A quote courtesy of travel nerd and my idol Rick Steves that made me laugh:
"In Paris there are two classes of sightseers - those with a Paris Museum Pass, and those who stand in line."
What is it?
It is a pass that allows entry to more than 60 different museums and attractions in and around Paris including the Louvre, Versailles, Orsay, Arc de Triomphe, etc...)
Why buy it?
The #1 reason to purchase a museum pass is to bypass the lines to purchase tickets... since your pass is your ticket. Often there are separate entrances that are less crowded and are especially for pass holders. You spend less time waiting, and more time sightseeing. Also, just by having the pass encourages you to take in more sights than you would normally pass on since they are included.
How much does it cost?
They come in 2, 4, and 6 day quantities that cost 35, 50, and 60 Euros respectively. The pass is valid for a block of time starting on the first day you use it. To make you money back, using an average entry fee of 7 Euros you'd have to see 2.5 (for 2 day), 1.75 (for 4 day), and 1.42 (for 6 day) museums per day. Regardless of the math though, I'd gladly pay a little extra to not stand a couple hours waiting to get in to an attraction only to be disappointed afterwards.
Who should buy it?
Worth it for adults, not worth it for kids under 18 since they are free at almost every attraction. If you are an E.U. citizen, this age is extended to under 26. On that note, if you have young kids like us, be wary about getting the 6 day pass since it is the best value. First ask yourself whether you can handle 6 straight days of museums without taking a break for a day to shop at a market or something else. If you pass that, ask the same about your kids. We're opting to purchase two 4 day passes that we will use over two different periods of our stay.
