Did you know that in Paris there are an infinity of things to do, see, visit, enjoy, discover? Well, you hadn't got to read this blog to know that!
Did you know that all these are, euphoristically, just barely expensive? Yes, you knew that even without having been to Paris.
Many of these places are world important. I am thinking for example to the Louvre, the most visited museum in the world. Versailles is the symbol of the ancien regime, that is, it represents how the world worked before modernity. Disneyland Paris is the most visited paid destination in Europe (therefore more than the Louvre itself). The Musée d'Orsay contains many of those paintings that we have seen in art history books at school. And if they are such important places, it is because they are both very large and very dense in content.
The life of the tourist in Paris is therefore difficult. First of all, it's expensive, but the visitor can already anticipate this. Above all, however, it is also because these places are immensely large and require a lot of time to be visited in full depht.
The other side of the coin, however, goes to the residents of Paris and surroundings because these places always provide something new with every visit.
So why not subscribe an annual pass to them? You can enjoy each of these places in small doses in your free time.
At first, it was Disneyland for me, out of personal passion, but then I started to discover that Paris offers annual passes for all the major attractions and, what's even more tasty, these passes are extremely convenient! On average, they pay off in 3 visits or less. Here is my guide!
Why subscribe an annual pass?
- Because you can enjoy all Paris major attractions calmly, without having to get bored, forced by the idea that you have paid for your admission and you have to visit everything to make it worth.
- Because annual passes are very cheap, compared to the price of a single admission.
- Because they often offer exclusive advantages.
Why not subscribe an annual pass?
- There is indeed a risk! Having subscribed a disproportionate amount of annual passes, I implicitly committed myself to use my free time to visit these places. My genius friend Sirio has made a calculation coming to the conclusion that I must dedicate two weekends (out of four) per month to visit at least one of these venues, if I want my annual passes to be paid off!
- Needless to say, don't subscribe in the case you believe one visit to each venue is more than enough for you.
What do annual passes include?
Obviously, unlimited admission* for one year during the opening period of the venues you subscribe to. Not only that, subscriptions often offer other advantages, depending also on the type of annual pass you apply for.
*for Disneyland Paris, not all subscriptions are valid for all opening days.
How much annual passes cost? Are there any discount?
I have listed the individual price per adult for each annual pass I have subscribed, but there are numerous promotions that can sometimes be combined:
- The "duo" formula. For a small addition price, you can subscribe to an annual pass that allows you to enter the venue with an established companion or, even better, you can bring a companion of your choice;
- For youngsters, but each venue determines this age threshold;
- For subscribers to other annual passes (for example, if you are part o the Club Friends of the Louvre, you will get a discount on the Carte Blanche of the Musée d'Orsay);
- When renewing your subscriptions, you get discounts in terms of discounted price or duration of renewal (for example, by renewing your subscription to Disneyland, this second "year" will be 14 months long);
- Other promotions to check at each facility.
How to get an annual pass?
How to subscribe varies for each venue. For this reason I have inserted the link to the dedicated page for each annual pass.
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| Disneyland Paris's annual passes are called Annual Passports |
Prices: from €179 to €449. They can be paid in installments.
Advantages: prices vary depending on the days of validity (the one from €179 does not include weekends) and depending on the services included. I suggest the Magic Plus (€299) because it includes the possibility to enter the park earlier (at 8:30 am, when the general opening time is at 10 am) enjoying moments with very few queues for attractions. It is valid 350 days a year and includes free parking, discounts on meals and a dedicated skip-the-line entrance gate in both Parks. The Infinity Passport, the most expensive, includes all the advantages of Magic Plus, the PhotoPass+ is included, and it is valid every day of the year and allows you to park in an area closer to the entrance gates of the Parks.
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The PhotoPass+ is an extra option to your Disneyland Paris's Annual Passport
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Prices: from €59 to €65 depending on the Annual Passport to which they are coupled.
Description: it allows you to collect all the "official" photos taken in the Park in a dedicated web space, from which you can then download them. It includes (but it's not limited to) the shots taken on board of Big Thunder Mountain or the photos taken by the official photographers of the Park with Disney's characters.
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Parc Asterix is home to far more thrill rides then Disneyland Paris
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Prices: from €119 to €199. During the closing period of the Park, there are discounted offers.
Advantages: the least expensive does not include the Christmas opening period. The most expensive annual pass offers, in addition to year-round access, a fast-track pass to skip the line on major rides (one fast-track only per year). Both annual passes include free parking and discounts on meals.
Due to the Coronavirus, the 2020 season passes are also valid for the whole of 2021.
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The annual pass to the Louvre is actually the subscription to the Club of the Friends of the Louvre
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Prices: individual €80; for two people €120
Discounted rates for people aged 27 to 29 and even more discounted for up to 26 years.
Advantages: reserved skip-the-line gates at the Pyramid and at the Richelieu passage. Possibility to bring a companion for free on Wednesdays and Fridays from 6 pm to 10 pm (evening opening suspended for Coronavirus, so this advantage is temporarily unavailable) In addition, you will be part of a real Club born in 1898 - it's very Belle Epoque style- and you will be called to vote on the decisions of the club! Periodically you will also receive an art history magazine (in French).
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The annual pass at the D'Orsay Museum is called Carte Blanche ("White Card")
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Prices: individual €52; for two people (second person not named, so you can let whoever you want in at each visit) €79.
Discounted prices on these formulas both for young people up to 35 years old and for annual pass holders of other museums.
Advantages: here too, the reserved skip-the-line gate is a great perk. As for Disneyland, the museum organizes a reserved access time for annual pass holders at 9 a.m., while the general opening time is at 9.30 a.m. Periodically you will receive a specialized art magazine at home (in French).
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The annual pass for the Centre Pompidou is called POP'
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Prices: individual €49; for two people (second person not named, so you can let whoever you want in at each visit) €76.
Discounted prices on these formulas in case of subscriptions for 2 years, for young people and for annual pass holders of other museums.
Advantages: reserved skip-the-line entrance gate, access to both permanent and temporary exhibitions, free cinema sessions... and a terrace with one of the best views of Paris!
Prices: individual €55; for two people (second person not named, so you can let whoever you want in at each visit) €90.
Advantages: surely the biggest perk is the skip-the-line entrance gate to the Royal Palace. In extra-Coronavirus situations, the normal waiting time in a weekend to access the complex is about one to two hours. With this pass, you can reduce the waiting time to about 15 minutes or less. It includes both the Royal Palace and the gardens, as well as the Grand and Petit Trianon.
Price: €45.
Advantages: unlimited access to 100 monuments throughout France! In Paris you can find the most interesting: Arc de Triomphe, Sainte-Chapelle, Pantheon, Notre Dame (currently not available) are the most important. In addition, during in 3 days a year -not determined by you- you can bring a companion for free to all the sites.
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| The Zoo is part of the museums complex called "Musēum", that offers other annual passes |
Price: €60
Advantages: no major advantages, except of course the unlimited access to the zoo (the one in Vincennes!), very modern, renovated in 2015, with fewer cages and more common areas for animals. There is an impressive greenhouse for tropical plants and animals and a path to be done barefoot on different types of terrain, just as animals do. Discounted rates for renovations.
SOME OTHER SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE IN PARIS
So what do you say? Could they also be useful as a gift idea?
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