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

The official tourist card of the French capital is perfect for your vacation. Sign up for it and start planning your trip.

Matteo Gramegna

Matteo Gramegna

6 min read

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

©J Shim

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.

How much does the Paris Passlib tourist pass cost?

Tourists on transport| ©PatriciaenSaturno
Tourists on transport| ©PatriciaenSaturno

The cost of this card starts at around 45 ¤ and goes up to the most complete option which is around 249 ¤. There are four versions available, I explain below, and although it may seem a high amount at first glance, in all cases, the activities included are many and if you pay separately you end up spending more money. It is a very interesting savings formula.

How does the Paris Passlib tourist card work?

Paris eiffel tour|©julia larrigue
Paris eiffel tour|©julia larrigue

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 and activities in the city. Before moving on to the purchase and more details, you should know that there are four versions of it. The Paris Passlib' gives you free access to all the sites included in its lists and the experiences are divided into price categories: from the lowest (A), to the highest (C).below I explain briefly the main features and what activities are included in each one.

Mini

The cheapest option: It starts at 45€ approximately and includes a list of 33 activities and a half-day urban bike rental. You can't do them all, you have to choose 3 from all the options. This is an ideal option for short stays in the city and for a first look at some of the main monuments. The list is quite complete and includes, among other things, popular activities such as the best cruises on the Seine and tickets for some of the main monuments of Paris.

You can check the full list of activities offered by the Paris Passlib' Mini at this link

City

In this option the list of activities is extended to 53 and the number of activities you can choose from the catalog is increased to 5. It also increases its price, from about 99 €, but with this pass you already have an almost complete list of all the main monuments of Paris and a number of very interesting extra activities. You can choose 3 category A and 2 category B activities. It is the most balanced option to get to know the city in a normal stay of a few days.

You can check the complete list of activities offered by the Paris Passlib' City at this link

Explore

This pass gives you access to all the activities and experiences of the two previous passes, but expands the list with category C activities. In this case, you have to select the 6 experiences you like the most among the 73 proposed activities. The Explore pass already includes activities such as passes to shows or even culinary tastings, so it is perfect for those who want to know Paris beyond just its monuments. The price of this option is around 169 €.

You can check the full list of activities offered by the Paris Passlib' Explore at this link

Explore

+The most complete option of all includes in its catalog all the activities and experiences of the previous passes mentioned above, but you have the possibility to choose an extra activity of category c, ie higher price. In total there are 7 activities to choose from among the 72 in total, 3 category A, 2 category B, and 2 category C activities. The Explore + is therefore aimed at those who do not want to deprive themselves of anything when getting to know Paris. The price already reaches 249 € approx.

You can check the full list of activities offered by the Paris Passlib' Explore + at this link

How to activate and how to book the activities

man and woman sitting in front of a laptop| © Brooke Cagle
man and woman sitting in front of a laptop| © Brooke Cagle

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 as many of these activities have a time slot. The card is valid for one year calculated from the first activity booked.

Book your ticket to the Eiffel Tower

When to buy the Paris Passlib card

view of the streets of paris and the eiffel tower| © Andrea Maschio
view of the streets of paris and the eiffel tower| © Andrea Maschio

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.

Book a dinner cruise on the Se ine

When not to buy it

error sign| © Daniela Holzer
error sign| © Daniela Holzer

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 well 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.

Book your excursion to Versailles from Paris

Is it possible to buy the Paris Passlib card in the city?

view of the brown building| ©dominique Bernardini
view of the brown building| ©dominique Bernardini

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 (Gare du Nord metro station, lines 4 and 5).

Can I cancel an activity with Paris Passlib?

Preparing your luggage| ©Vlada Karpovich
Preparing your luggage| ©Vlada Karpovich

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.