My review of the Museum Pass
Verdict: the Basilique de Saint-Denis is one of the monuments included in the Paris Museum Pass, which settles the entry question if you are visiting several museums. Rating of 4.1 out of 4,575 reviews: the lowest in this selection, and by far the most informative. What costs stars is never what the pass covers, but how you collect it and how its days are counted. For those coming to Saint-Denis and nowhere else, it is useless.
How it works, and where it gets tricky
The pass is available for 2, 4 or 6 consecutive days. Three key points make all the difference between a good and a bad experience. First, collection: it is physical, near the Louvre, between 9 am and 4 pm. If you land at 6 pm, you cannot start on the same evening. Next, the countdown: the day you activate the pass counts as day 1, even if you only visit one monument at 4:30 pm. Finally, the remaining reservations: the Louvre and the Orangerie also require a reserved time slot, and the pass does not exempt you from this step.
For Saint-Denis, however, none of this applies: you simply show up, present the pass, and enter. No time slot, no special queue on an ordinary day. Line 13 drops you a hundred metres away, provided you take the Saint-Denis–Université branch and not the Asnières one — this is the trap explained on the access page, and it can cost those who are unaware twenty minutes.
Included
- Entrance to the royal necropolis of Saint-Denis
- Dozens of other Parisian monuments and museums
- Direct entry, without buying a ticket at each counter
- A duration of 2, 4 or 6 consecutive days
Not included
- The time slot for the Louvre and the Orangerie, to be booked separately
- Flexible days: they follow one another, with no break
- Collection after 4 p.m., or on the Sunday evening of arrival
- Paid guided tours and exhibitions outside the permanent collections
What comes up in the reviews
Sandra (Mexico), Wojciech (Poland) and Beth (United States) all say roughly the same thing, each in their own style: the pass avoids buying tickets one by one, and it’s ideal for those visiting multiple monuments in a row. That’s exactly the right description, and it contains its own limitation. The pass rewards density. Three monuments a day, and it works for you; one monument a day, and it works against you.
The 4 575 reviews give it a 4.1, which is low for a product whose usefulness no one disputes. Reading the reservations, the same three things always come up: the physical collection that surprises people used to tickets on their phone, the activation day being half wasted, and the late discovery that the Louvre still requires a reservation. None of these criticisms target a specific museum, and none apply to Saint-Denis. They’re logistical criticisms, and they’re avoidable: activate the pass in the morning, not the evening, and sort out the Louvre reservation before leaving home.
What works
- Saint-Denis is included: nothing else to buy for the necropolis
- Entry without going through a counter, monument after monument
- Three formats, 2, 4 or 6 days, depending on the length of your stay
- Simple use at Saint-Denis: no time slot, no additional steps
Good to know
- The lowest rating in this selection, 4.1, for logistical reasons
- Physical collection near the Louvre, from 9 am to 4 pm only
- The activation day counts in full, even if activated in the late afternoon
- Not worth it if Saint-Denis is your only paid visit
For whom, and for whom not
For whom: visitors staying several days and visiting seriously, several monuments per day, without counting the tickets. Those who want to fit Saint-Denis into an already busy day: the monument can be visited in one hour, an hour and a half with the guide, as detailed in how much time to allow. Those who hate ticket counters.
For whom not: those coming to Saint-Denis specifically for Saint-Denis. In this case, the single ticket is sufficient and can be booked in two minutes. Those who enter for free: under-18s, 18–25-year-olds who are EU nationals or regular residents in France, people with disabilities and their companion, jobseekers residing in the EU; the full list is on what is free. Those arriving late on a Sunday and leaving on Tuesday: two useful days, not three. The full calculation is on the Paris Museum Pass page.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Basilique de Saint-Denis really included?
Yes, the royal necropolis is one of the monuments covered by the pass: you present the pass and enter, with no time slot to book. The nave, however, remains free for everyone. Details on the pass page.
Is the pass worth it for a single visit?
No. It is designed to visit several monuments in a day, and its days are consecutive. For a single visit to Saint-Denis, get the necropolis ticket, or first check if you can enter for free on what is free.
When should the pass be activated?
In the morning, never in the late afternoon: the activation day counts as day 1 in full. Collection is near the Louvre, from 9 am to 4 pm. If you start with Saint-Denis, check the monument’s opening hours, which vary by season.