“Paris is always a good idea.” – Audrey Hepburn How did you fit so much in? This is probably the number one question I got when I returned home from Paris last month because my three days in France were go-go-go but the main answer to that question is the Paris Pass. If you have thought about going to Paris likely within the first 10 minutes of Googling you came across something mentioning the Paris Pass which is usually an excellent choice if you want to see everything the French capital has to offer – offering free entry to many of the main museums, monuments, and other attractions. In two days I visited eight different places with my pass, take a look:
On the first day I picked up my Paris Pass bright and early and then headed to three terrific museums – The Louvre, The Musée d’Orsay, and Musée Rodin. I had been to the Louvre when I visited Paris 17 years earlier and remember it quite vividly so I did not spend too much time there but it was as gorgeous as I remembered. My favorite of the three was likely The Musée d’Orsay where I spent a few hours and was thrilled when I learned their was a special exhibit on Edgar Degas, one of my favorite artists. After that exhibit I wandered through the floors taking in pieces from my favorite painters including Édouard Manet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Claude Monet, and it was an added treat to see one of Vincent Van Gogh’s self portraits from only a few feet away!
My third museum of the day – which I also got into free with the Paris Pass, are you sensing a theme? – was The Musée Rodin in Paris. It featured so many wonderful pieces by the French sculptor Auguste Rodin but the most famous is probably The Thinker. The massive statue is in the garden and I spent a few minutes admiring it from all angles before escaping the cold (it was hovering right around freezing) and into the mansion where I took in more gorgeous works like the white marble statue, The Kiss.
The last stop of my first day in Paris was my late after wine tasting Les Caves du Louvre. I had the chance to try some delicious whites and reds while standing in the tunnels underneath the Louve which was an incredible experience but made for a poor photography space.
After the cooking class I went to the The Panthéon located in the Latin Quarter in Paris and as soon as I stepped inside the Corinthian columns reminded me of my study abroad in Rome many years ago – that makes sense as it was modeled after Pantheon in Rome. The dome ceiling was absolutely breathtaking and I loved the pendulum swinging in the middle of the building. Oh, and if you don’t know by now I love grabbing a brochure or guide everywhere I go and was fascinated to learn that The Panthéon is the burial place of some extremely famous french men and women including Voltaire, Marie Curie, Rousseau, and Victor Hugo!
Next up it was the Musée de l’Orangerie which has a variety of art but is definitely most well known for the eight massive water-lily paintings by known as the Nymphéas. They are extremely hard to photograph as the two oval rooms where the eight paintings are displayed are massive and crowded but I tried my best to capture their beauty!
Which Paris attraction would you want to visit most from this Paris Pass Review?
Pleated Skirt at Sacre Coure
A Parisian Cooking Class
Head to Toe Black at the Les Deux Plateaux
Black Lace at the Eiffel Tower
Lauren says
We are going to Paris on the fall so thank you so much for the recommendation! And this post got me even more excited than I already am! Where did you stay?
Lucy says
Wow, you fit so much in, I am really impressed! I will have to check this out!
Pam says
THis just makes me what to hop on a plane right now and jet to Paris… I have used this pass before and tell all of my friends when they plan a trip to Paris that it is the first thing that they should purchase. It is such a great value and the time it saved me in lines during the tourist season was incredible. The line for the Musee D’orsay was around the building and I just walked in and the lady at the counter said that people had been waiting for an hour and a half. When trying to squeeze numerous museum visits in this is a godsend.
Aimee says
I would go see it all. I have used the pass and the best thing about it is skipping the lines. I saved an hour at least at two museums!!
Stephanie ReadsWell says
Paris is always a wonderful place to visit, Kelly! I have been there many times. I would love to visit the Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile from the above list.