Museum Passes

[bs1313]

Has anyone ever gotten the Paris museum pass or the Roma pass? Are they worthwhile? Everything that I have read has suggested them. Lemme know. Thanks.

[kristengingera]

well the way I looked into it was first made a rough list of the museums/sites I would want to see in Paris and the rough price of admissions (from my guidebook), then compared that to the price of the pass.

It all depends on how many days you will be in Paris also because the days of use are consecutive, I think.

For me it works out to be about 2eur cheaper with the pass but avoiding the hassle of having cash to pay for all the sites is worth more than that for me!

[bs1313]

Well I am going to be in Paris for 5 days and want to see many of the museums on the list. I think you can skip the lines with this pass so that would really work out well.

[Mikul]

Places like the Louvre have huge lines. Just buy your pass once and skip standing in line at the other museums. It might be worth it not having to waste your time in line. I plan on getting the 6 day pass when I am there in May.

[madamtrashheap]

bs1313, I can't recommend the Paris Monuments & Museums pass enough, espicially if you'll be in Paris for 5 days. There are 3 types to choose from - a 2 day pass is €30, 4 days is €45 and 6 days is €60. The pass gets you in to basically every musuem and monument in Paris (and Versailles) except the Eiffel Tower and the Catacombes. Here's a site with more information for you www.parismuseumpass.com/en/home.php You don't have to pre-purchase it before you arrive in Paris, just buy it from a museum, FNAC shops (department store, one on the Champs-Elysees) or Tourism Centres (also one at the Louvre, on the Rue du Rivoli/Carrousel side). Another benefit is that most museums have a seperate "VIP" entrance for pass holders, thus you can skip the queues in many cases, something I like about the pass as much as the money it can save.

As for the Rome pass, it's not as fabulous as the Paris one, but it's still worth considering depending on what your interests in Rome are (it costs Euro20) and how long you're staying (it's valid for 3 days). For example, it covers the first two sites free, then reduced entry to other sites, as well as public transport (busses and Metro, you won't really use the trams/street cars I don't think). It does include the Colosseum, Palantine Hill, Capitoline Museum and the museum in Villa Borghese but not the Vatican or Catacombes (the Roman Forum is free, as are most churches other than the Vatican Museums/Sistine Chapel). Here's their site for your info: www.romapass.it/english/index.html