Paris Passes: to buy or not to buy

[Kruzkrazy]

Hello group,

 

DW and I will be on the Viking Odin from Paris to Prague starting May 2. In addition, we will be in Paris for four days prior to the cruise. We are considering purchasing Paris passes from Conciergerie.com or Viator.com. Viator's price is 388 euros for 2 people; Concergerie's is 260 for 2. Conciergerie says their price is lower because they sell their tickets direct without commissions.

 

Does anyone have experience with either of these companies? Thanks for any feedback you can offer.

 

KK

[Mickey22]

Is that price for a 2 day pass?

 

Jane

[Got2Cruise]

Third parties add a fee. You can order directly from official website. Also you can wait until you're in Paris and buy then.

[jpalbny]

Got2Cruise, you beat me to it. No need to pay a third party fee for something that you can get at cost. The official site is selling a 2-day pass for €122 and the 4-day for €163.80. That includes travel cards, which IMO are way overpriced, because the travel cards they sell you cover zones 1-3 which is more than you need. My advice is to get the cheaper museum pass, which just covers entry fees. Then buy a mobilus ticket for zones 1-2, about €7 per day, if you need the Métro. Should work out cheaper, but check prices and see if it works out for you.

Edited April 13, 2015 by jpalbny

[Kruzkrazy]

Is that price for a 2 day pass?

 

Jane

4-day passes for 2 people. Sorry, I should have specified.

KK

[tml1230]

Hi we are currently in Paris for the month of April after we left a Viking cruise….i agree with JP on the pass…also there are several great reports on the Paris passes and suggestions , pro's and cons…on trip advisor, Paris forum…a lot of folks think it isn't worth the money…

 

you will love it here!

[2pbears]

We looked into the Paris Pass for our one week in Paris but decided against it. In retrospect that was a good decision for us. We instead purchased the museum pass and bought Metro tickets by the carnet (pack of 10). You can get anywhere you want to go in Paris using the Metro. Their public transit system is amazing.

[Bet & Peg]

I also agree the passes are usually not worth it and all kinds of tickets and metro passes can easily be bought from the tourist office as you leave CDG terminal.

 

We did buy the metro Paris visits pass last year - rented an apartment for a week - it wasn't worth it even with DH having a walking problem. The carnet of 10 tickets would have been much, much better!!

 

And walking problem or not, think about taking the bus at times - great for views! And it also takes the carnet ticket. Check out Rick Steve's bus 69. Last/first stop by the Eiffel Tower is the best view plus just a short walk to the entrance.

 

Have a fabulous trip!!!

[Host Jazzbeau]

"Carnet de dis" is one of the tips I remember from "Europe on $5 a Day" back in the sixties. Good to know something is still true after all these years!

[jpalbny]

There is no one-size fits all answer to which ticket is best (most efficient use of your money) for the Metro. It depends on how much you will use it. We look at this carefully every time we visit.

 

Current prices are: single ticket €1,80; carnet of 10 €14,10 (1,40 per), and a 1-day Mobilis pass for Zones 1-2 €7,00. The Paris Visite pass covers Zones 1-3, and costs €11,15 (you can get Zone 1-5 for the whopping rip-off price of €23,50)

 

So: 4 single tickets (5 if you use the carnet) = 1 Mobilis pass. If you know that you're going to use the Metro more than 4-5 trips on a give day, then get the Mobilis pass. If not, get a carnet and use when needed.

 

In our experience, the only places we've needed to visit outside of Zone 2 have been Versailles (Zone 4), and CDG Airport (Zone 5). And even if you do need to include the airport in a day's travels, you can buy a one-way RER ticket from the airport (about €10) AND a 1-day Mobilis (€7,00) for less than it would cost to buy the one-day Paris Visite Zones 1-5.

 

We look at the Paris Visite pass every time we "visite" and the price doesn't add up for us. Caveat - we have a chip credit card and we can buy the Mobilis cards from automated kiosks so it's a cinch for us. If you have to find an attended station to buy them from a person, bonne chance - that may be a pain. Some may find it easier to buy the Paris Visite Pass from a tourist office, but you do pay for that convenience.

 

In contrast to some others, we actually found the Museum Pass (not the Paris Pass) useful for our first visit. We used the heck out of it because we like to pop in and out of all of the attractions for a short time rather than see just a few in great detail. If you want to see as much as possible, the Museum Pass may be a good deal. If you just want to see a few things, then it may not be worth it.

Edited April 14, 2015 by jpalbny

[MaxBuck]

I have to say that, although the 3-day Metro pass probably cost us money relative to alternatives, we found the relaxation available to just go wherever, whenever on public transit without worrying about how many segments we had left was well worth the extra cost.

 

Just another consideration.

[Kruzkrazy]

Thank you all for the excellent feedback. It looks like the museum pass plus the carnet might be best for us. Can't wait to get to the City of Light!

 

Thanks again,

KK

[Bet & Peg]

One small point - MaxBuck is very correct about the convenience of the Metro Pass! The metro tickets are tiny - at least compared to the credit-card size NYC Metro cards! - and easily lost or misplaced! In some stations - I think mostly RER - they are needed to exit. So its good to plan on having a place - pocket, wallet, envelope - to put them into "just-in-case"!!

 

While we had a zone 1-2 card, we also bought round-trip tickets to Versailles - total 4 tickets for the 2 of us. When we arrived the gates were open so we didn't need our tickets to exit. But returning and exiting at St Michele we had to swipe our ticket for the turnstile to work. DH had gotten his tickets mixed-up and I thought I'd have to leave him there!!! And, because of SO many students, the StMichaele station is one where tickets are often checked as you exit - so hold onto your ticket until you're outside the station. All this leads to the point that the having one Metro pass/ticket IS sometimes more convenient!!!

 

But jpalbny said it perfectly - there is no one-size fits all answer! But it certailly helps knowing as much as possibe so you can decide what's best for you!!

[jpalbny]

I have to say that, although the 3-day Metro pass probably cost us money relative to alternatives, we found the relaxation available to just go wherever, whenever on public transit without worrying about how many segments we had left was well worth the extra cost.

 

Just another consideration.

 

Nothing wrong with that at all. Travel is much more enjoyable when you're comfortable and relaxed. And the price difference isn't all that much, so it's not a big deal. I'm just cheap! :p

 

One small point - MaxBuck is very correct about the convenience of the Metro Pass! The metro tickets are tiny - at least compared to the credit-card size NYC Metro cards! - and easily lost or misplaced! In some stations - I think mostly RER - they are needed to exit. So its good to plan on having a place - pocket, wallet, envelope - to put them into "just-in-case"!!

 

 

Yes they are tiny! Here are a few souvenirs to illustrate - top to bottom, an RER ticket from CDG-center city, a Mobilis pass, and a standard ticket. For comparison on the left are a 1 and 2-euro coin. You definitely have to remember where you're keeping them!

 

[MaxBuck]

Nothing wrong with that at all. Travel is much more enjoyable when you're comfortable and relaxed. And the price difference isn't all that much, so it's not a big deal. I'm just cheap! :p

 

 

 

Yes they are tiny! Here are a few souvenirs to illustrate - top to bottom, an RER ticket from CDG-center city, a Mobilis pass, and a standard ticket. For comparison on the left are a 1 and 2-euro coin. You definitely have to remember where you're keeping them!

 

 

Great visual. In our case, we put the transit ticket into the little room-key envelope provided by our hotel.

[Alberta Quilter]

Nothing wrong with that at all. Travel is much more enjoyable when you're comfortable and relaxed. And the price difference isn't all that much, so it's not a big deal. I'm just cheap! :p

 

 

 

Yes they are tiny! Here are a few souvenirs to illustrate - top to bottom, an RER ticket from CDG-center city, a Mobilis pass, and a standard ticket. For comparison on the left are a 1 and 2-euro coin. You definitely have to remember where you're keeping them!

 

 

Are the tickets from a carnet the same size? I guess, if one has to put them through a turnstile, they would almost have to be, wouldn't they?

[jpalbny]

Are the tickets from a carnet the same size? I guess, if one has to put them through a turnstile, they would almost have to be, wouldn't they?

 

I've never bought a carnet. But, as it's just a 10-pack of the T+ tickets (bottom one in my picture), I would thing that they are the same thing.

[Bet & Peg]

jpalbny - agree with MaxBuck - GREAT visual! And, yes, carnet tickets are the same size! If I remember correctly they come in a perforated strip. My suggestion to anyone using them - after you exit the station at your final destination, rip the ticket you used. Otherwise you'll have a pocketful of tickets you can't tell good from bad! When you use a ticket it isn't stamped or cut! BTW, the idea of a small envelope is great if you have a metro pass. When traveling, I use an across-the-body pocketbook with many small zippered pockets so one becomes the "official" metro one and I throw away the used carnet ticket as we leave the station or final bus.

 

Whatever works for you is the best!!

[CWRob]

We were in Paris last fall for 3 days pre cruise Paris to Normandy. Bought 3 day Paris pas online. Economy wise probably we didn't get the value But for peace of mind and skipping long ticket lines it was well worth it. Subway pass was very good subway easy to manuvure

[mort&fran]

Got2Cruise, you beat me to it. No need to pay a third party fee for something that you can get at cost. The official site is selling a 2-day pass for €122 and the 4-day for €163.80. That includes travel cards, which IMO are way overpriced, because the travel cards they sell you cover zones 1-3 which is more than you need. My advice is to get the cheaper museum pass, which just covers entry fees. Then buy a mobilus ticket for zones 1-2, about €7 per day, if you need the Métro. Should work out cheaper, but check prices and see if it works out for you.

 

We have found hop on/hop off buses to often be a great value when we have visited new cities, when we don't know our way around and generally have only a basic idea of what we want to see. The Paris ho-ho is advertising a one-day pass @ $78.21 and two-day @ $83.65 - both of which include a 2-day museum pass (we do enjoy museums). Any opinions as to how that compares?

[jpalbny]

We have found hop on/hop off buses to often be a great value when we have visited new cities, when we don't know our way around and generally have only a basic idea of what we want to see. The Paris ho-ho is advertising a one-day pass @ $78.21 and two-day @ $83.65 - both of which include a 2-day museum pass (we do enjoy museums). Any opinions as to how that compares?

 

The two-day museum pass costs €42 which at the current exchange rate of €1 = $1.08 costs $45.40. That means they are charging $30 and $35 (€28 and €33) additional for the HOHO, plus whatever fees they tack on.

 

I took a quick look at the HOHO route map and it looks like it will get you to most places that you'd need to visit. Here is a link to their route map. They charge €32 and €36 for 1-day and 2-day passes if you buy them separately, so the combo isn't a bad deal if you like the idea of a HOHO bus.

 

If the HOHO will get you where you need to go and that price seems fair, OK. Personally, I think that's a big premium for the HOHO compared to the Metro, which is usually faster than a bus. The Mobilis pass at €7 per day is much cheaper, and we find the Metro more convenient - but we are comfortable with the Paris Metro and don't mind climbing lots of stairs.

 

So, bottom line is that it's a fair price compared to the individual prices for what's included. My preference is for the Metro compared to the HOHO.

[CWRob]

Our Paris Pass included metro, HO HO bus, museum and attractions. As I said very convenient, but if you crunch the numbers probably not economical. But what price is peace of mind?

[Bet & Peg]

As has been said - there's NO one-size fits all answer! What's right for you is what you should do no matter what someone else thinks is right!

 

We usually never take HOHO off buses but did in 2012 for our first Paris visit we did buy (at the airport) the Paris museum package that included the HOHO. Right after checking-in at the hotel (Latin Quarter area) we walked to see Notre Dame and then jumped on the HOHO for a fabulous overvew of the city! And the ride was perfect since it was raining!! The rest of the 4 days we used our Museum Pass and metro pass to really see the city.

 

Now the main question - was the money we spent on the pass worth it for us - NO - but I'm happy that we did buy it for that trip - yes, sometimes convenienve over-rides the expense. We spent a week in Paris last September with only a metro pass - again not worth it - and one carnet of tickets - I would go with that in the future!

 

But that's us - our way of traveling. My only suggestion is read, read, read and think about what you are really going to do/see and then decide what will be the best for you! And then don't look back except to evaluate for your next trip!!!

[Redtravel]

I have visited Paris many times. Paris is my favorite city. On my first trip, I bought the museum pass. Not worth it. I take my time when I visit museums. In France, there are often discounts for seniors, families, students, educators, and disabled visitors. Disabled is usually free and do not wait in lines. Make a plan. Keep in mind, travel time, and allow yourself ample time to enjoy each venue. Some places like the Louvre are worth several hours. I have been there many times. Depending upon the location where you are staying, you may be able to walk to many places. The metro is fast. I also use the buses. Paris Practis is a valuable booklet that I use when I plan a route between locations. If you ride the metro, be aware of your surroundings. Pickpockets are waiting. My spouse had a camera stolen from a pacsafe bag while riding on the metro. I buy a carnet of 10 metro/bus tickets which my spouse and I share. It cost us about 14 euros in March. If I have left over tickets, I save them for another visit. I will be back. Paris is that good!