THE PARIS ART JOURNAL
Is the Paris Museum Pass worth it? The break-even maths for 2026
The 2-day Paris Museum Pass pays for itself at the fourth museum for most visitors from outside Europe. Here is the maths, using the official prices.
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Here is the number that decides everything: the Louvre counts for €32 against your Paris Museum Pass, more than a third of the 2-day price. Yet a European (EEA) resident under 26 walks into the same Louvre for free, which turns the same pass from a bargain into money thrown away.
Where you live, how old you are and how many museums you will really see in a row make all the difference. We worked out the break-even point using the full ticket prices the pass's official site lists for each museum. The short version: for most adults from outside Europe, the 2-day pass pays off at the fourth museum.
Pass prices and how they work
The pass costs €85 for 2 days, €105 for 4 days and €125 for 6 days. The clock starts at your first visit and counts in hours, so a 2-day pass first used at 14:00 on Friday is valid until 14:00 on Sunday. You get one entry per site.
The pass is not refundable, and it does not include temporary exhibitions. Some sales networks add service fees, so compare the final price.
| Pass | Price | Valid for | Price per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 days | €85 | 48 hours | €42.50 |
| 4 days | €105 | 96 hours | €26.25 |
| 6 days | €125 | 144 hours | About €20.83 |
Paris Museum Pass official siteOfficial website. No commission.
The break-even maths
These are the single-ticket prices the pass site lists for the most popular included sites: Louvre €32, Versailles palace €25, Sainte-Chapelle €22, Arc de Triomphe €22, Hôtel de la Marine €17, Musée de l'Armée €17, Musée d'Orsay €16, Musée Picasso €16, Notre-Dame towers €16 and Musée Rodin €15.
Note that the Louvre's €32 is the rate for visitors from outside the European Economic Area. EEA residents pay €22 at the Louvre, which pushes their break-even point back by one site.
| Pass | Example plan | Value | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 days, €85 | Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle, Orsay, Rodin | €85 | Breaks even at the 4th site |
| 2 days, €85 (EEA resident) | Same four sites, Louvre at €22 | €75 | Needs a 5th site |
| 4 days, €105 | Louvre, Versailles, Sainte-Chapelle, Orsay | €95 | Needs a 5th site |
| 6 days, €125 | Add Arc de Triomphe, Picasso and Rodin | €148 | Pays off at about the 6th site |
Who should skip it
- Under-18s: national museums like the Louvre and Orsay are free for them. The pass is only useful from 18 for non-EU visitors and from 26 for EU residents.
- EEA residents aged 18 to 25: free at the Louvre and most national museums.
- Visitors who will only see two or three sites, or who want to see temporary exhibitions.
- Anyone planning one museum a day at a slow pace on a 2-day pass.
The catch: you still need time slots
The pass gets you in without buying a ticket, but it does not let you skip reservations. You must book a time slot, free of charge, at the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, the Palace of Versailles, the Conciergerie and Sainte-Chapelle, the Notre-Dame towers, the Musée de l'Orangerie and the Hôtel de la Marine.
The Louvre is the tricky one. The pass site warns that when your chosen day is full, you can try the queue, but access "can sometimes be very long, or even impossible." From 17 October to 1 November 2026, the Louvre requires a reservation from every visitor. Book Louvre slots the moment you buy the pass.
Book time slots on the pass siteOfficial website. No commission.
The alternative: single tickets
If your list is the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay, buy single tickets on the official sites and spend the savings on a guide or an audio guide. A two-day plan built around the big museums is in our two-day Paris art itinerary.
Official Louvre ticketsOfficial website. No commission.
Official Musée d'Orsay ticketsOfficial website. No commission.
Affiliate link. We may earn a commission.Questions before you go
Is the 2-day Paris Museum Pass worth it?
Yes, if you are an adult from outside the EEA and will see at least four major sites, such as the Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle, Orsay and Rodin. That plan adds up to exactly €85.
Is Versailles on the Paris Museum Pass?
Yes. The palace needs a booked time slot; the Trianon estate does not.
Is the Paris Museum Pass refundable?
No. The pass cannot be refunded once bought.
Does the Paris Museum Pass skip the line?
It skips the ticket purchase, not the reservation. You still need a free time slot at the Louvre, Orsay, Versailles and other popular sites.
What is the Paris Museum Pass official site?
parismuseumpass.fr. Service fees can apply when you buy through other sales networks.
Reviewed . Pass prices, site prices and reservation rules were checked on the official Paris Museum Pass site on 17 October 2026. Louvre rates were checked on louvre.fr.
