Paris Museum Pass vs a Louvre + Orsay Combined Ticket: Which Saves More?
If your plan is essentially just the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay, two individual tickets (about €32 + €16 = €48) are cheaper than the €90 two-day pass — so buy the tickets. The pass only saves money once you add a third paid site, after which it quickly pulls ahead. Here’s the full comparison, the numbers, and exactly when each option wins.
The two-museum maths
Let’s be clear-eyed with 2026 prices. A Louvre ticket is €32 (for non-EEA visitors; €22 for EEA residents), and a Musée d’Orsay ticket is around €16. Together that’s roughly €48 — well under the €90 cost of the cheapest, 2-day pass. For exactly these two museums and nothing else, individual tickets are the obvious money-saver.
Is there a combined Louvre-Orsay ticket?
There’s no single official “Louvre + Orsay” combined ticket, though the Orsay does offer combined tickets with some other museums (such as the Orangerie). For most visitors wanting both the Louvre and the Orsay, you’ll simply buy two separate timed tickets — still cheaper than a pass if those are your only two sites.
When the pass overtakes
The picture flips the moment you add a third paid attraction. Tack on Sainte-Chapelle (€22), Versailles (~€21–€32) or the Arc de Triomphe (~€16) and your ticket total climbs past €90 — at which point the 2-day pass is cheaper, and it throws in the convenience of skipping the ticket-buying queue everywhere.
A side-by-side example
- Louvre + Orsay only: ~€48 in tickets vs €90 pass — tickets win.
- + Sainte-Chapelle: ~€70 in tickets vs €90 pass — tickets still win.
- + Arc de Triomphe: ~€86 — roughly break-even with the pass.
- + Orangerie or a 5th site: the pass pulls clearly ahead.
Don’t forget reservations either way
Whichever you choose, both the Louvre and the Orsay require a timed reservation. With individual tickets, the slot comes with your purchase; with the pass, you book a free slot separately on each official site (the Orsay requires this from March 2026). So the reservation step is identical and doesn’t tip the decision.
The convenience factor
Money isn’t everything. Even at two or three sites, some travellers prefer the pass’s single booking and queue-skipping over saving a few euros. If you’re likely to add a museum on a whim, the pass’s flexibility can justify a small premium — but for a strict Louvre-and-Orsay plan, two tickets are cheaper and perfectly simple.
EEA vs non-EEA changes the gap
Your residency affects the maths. Non-EEA visitors pay more per ticket (the Louvre is €32 versus €22 for EEA residents), so they reach the pass’s break-even faster — often at three sites. EEA residents pay less individually, so they may need four or five sites before the pass wins. Factor your own ticket prices into the comparison.
How to decide in under a minute
- List the paid sites you’ll genuinely visit.
- If it’s only the Louvre and Orsay, buy two tickets (~€48).
- If you’ll add a third, compare the running total with the €90 pass.
- If it’s three or more, the pass usually wins on price and time.
A simple rule of thumb
For one or two big museums, buy individual tickets. For three or more sites over consecutive days, buy the pass. The Louvre-and-Orsay question is really a special case of that rule — and since those two alone fall short of the pass price, the tickets win unless your list grows.
A worked three-site upgrade
Here’s the tipping point in numbers. Louvre (€32) and Orsay (€16) come to €48 — clearly cheaper than the €90 pass. Add Sainte-Chapelle (€22) and you’re at €70, still under the pass. But add a fourth, the Arc de Triomphe (€16), and you reach €86 — within a whisker of €90, where the queue-skipping alone tips the balance. A fifth site, say the Orangerie (€12.50), takes you to €98.50, and now the 2-day pass is both cheaper and more convenient. The lesson: count to four, and the pass usually wins.
Buy your Paris Museum Pass for the big museums
If you’ll see the Louvre, the Orsay and at least one more paid site, buy your Paris Museum Pass online in advance and book your free timed slots. If it’s genuinely just those two museums, buy individual tickets instead — and keep the pass in mind if your plans expand.
Frequently asked questions
Is the pass cheaper than Louvre + Orsay tickets?
No — those two total around €48, less than the €90 pass; tickets win for just the two.
Is there a combined Louvre-Orsay ticket?
Not officially; you’d buy two separate timed tickets.
When does the pass become cheaper?
Once you add a third paid site, the running total passes €90.
Do both museums need reservations?
Yes — included with a ticket, or booked free with the pass.
Does residency affect the comparison?
Yes — non-EEA visitors pay more per ticket and break even on the pass sooner.
What’s the simple rule?
One or two big museums, buy tickets; three or more sites, buy the pass.