Last May my daughter and I took a trip to Paris. We planned everything on our own and wanted to save as much money as possible on the bones of the trip so that we would have more money for things like champagne, delicious food, and amazing activities.
First, we used points and miles to book airfare and 9 hotel nights in high-end hotels. We spent two nights at the Hilton Paris Opera, one night in a jaw-dropping suite at the Waldorf Astoria Versailles, four nights at the Kimpton St. Honore in Paris, and one night at the Best Western in Reims. This was truly one of my “bougie on a budget” trips.
Of course, we wanted to see many of the iconic landmarks in Paris, so I took some advice from the Rick Steves guidebooks and decided to buy a city pass. After doing some research on the various passes that are available, I decided on the 6-day All-Inclusive Go City Paris Pass, which also includes the Paris Museum Pass.
Purchasing the Pass
Because I tend to plan trips in advance, I was able to watch for a sale on The Go City Paris Pass. Two 6-day All-Inclusive Paris Plus Passes, which include the Museum Pass, cost $589.03 or $294.51 per person.
with a similar discount applied.
I also clicked through a shopping portal, where I earned points on the purchase price, plus 1,000 bonus points for reaching a portal spending goal.
Taking a Deep Dive Into Everything That Was Included
The easiest way to manage the pass is by using the Go City App. The App makes it easy to use as your digital ticket when entering many of the attractions. The ability to book a timed entry and Skip-The-Line at places like the Louvre and the Orangerie was a fantastic feature. It saved us a lot of time as we zipped by long queues when we arrived for our visit.
We loaded the app on our phones and began unpacking everything that was included. In addition to admission to almost every Paris attraction, we discovered several free guided walking tours we could book, as well as some bonus activities and dining options. We enjoyed two Walking Tours, as well as Hot Chocolate and Macarons, Escargot and Champagne, multiple Breakfasts, a Wine Class at the Caves du Louvre, and a Wine and Cheese Tasting. We really enjoyed all these little extra items that came with the pass!
Creating an Itinerary to Maximize Our Time
The time on your Paris Pass starts as soon as you complete your first activity. Since we were making our way into Paris, getting checked in and acclimated on our arrival day, we thought it would be a waste to start our pass until the next day. My daughter booked an independent French Pastry class for us instead. It was a fantastic experience, filled our afternoon perfectly, and allowed us to start our Paris Pass on a full day.
To maximize our time on the trip, we used the Wanderlog Trip Planning App to create a daily itinerary. We used the free version, but you can upgrade to one that offers additional features if you prefer. The free version worked fine for us. This tool was especially well-suited for us since we were planning a joint trip, but live in different towns. By creating a shared trip, we could each sign into the app and add stops or make changes as needed. The app allows you to add potential activities, then use the included map to rearrange them so they fit together like pieces in a puzzle. It also lets you document any reservations you may need during your trip.
We laid out our days by neighborhood to maximize our time by combining activities in close proximity to one another. For instance, we booked a mid-morning walking tour in Montmartre. The pass included a Champagne and Dessert activity that was just around the corner from where we ended our tour. Parfait! After a visit to the Musée d’Orsay, we used one of our passes at a nearby restaurant for lunch. We enjoyed Crepe Monsieur with salad, frites, a glass of Bubbly, and a lovely view of the museum.
Paris Pass Value
For us, Go City’s 6-Day Paris Pass Plus with the Museum Pass worked perfectly. If you have less time to spend in the city, you might want to choose a shorter pass. It also depends on how many museums and landmarks you plan to visit. As you can see below, you can tailor a pass to the length and the specific needs of your trip.
When we got home from our trip, I added up all of the items we used and priced them as if we had purchased them individually. I compared that total to what we paid for our passes. Not surprisingly, we saved over $100 per person by using the Paris Pass! That wasn’t even factoring in all the money we saved with the included breakfasts, snacks, and bonus activities.
Final Thoughts
It’s nice that you can tailor a pass to fit your trip by choosing the number of days and the level of the pass that will work best for you. If you buy a pass, don’t forget to unpack all the included items to see if there are some hidden treasures that you might enjoy.
The bonus dining locations and activities can change from time to time. If you buy a pass a few months before your trip, double-check the items you plan to use again before you go. We did find that a few locations had changed on ours, so we just edited our itinerary.
If I had to do it over again, I would 100% buy another Paris Pass. Since it was my daughter’s first time in Paris, we wanted to see many of the Paris sites, and the Pass worked great for us. It was easy, organized, and a great value.
The World According to Dev 