Is the Paris Pass 2024 worth it? We review prices and value here
After a couple of slow years like every other city, Paris is booming again and 2024 looks like another busy year for the city and its major attractions. The Paris Pass made some changes and then changed back last year and now in 2024 it’s easier and more straightforward than it’s been in a while. And unlike many other major tourist cities, most attractions in Paris didn’t increase prices in 2023 so the Paris Pass is about the same price as last year as well.
The Paris Pass can be a great tool for many visitors. Not only does it allow free entry into most of the top tours and attractions that are most popular with first-time visitors, but it also helps you plan an efficient itinerary that will save you a lot since so many of the best attractions are close together. As we will discuss below, I highly recommend both the hop-on, hop-off bus tour (in the morning) and the 1-hour Seine cruise (around sunset) whether you buy a Paris Pass or not. Fortunately, they are both included.
Note: This article was last updated in March, 2024. This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated (at no extra cost to you) if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. This helps to keep this site going.
The main Paris attraction passes
- Paris Pass – This includes a Paris Museum Pass (see below) and an All-Inclusive attraction pass, which includes entry to most of the famous attractions and tours that are not specifically museums.
- Paris Museum Pass – This includes only admission to nearly every major museum in Paris.
If you are NOT interested in things like the Hop-on, Hop-off bus tour, the Eiffel Tower guided climb, the (highly recommended 1-hour Seine Cruise or the wine tasting experience, then the Paris Museum Pass alone will save you money.
Prices for the Paris attraction and transportation passes
Paris Pass 2024 prices
2-day passes
- 2-day Adult Paris Pass: (including a 2-day Museum Pass) €179
- 2-day Child Paris Pass (ages 4 to 11): €94
3-day passes
- 3-day Adult Paris Pass: (including a 2-day Museum Pass) €214
- 3-day Child Paris Pass: €109
4-day passes
- 4-day Adult Paris Pass (including a 4-day Museum Pass): €275
- 4-day Child Paris Pass: €130
6-day passes
- 6-day Adult Paris Pass: (including a 6-day Museum Pass) €300
- 6-day Child Paris Pass: €140
Exclusive discount for Price of Travel readers
- Get 5% off all Paris Passes
Use coupon code: GO5POT – Look for “promo code?” in Step 4 of checkout)
Prices of the most popular museums covered by the Paris Museum Pass, which is included with the Paris Pass
Palace of Versailles: €18
Built during the 1600s and 1700s, the Palace of Versailles is one of the largest and most famous palaces in the world. Always one of the most popular attractions in the Paris area, it’s outside of town and it takes 60 to 90 minutes to reach, depending on your starting point. Admission is included with a Paris Museum Pass and you’ll have to make a reservation as well.
Louvre Museum: €17
Obviously you can visit Paris and not visit the Louvre, so it’s good that it’s included in the Paris Pass. You now have to make reservations for your visit, but it’s an enormous place so that is usually simple. The building itself is a historic palace that would be worth a tour even if it didn’t contain the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo, among thousands of other important pieces.
If you are an art fanatic, feel free to spend 4 or 6 hours in the Louvre or even visit twice. But honestly for most people, it gets overwhelming after an hour or maybe two. When I bring new people to Paris I walk them to the Mona Lisa and then to the Venus de Milo. By that time we’ve passed by thousands of paintings and sculptures and been there 45 minutes. After that we look around at anything else that has caught our eye, and then exit through the gift shop. A focused hour is more enjoyable for most people than wandering around for four hours unsure of what you are looking at. It’s also always pretty crowded.
Musée d’Orsay: €16
Located across the Seine from the Louvre in a gorgeous former train station, the Orsay Museum is actually more enjoyable for most people because it’s far more compact and yet also filled with super famous pieces. Here, along with smaller crowds, you’ll see one of Van Gogh’s Starry Nights, Whistler’s Mother by Whistler, and Bal du moulin de la Galette by Renoir. Honestly, you’ll probably recognize at least 10 or 12 famous paintings and you won’t wear out a pair of shoes in doing so.
Arc de Triomphe: €13
You already know what the Arc de Triomphe looks like, and it’s definitely worth going up to the observation deck on top because you’ll get many of your best Paris photos from there. Most people will climb the 234 stairs, but they also have an elevator for anyone who doesn’t look like climbing 234 stairs is possible (or a wise move). The HOHO buses stop here and it’s a good place to get off for a visit because many other people also get off so there will be empty seats on top when you want to get back on. That isn’t true of several other stops.
Sainte-Chapelle: €11.50
Conveniently located just a short walk from Notre Dame cathedral, the Sainte-Chapelle church will be another unexpected highlight of your Paris visit. This 800-year-old church has easily the world’s most impressive and beautiful stained glass windows in several different rooms. It’s breathtaking when you first see it, and one other great feature is that it’s small enough that you can easily enjoy it in less than an hour. The Paris Pass allows you to pack in many smaller and quicker attractions like this without worrying about going broke in the process.
What ISN'T included in the Paris passes
- Eiffel Tower Elevators – 2nd floor elevator: €18.10, 3rd floor elevator: €28.30
- Catacombs of Paris: €18.00
The Paris Pass DOES now include a guided walk up the 700 steps to the 2nd Floor including expert commentary, but obviously the climb isn’t ideal for everyone.
Extras included in ONLY the Paris Attractions Pass
Eiffel Tower guided climb to 2nd floor: €38
This is an exclusive deal for Paris Pass holders and it’s not for everybody, but it will be the highlight of your Paris trip for many. This is a climb of the 674 stairs up to the 2nd Floor (out of 3) with interesting live commentary and explanations in English. It takes 3 to 4 hours in total, so you won’t be racing up. If you are fit enough this will be amazing. And honestly, the 3rd floor isn’t much higher and it’s so high that all of your best photos will be from the 2nd Floor anyway.
Wine Tasting: €36.00 (includes free full-size bottle of wine for each person)
If you want to learn more about wine and try a few interesting French bottles then this is perfect. It’s a long block from the Louvre but an easy walk along the Seine, so it’s an ideal activity to schedule for after your Louvre visit. You get an English-language mini tour in a historic cellar explaining the key aspects of wine making, and then samples of three different wines near the end. They even send each visitor away with a full bottle of French wine to take with you, so it’s a hard one to pass up.
1-day Big Bus Paris hop-on, hop-off tour: €45.00
This is a full-day hop-on, hop-off pass on the double-decker bus that goes by and stops at almost every major tourist attraction in Paris in about a 3-hour loop. You can use it as transportation to get from one attraction to another, but I highly recommend starting early and doing the full loop once before hopping off. I’ve done at least 25 similar HOHO bus tours in major cities and the Paris one is easily my favorite. Paris is compact enough that the loop isn’t too long, and all of the main sights are clustered on either side of the Seine, so you don’t waste much time driving through random areas.
Whether you buy a Paris Pass or not, I highly recommend you take the HOHO bus tour on your first full morning in the city, and you will have seen all of the main sights and know how to get back to them later before noon.
Bateaux Parisiens River Cruise: €18.00
In my opinion, this is the other must-do tour in Paris, whether you buy a Paris Pass or not. These large boats with plenty of top-deck outdoor seating leave from near the Eiffel Tower on a frequent basis, but they are popular so it’s wise to get there a bit earlier than you want to depart. The trick is to select a departure right around sunset. Paris is stunning as it is lighting up for the evening, and you pass under 18 bridges that are each lit up in a unique way. By the time you get back to the Eiffel Tower an hour later, it will also be gorgeously lit up for amazing photos.
Parc Astérix: €59
This large theme park in the northeast suburbs of Paris is based on the Astérix comic book and characters, so it’s a great option and compromise if you are traveling with young ones. The place has many roller coasters and other thrill rides to go along with the character-themed attractions. There are buses that leave from central Paris that take you to the park for a fee. You can also take the RER train to Charles de Gaulle Airport and then a special shuttle from that train station to the park.
Montmartre & Sacré Coeur walking tour: €36
Leaving three times per day (10AM, 2PM, 5PM), this 90-minute walking tour is a highly recommended way to get to know perhaps Paris’ most interesting neighborhood. Especially gorgeous at night (so the 5PM tour could be perfect), Montmarte is the city’s most famous art district and community. At its center is the namesake hill with the stunning Sacré Coeur cathedral perched on top. This will be one of your favorite stops in Paris and some of your favorite photos as well.
Emily in Paris: The Unofficial Tour
Fans of the hit Netflix show will definitely be interested in this 2-mile guided walking tour of some of Paris’s loveliest neighborhoods. It only goes on Tuesdays and Fridays as of now at 1:30 PM so you’ll want to plan well in advance and make reservations. You’ll see the character’s apartment and other famous exteriors including Gabriel’s restaurant along with the bakery where she has her first pain au chocolat. If you don’t watch the show it’s definitely not worth it, but if you do this will be a major highlight.
Grevin Wax Museum: €26.50
This is the French equivalent of Madame Tussauds and it’s far more enjoyable than most people expect. With a central location close to several other included attractions, the Grevin Wax Museum is in a gorgeous building filled with over 450 characters that look so lifelike that you keep expecting them to move. There are obviously many French historical figures, but also international historical figures and athletes and actors and pop stars. You’ll know scores of them. While it’s true that you might not normally pay €26.50 to visit a wax museum, it’s great with the Paris Pass because you can just pop in for an hour or so in between other places. Most people are very impressed.
The Paris Big Bus Tour and Seine River Cruise are great ways to get oriented for first-time visitors
On your first visit to Paris you definitely want to visit the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, and hopefully the Palace of Versailles (a bit outside the city center), but you also want to have a good look at the city of Paris itself.
Whether you buy the Paris Pass or not, you’ll want to strongly consider taking the Paris Big Bus Tour (included in the Paris Pass) as well as the Seine River Cruise. Both of these offer an excellent and efficient look at all of the famous places you might want to visit later, and you can do both of them in half a day. Take the hop-on, hop-off bus tour as early in the day as you can, and plan on doing the Seine river cruise just after sunset in order to see how beautifully lit the bridges and famous buildings are at night.
Is the Paris Pass good value?
If all of the above seems confusing, you are in good company. These ‘city cards’ can be a great tool for many first-time visitors to destinations, but in some cases they cost too much or disrupt your trip in other ways. Before a trip it’s easy to plan 4 or 5 museums and attractions for each day, but once you arrive that always feels too ambitious. A big part of what makes Paris so incredible is the gorgeous city itself, not just the museums and main sights.
Another thing to consider is that if you lock in your sightseeing expenses before you arrive there will be the temptation to just rush from one thing to the next to get the most from your money. If you happen to have a day when you only get to one or two attractions, you might have a sense of guilt over missing your pre-trip goals.
On the other hand, if you prefer to pay in advance and then challenge yourself to make sure you see all the amazing sights that Paris has to offer, then the Paris Pass can be a great deal. If you are mostly interested in the museums then the Paris Museum Pass is probably the better deal, but if you also want to take a bus tour or a river cruise or do the wine tasting then the Paris Pass is the way to go.
For great value hotels check out our recommended Paris hotels section, which gives you 5 excellent choices without the hassle of going through nearly two thousand hotels in the area.
New: How to get the most out of a 2-Day or 3-Day Paris Pass
Important advice for getting good value out of a Paris Pass
After using so many of these city passes through the years, and also getting some comments from customers who don’t feel like they got good value out of the Paris Pass, I can reveal two important bits of advice for Paris Pass holders.
1. Start early in the day, at least on your first couple days using the pass
The number one struggle for those who regretted buying a Paris Pass is starting early enough. Especially on your first couple of days using the Paris Pass you are strongly encouraged to leave your hotel by 09:00 or so, and go to the most popular attractions first. Places like the Louvre or the bus tour tend to not get too busy until 11:00 or so, which means that if you start on those things right after breakfast you will have time to do TWO top attractions before lunch. After that you’ll have the rest of the day to do one, two, or three more activities, and you’ll still have the whole evening free to have a long dinner and wander the beautiful neighborhoods.
Some people complain that by the time they got to their first attraction of the day, the place was packed, so they started on a bad note and then felt rushed the rest of the day trying to catch up.
2. Plan your day and route before you leave your hotel
The Paris Pass comes with a very helpful booklet that shows all of the attractions on a map, with hours of operation. If you spend some time before you leave your hotel for the day, planning an efficient route that connects the attractions you want to see that day, it will all seem easy and you’ll get the most out of your Paris Pass.
If you aren’t able to plan ahead like this then maybe the Paris Pass isn’t ideal for you. If you aren’t able to spend a bit of time planning ahead, chances are you’ll be racing around and wasting a lot of time, and you’ll be unhappy with the Paris Pass.
The Paris Pass is ideal for:
- First-time visitors to Paris who want to cover most of the main sights in a few days
- Travelers who want to see and do as much as possible on a short trip
- Visitors who want to orient themselves with the bus tour and Seine river cruise
The Paris Museum Pass by itself is ideal for:
- Culture vultures who plan on visiting at least 2 museums each day but don’t care about tours or anything else
- Budget travelers coming during busy season who want to skip the ticket queues
Visiting with no pass is ideal for:
- Visitors spending more than 7 days in the city who might prefer to see only one sight per day
- Backpackers and other extreme-budget travelers
Exclusive discount for Price of Travel readers
- Get 5% off all Paris Passes
Use coupon code: GO5POT ( – Look for “promo code?” in Step 4 of checkout)
One last thing to consider about budgeting your time in Paris
There are plenty of free things to do in Paris, many of which should be high priorities for first-time visitors, including strolling the Champs-Élysées, exploring the Montmartre neighborhood, and admiring the Eiffel Tower and the Arch de Triumphe from the street, so spending a lot of money on museums and attractions isn’t necessarily the key to enjoying the city.
Also, remember that there are only so many hours in the day, and you can only do one thing at a time. The Louvre itself takes at least 3 hours even for a “quick” visit, and while you are inside it doesn’t matter if you get 50 or 100 other “free” things included, you’ll only have time to do a few per day at the most.
However…
The Paris Pass is a popular and efficient way for first-time visitors to see all the best sights in a short time, with little stress and almost no time wasted in ticket queues. Whichever way you decide to visit Paris, you will have a good time. If you can get a discount on the Paris Pass, it’s obviously a better deal and worth considering.
Hi
My husband & I are planning a visit to Paris in 2 weeks time for 5 days. I want to visit all the below however Paris pass doesnt comprise of some of these.
What do you recommend. Could we take separate entry fee to each location or is there any better way of doing it.
Champs Elysees Street
Moulin Rouge
Arc De Triomphe
Louvre Museum
Hop On Hop off
Palace Versailles
Orsay Museum
Paris Opera House
Notre Dame Cathedral
Siene River Cruise
Monteparnesse Tower
Centre Pompidou
Eiffel Tower
Wine Tasting
Wax Museum
I realise it is expensive if were to opt for a paris pass & then a separate moulin rouge show+effiel tower dinner+cruise.
Looking forward to your suggestion
Thakn you
Deepa,
The Paris Pass does actually cover nearly everything on your list so I think it would be very good value for you. Not only would it cost quite a bit more to pay for each thing individually, but you’d be spending quite a bit of time in the ticket queues, which can be long at the top attractions.
As for the Moulin Rouge, I’ve never seen a show there, mostly because it has the reputation as a tourist trap these days. People say it’s very overpriced for what it is, and once you are inside you are surrounded by 100% fellow tourists. On the other hand, some people must enjoy it for it to continue to be so popular. If I were you I’d read the reviews carefully. Just reading them now myself, it seems that most people love it, as long as they know what to expect.
I’m not sure I was much help, but either way I’m sure you’ll love Paris. -Roger
Thank you for the wealth of information on your site. My husband and I will visiting Paris for only 2 days and would like to know your opinion on what the “must sees” are and the best way to see them. We definitely want to visit the Louvre. Is the Paris Pass our best option or should we spend the money for a private tour of the city, museums, locations, etc.? These private tours are quite costly! How does the bus tour system work? Does it stop at most sights to HOHO? If so, is purchasing the Museum Pass the way to go? Any information and/or suggestions you have would be most appreciated.
lee,
A private tour of Paris or even individual museums would indeed be VERY expensive. I think the Paris Pass is ideal for a short visit like yours because it allows you to see a lot in those two days.
I’d recommend doing the hop-on, hop-off bus as your first thing on your first day. Start at one of the main stops and stay on it all the way around. It’s not efficient to use as transportation between attractions because it doesn’t always come at predictable intervals, and it can be full at some stops because people don’t get off at every one. After the bus tour you’ll know exactly what interests you and where you want to go in the remaining two days.
The Seine River cruise is also good in this regard because it shows you many of the most interesting sights in a short time, and allows you to go back later. Most of the top attractions are covered by the Paris Pass, and it allows you to skip the ticket queue on the busiest ones as well.
For getting from place to place quickly, you’ll want to use the Metro (underground), and an unlimited ticket is included with the Paris Pass. Once you have your ticket, it’s actually a very simple system, and there are stops every few blocks so it takes you everywhere.
As for the must-sees, I think all of the famous attractions are famous for a good reason, except for the Moulin Rouge, which people say is an overpriced tourist trap these days. In addition to the museums and such, a personal favorite of mine is to visit the Montmartre area in the evening. The neighborhood is just stunning at night, and after a stroll you can take the funicular to the top for the best views from in front of the cathedral. I’m sure you’ll have a great trip. -Roger
Hi Roger, reading thru your site is great. We are going to be arriving in Versailles on November 14, a Saturday, in a rental car, which I am planning on dropping at the train station there. We are going to spend the night in Versailles, and plan on visiting Versailles that afternoon. Then on Sunday morning we are going to take the train into Paris proper, where we are staying for two nights at the Marriott on the Champs Des Elysees. We definitely want to see the Louvre and other obvious things. I know we will want to do the Eiffel tower at night. We will leave Paris to fly back to the US from CDG on Tuesday morning. I like the idea of a single ticket to cover the RER trains to and from Versailles and CDG, and the metro, including HOHO buses, etc. Is there a single ticket that will cover all of this? I am not particularly concerned about the price, but really like the convenience factor. I have not been to Paris before, but my wife visited 35 years ago before we were married.
thanks for you time and consideration.
jc
JC,
The Paris Pass is the closest thing you’ll find to a single ticket that covers all of these things, but it doesn’t include that RER train to and from Versailles or the airport, unfortunately. It does cover the Metro (with the included travel card) and the HOHO bus and many other things. I know what you mean about the convenience. I don’t speak French and I find it a bit stressful to buy things like commuter rail tickets when everyone else in the line is only speaking French. But of course, Paris is very tourist friendly and it’s actually well set up for non-French tourists to buy rail tickets to the airport and Versailles and such, so you shouldn’t have any trouble. Bon voyage. -Roger
Excellent advice you give. We will be in Paris Sept. 25 to Oct. 1, 2015 and want to purchase the 4 day Paris City Pass. We live in Nova Scotia, Canada and I want to know if I will receive the passes in time if I order them today? Thank you.
Georgina,
The “Standard Shipping” option will get the Paris Passes to you in “up to 15 working days.” So if you order today you should get them in time. I’m sure when they say “up to 15 working days” they usually get them there in closer to 10, or they would have to deal with many angry customers if they arrived late. There is also the Express Shipping option, which will get them to you in about a week, for a higher fee. Best of luck and have a great trip. -Roger
Hi Roger,
Never saw such a support for travellers. Thank you . Me and my wife planning to visit Paris on November 1st for a 5 days trip. 1 of 5 days is Tuesday and the museums are closed that day but we can still enjoy walking around and could have wine tasting, boat and bus tours. Do not know if eiffel is closed also on Tuesday. Hope no rain for that week. Did you experienced the weather on november? I’ve calculated all the places and activities we want and the daily public transport costs and saw that the total cost is very close to 4 day parispass for two adults. Today is the last day of summer discount of 10%. Do you know if any more discounts for winter season will be made ? And do you think if we face long cues on November. With regard to all my notes about our trip I’d like learn if you recommend us to buy parispass for our visit?
Thanks in advance
Gurcan
Gurcan,
I’m happy to help if I can. The Eiffel Tower is open every day of the year, and you might also want to see this list of Paris attractions and their closed days. You’ll notice that enough of them are staggered over Monday and Tuesday so it’s easy to fill all of your days up as long as you plan in advance.
Paris weather in November is usually mild, and it rarely gets rainy for days in a row when it rains at all. November is a pretty good month for pleasant weather and smaller crowds, so I think you’ll have a great time. Needless to say, watch the forecast once you get there so you can plan indoor attractions for periods where it might rain.
The Paris Pass folks have extended my special discount code so you can still get 10% off if you buy in September.
The crowds will be fairly small in November, but this also means that they operate fewer ticket booths at the larger attractions, so the ticket queues can still be long if you don’t get there first thing in the morning.
And as I usually say, if you are planning on doing the bus tour, river cruise, and the wine attraction, then the Paris Pass pretty much pays for itself, even without a discount. Then you also get the free Metro pass for your time there, which will not only save you money but save you the stress of having to buy individual tickets at Metro stations from an attendant who might speak little or no English. Bon voyage and let me know if you have more questions. -Roger
I use a walker. I have been to Paris a few times, but first time with a walker. Is Paris handicap friendly? Is it easy enough to get around with walker in Metro and museums and such?
Denyse,
The big museums and other main attractions are handicap-friendly with elevators anywhere they are needed. And I know that many or most of the major Metro stations also have elevators and the rest have escalators, but some of the more minor stations only have stairs. I think as long as you are staying in the main tourist area, you should be fine with pretty much everything you want to do. Bon voyage and I hope it works out for you. -Roger
Hi Roger, not sure if you seen my post? But I would like to correct my questions. We are only spending 1.5days on each stay. Is it still worth it for us to get the pass? Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks
Hi Roger,
We will be in Paris on 9th Sept for a night then move to another city before coming back to Paris at the end of our leg for 3 nights. Paris Pass sounds like the option as we are first time visitor. But it won’t work on 2 occasions, correct? If so, what would you recommend us to do on the first night? If so, is it still worth it for us to get the pass on our return?Thanks
Meei,
Sorry about missing this question. For the record, I’ll try to answer every question that people ask on this site, so if there is no answer it means that it slipped through the cracks.
As you suspect, the Paris Pass must be valid only on consecutive days, so you can’t use some days one time and the rest at another time. And with your new revelation that you are only in Paris for about 36 hours each time, I don’t think you could get enough use out of a Paris Pass. The city is packed with famous and worthwhile sights, so I’d recommend just focusing on the ones that appeal to you most. And if you want to get a quick orientation of Paris, the bus tour included with the Paris Pass does a very good job at that, even if you pay for it individually. I’m sure you’ll love Paris and want to come back for a longer stretch in the future. Bon voyage. -Roger
Hi,
Just got 2 Paris Passes for myself and girlfriend.(2-day)
Now going to make a list of all the attractions we want to see using the pass and the opening times.
Does it go 48 hrs from the the time of first use or is it to end of day, If i use it on a Thursday evening will it count that as a day?
I’m in Paris on a Thursday evening and wondered if i used it on the metro to get to the hotel it will activate it and i lose some time, so i was thinking about paying for metro that evening and then using/activating the pass the next day so i can have it fri/sat.
Is there any certain order to doing the main attractions?
My hotel is near the arc de triomphe just above it on a map.
Is it best to use the metro to get to these attractions? or is using the hop on hop off a good way also?
Can it be activated by using it on the metro?
Thanks very much
Ashton
Ashton,
The Paris Pass is like all the other city passes in that it operates on calendar days rather than 48 consecutive hours. So unfortunately, if you used it for the first time on a Thursday evening, that would count as your first day and Friday would count as your second day. If you used the Metro Pass on Thursday evening THAT would also start the use of the Paris Pass, so it’s best to just buy any Metro tickets you’d need and then start using the card in the morning.
As far as which order to visit things in, I normally recommend starting with the bus tour so you can get your bearings in the city and know where everything is for the rest of your sightseeing. Whatever you do, I’d recommend starting as early in the morning as you can. The attractions start opening up around 9am, and most of them don’t start getting very busy until more like 11am. In other words, it can be wise to do the most popular things early in the day for the lightest crowds. From 11am until 4pm most things are pretty crowded, although you’ll be able to skip the ticket queue in most cases so at least you don’t waste a lot of time. Late afternoon and early evening can also be easier times to visit, so it’s not a terrible idea to have a leisurely lunch from, say, 1pm to 3pm, and then see a few more things when the crowds start to dissipate around 4pm or 5pm.
The hop-on, hop-off buses are a great way of seeing the main sights in the city in a short time, but I don’t recommend trying to use them as transportation between attractions. The buses are often full at the first or main stop, and not many people get off at many stops. As a result, the next bus might come and there are no seats so you’d have to stand up on the bottom floor, where you can’t see much. I’d just start the bus as early as possible and ride the whole circuit. After that, get around on the Metro with the included pass, and you’ll be able to walk between many attractions as well. Bon voyage. -Roger
Hi Roger,
We are planning to spend 4 days in Paris. We plan to visit different attractions using 2 day Hop on Hop off L’ Open Tour Bus instead of Paris pass . 3rd day to palace of Versailles and final day back in Paris using metro. Is this right approach?
Sunny,
In my opinion, the hop-on, hop-off bus is a great way to see a lot of Paris in a short time and get explanations of the many sights you pass. But it’s not an efficient method of transportation between sights. The buses do get crowded and sometimes it’s tough to get a seat if you try to board at one of the middle stops. And they are relatively slow in getting across town because of all the stops and general traffic. The Metro, which is free and unlimited with the Paris Pass, is MUCH faster and quite easy to use. Paris has Metro stops literally every few blocks so you never have to walk very far. And of course many sights are actually walking distance from each other, so you’ll want to do some strolling as well.
So again, the bus tour is really great on a shorter trip like yours, and if you get on at the first stop or other main stop (where many people get off) then it’s usually easy to get a seat up top. But at stops where few people get off, it can be tough to get a seat. Bon voyage. -Roger