Montmartre, the Picasso Museum, the Pompidou Center for modern art, the Rodin Museum, the Musée du Quai Branly, and many more.

You can enjoy the best art spaces in the French capital, skipping the annoying queues and making the most of your time. It is a fact that there is no place like Paris to visit museums and art exhibitions. Find out what are the 17 best museums in Paris and get the most out of your Paris Pass.

Is it worth buying the tourist card if I want to see monuments?

View of the Eiifel Tower| ©Jean-Pierre Dalbéra
View of the Eiifel Tower| ©Jean-Pierre Dalbéra

Of course it's worth it. The Paris Pass offers entry to the main and most popular monuments of the city of light. You can climb to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, the Sainte Chapelle, the Panthéon, Notre Dame Cathedral and much more, without having to wait and spending a few euros less than if you were to visit them without your pass.

The monuments of Paris are absolutely incredible, so your trip can't do without a visit to some of these important French icons. Can you imagine watching the lights come and go from the top of the Eiffel Tower or visiting the Panthéon, where the remains of personalities such as Voltaire, Rousseau, Emile Zola or Victor Hugo are located? With the Paris Pass you can do it in the most practical way.

Is it worth buying the tourist card if I want to ride the tourist bus?

Tourist bus passing through the Opera Garnier| ©veroyama
Tourist bus passing through the Opera Garnier| ©veroyama

Definitely! The Paris Pass includes a 1-day tour on the famous Big Bus, hop on-hop off mode, meaning that for a whole day you can get on one of the best tourist buses in Paris and the world, and tour the city, getting off at the points or attractions of your choice, and get back on as many times as you want to continue your tour.

This is one of the best ways to get to know a city, since you can do it at your own time, with the peace of mind that, at the end of the tour, you return to the starting point, so it is impossible to get lost. Also included is an expert guide who will tell you in detail everything about the places where you stop. You will learn about history, art and much more.

Is it worth buying the tourist card if I want to take a trip to Versailles or the outskirts of the city?

Hall of the Palace of Versailles| ©Jean-Philippe Delberghe
Hall of the Palace of Versailles| ©Jean-Philippe Delberghe

The Paris Pass has a wealth of attractions in the regions around the French capital. Without a doubt, one of the best excursions to do from Paris is to visit the imposing Palace of Versailles. Located just 40 minutes from the center of Paris, Versailles is a place you can not miss, with its halls and especially its beautiful gardens, will allow you to know how figures such as King Louis XIV or his son the Dauphin lived.

Note that tickets to the Palace of Versailles are usually in high demand, so if you do not hire the Paris Pass you may have to buy them well in advance.

But in addition to Versailles, the Paris Pass tourist card offers visits to a number of palaces, castles and regions that are close to the city of light. Some of them are: the Château de Pierrefonds, the Château de Maisons-Laffitte, the Château de Malmaison, the Château de Vincennes, the Château de Fontainebleau, or the house of Auguste Rodin in Meudon, among many others.