Paris Passlib: how to use it, attractions, etc.

Paris is one of the most visited cities in the world. It was the epicenter of art, has been the backdrop for thousands of stories and captivates thousands of travelers every year. If you have been here, you will hardly have forgotten a tramonto on the Seine River or the cafes of Montmartre.

A good way to save on your trip is to sign up for a tourist card. Paris Passlib allows you to save on your vacation by giving you the opportunity to visit most of the things to see in Paris.

The cost of this card ranges from 35 € to 190 €. There are four versions available, I explain them below, and the most complete has an amount that at first glance may seem high. However, and in all cases, the activities included are many and if you pay separately you end up spending more money.

Paris Passlib is the official tourist card of the French capital. It allows you to save money by being able to choose from many attractions in the city. Before going to the purchase, you should know that there are four versions of it. Below I briefly explain the main features and some tables that summarize what is included.

Important: the first tourist card contains the basic attractions. The second one includes them and adds other activities (which you will see in the dedicated table) and so on. Thus, the tables of the "City", "Explore" and "Prestige" cards detail only the extra activities (those not included in the previous ones).

Mini

The cheapest option. This card includes 23 activities and a half-day city bike rental. You can't do them all, you have to choose three. The list is quite complete and includes popular activities such as the best cruises on the Seine and lesser known destinations such as, for example, the permanent exhibition Dalí Paris.

Monuments and attractions:

• Arc de Triomphe
• Saint-Denis Basilica
• Château de Rambouillet
• Château de Vincennes
• Conciergerie
• Hôtel de la Marine
• Panthéon

Seine cruises:

• Boat trip with Bateaux Parisiens
• Boat trip with Bateaux-Mouches
• Boat trip with Vedettes de Paris

Museums:

• Pompidou Center
• Choco-Story Paris
• Dali Paris
• Monnaie de Paris
• Army Museum
• Musée de l'Homme
• Musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac
• Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle
• Musée Rodin

Guided tours:

• 1 guided tour (choose from 9)
• 1 ticket to Rex Studios

Leisure:

• Jardin des Plantes

Transportation:

• Bicycle rental (half day)

City

If you are passionate about unique experiences, this could be the one for you. Unlike the "Mini" card, the "City" version includes FlyView, a virtual reality that will make you fly over the French capital. Another noteworthy alternative is the rooftop of the Grand Arche, the panoramic viewpoint of La Défense.

Monuments and attractions:

• Ascent of the Eiffel Tower
• Viewpoint Paris Montparnasse - Top of the City
• Rooftop of the Grande Arche (La Défense)

Seine cruises:

• Gourmet boat trip with Vedettes de Paris (with stop at Le Café des Vedettes or on-board catering)
• Boat trip with a flûte de Champagne with Vedettes de Paris

Museums:

• Musée d'Orsay
• Musée de la Magie
• Louvre Museum
• Musée Grévin
• Musée Orangerie

Guided tours:

• 1 guided tour of the most famous neighborhoods (Les Marais, Montmartre, Latin Quarter, etc.)
• 3 audio-guided tours (choose from 9)
• 1 original guided tour (choose from 4)

Leisure:

• 1 FlyView virtual reality experience
• 1 play activity or virtual reality tour (choose from 40)
• Walk in the Jardin des Tuileries
• 1 show (musical or theater)
• Tour of the Reine de cœur fashion boutique
• 1 fashion show at the Galeries Lafayette

Transportation:

• 1 night tour with the Tootbus Paris bus
• 1 bike rental (1 day)
• 1 e-bike rental (1 day)

Explore

Along with the "Prestige" card, the "Explore" version is the only one that includes a ticket to a live show. It could be "Oh my god she's Parisian", a stand-up comedy show in English, or another similar title.

Seine cruises:

• Boat trip with "Box Gourmet" option (Vedettes de Paris)
• Boat trip with a flûte de Champagne (Bateaux-Mouches)

Guided tours:

• 1 guided bike tour (choice of 2)

Transportation:

• 1 day with Tootbus Paris hop-on/hop-off bus
• 1 day with Big Bus hop-on/hop-off bus
• 1 night tour with Big Bus bus

Leisure:

• Paris Zoo
• 1 show (musical or theater)

Prestige

This is the only card that includes an entrance to Disneyland. If you are traveling to Paris with children (or are passionate about the world of Disney), you should opt for this card.

Seine cruises:

• Boat trip with lunch (Bateaux Parisiens)
• Boat trip with lunch or dinner (Bistro Parisien)

Guided tours:

• 1 guided e-bike tour (half day)
• 1 gastronomic tour (choose from 2)
• 1 running tour (choose from 4)

Transportation:

• 2 days with Tootbus Paris hop-on/hop-off bus
• 1 day with Big Bus hop-on/hop-off bus
• 1 ride in a Citroën 2 CV (choice of 5)
• 1 chauffeured tour of Paris

Leisure:

• 1 ticket to Disneyland Paris
• 1 gastronomic lunch (Bustronome)
• 1 gastronomic workshop (choice of 2)
• 1 macaron-making workshop
• 1 chocolate-making workshop
• 1 show (theater or musical)
• Shopping at Galeries Lafayette
• 1 escape room (choice of 2)

First of all you should know that the Paris Passlib is not a physical card, all operations are done through an app.

Once purchased, you will receive an email with instructions on how to download it. Once inside it will be easy to see the activity you like and book it following the instructions on the page.

In the case of busy monuments or activities - such as, for example, visits to the Eiffel Tower or the Pompidou Museum - I recommend booking well in advance. The card is valid for one year (calculated from the first activity booked).

If you are traveling to the French capital, a tourist card is surely a good idea. Not only will you save money, but it will also make it easier to visit the monuments. Especially if it is your first time in the City of Light.

Let's say you are passionate about art and you are staying two days in Paris, it will be enough to buy the Paris Passlib City card to enter the three major museums of the city: Louvre, Orsay and Pompidou Center.

And if you do not feel like locking yourself in a museum, you always have the option of taking a dinner cruise on the Seine River or renting a bike for a day and explore the best neighborhoods of Paris at your leisure. The possibility to choose and combine activities is undoubtedly a strong point of the Paris Passlib card.

In case you have visited the city before and want to take advantage of your second trip to make a tour or excursion from Paris, Paris Passlib is not worth it. The card does not include any day trips (or more).

Thanks to its location, the French capital is the ideal starting point for many excursions.

The most famous is to the Palace of Versailles, the majestic residence built by the "Sun King" but it is not the only one worth mentioning. A few hours are enough to reach the Champagne region, Giverny (where Monet's house is located) or the medieval city of Rouen.

And if you feel like visiting another country, there are also excursions to Bruges from Paris. The Flanders city is about 300 km away and yet it is worth a visit. It looks like something out of a fairy tale and some tours combine a bus ride with a boat trip along its romantic canals.

Yes, but I don't recommend it. The metropolis is visited by more than 70 million people every year and it is preferable to have everything organized before leaving. Otherwise, you will have to wait in queues. In any case, the card can be purchased at two tourist information points:

• Hôtel de Ville (Rue de Rivoli 29). You can easily get there by metro (Hôtel de Ville stop, lines 1 and 11 or Châtelet, lines 1, 4, 7, 11 and 14)
• Gare du Nord train station, near the international arrivals (metro Gare du Nord, lines 4 and 5).

Yes, as long as you do it up to 48 hours before the requested date. You have two options: write to the contact person (you can find it in the app) or to the customer service. You will need to do this if you have booked an activity at the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre Museum.