Tootbus and Big Bus run the two best-known hop-on hop-off tours in Paris. Their routes cover much the same ground, a full loop takes about 2 hours 15 minutes on either, and their prices overlap.
In the Tootbus vs Big Bus Paris comparison, Tootbus is the better value for most visitors. It costs a little less, runs an hour later each day, sells a 3-day pass and has a family fare. Big Bus is the better pick in two cases: when your sightseeing day might change, and when you want a Seine cruise included in the ticket.
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Paris Hop-On Hop-Off Price Comparison: What Your Money Buys
Tootbus Paris tickets cost between around US$41 and US$51 per adult, depending on the date and ticket. Big Bus costs between around US$43 and US$54. At both ends of the range, Tootbus is a few dollars cheaper.
The bigger difference is how far each ticket stretches. Big Bus passes last 24 or 48 hours. Tootbus sells 1-, 2- and 3-day passes, and on a four- or five-night trip that third day means the bus doubles as transport between museums and neighbourhoods.
For families, the Tootbus family fare covers two adults and two children aged 4 to 12 on one ticket. Big Bus prices each person separately, so a family of four should compare both totals for their dates.
The Big Bus Paris ticket is also good for people who want to see the city from the river. Its Discover ticket is 24 hours on the bus, Essential adds a one-hour Bateaux Parisiens cruise, and Explore gives 48 hours on the bus plus the cruise. Tootbus sells the Vedettes de Paris cruise as an add-on. That cruise ticket is paper: staff hand it over when you first board the bus, and you show it at the pier at Port de Suffren, beside the Eiffel Tower.
Tootbus vs Big Bus Paris at a Glance
*Prices vary by date and ticket type. The table is based on the information available on the Paris hop-on hop-off bus tour page.*Operating hours, frequency, and the stops can vary depending on season and availability.
| TootBus | Big Bus | |
| Price range (per adult) | US$41.24–51.14 | US$43.76–54.99 |
| Pass lengths | 1, 2 or 3 days | 24 or 48 hours |
| Day route | Blue Line | Red Route |
| Hours | 09:30 AM – 06:30 PM | 09:45 AM – 05:30 PM |
| Buses every | About 12 mins | 10-20 mins |
| Cruise | Optional add-on, Vedettes de Paris | Included with Essential and Explore tickets, Bateaux Parisiens |
| Date rules | Use on the booked date or earlier | Valid 14 days from the chosen date |
| Cancellation | Up to 24 hours before | Free, up to 24 hours before |
| Wheelchair access | Yes | Partial |
Routes, Stops and the Montmartre Question
Each loop of Tootbus and Big Bus Paris takes about 2 hours 15 minutes, and they share most of their stops: the Louvre, Notre-Dame, Musée d’Orsay, the Champs-Élysées, Trocadéro and the Eiffel Tower.
The Tootbus Blue Line begins at Printemps and Galeries Lafayette, which helps if a shopping afternoon is part of the plan, and also stops at Concorde and Pont des Invalides. The Big Bus Red Route has its own stops at Champ de Mars and at the Grand and Petit Palais.
Montmartre isn’t included in any of the operator’s current routes. To see Montmartre, take Metro Line 2 to Anvers, or book the Tootbus and Montmartre tour combo, from around US$77.
Operating hours differ by about an hour at the end of the day. Tootbus runs until 6:30 PM and Big Bus until 5:30 PM, which matters to families who start late, or to anyone hoping to ride back after an afternoon in a museum.
What You Get on Board
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Tootbus runs its Paris fleet entirely on electricity or gas. Commentary is recorded in 10 languages, including Japanese and Arabic, with a separate track for children. The ticket also includes self-guided walking tours on your phone, one of them covering Emily in Paris filming locations. The tour is listed as wheelchair accessible.
Big Bus also has commentary in 10 languages, Korean among them, and free WiFi on board. Essential and Explore tickets add a VOX self-guided audio tour. Wheelchair access is partial, so travellers who need it should check with the operator before booking.
Both companies have apps that show where each bus is in real time.
Tootbus or Big Bus in Paris: Which to Book
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Book Tootbus if you’re travelling with children, staying three days or more, need wheelchair access, or want the buses running into the early evening. It also has the lower price range of the two, which makes it the best value Paris hop-on hop-off ticket for most trips.
Book Big Bus if your sightseeing day isn’t settled. You can also prefer Big Bus if a panoramic Paris night tour is in your itinerary. Its voucher is valid for 14 days from the date you choose, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. A Tootbus ticket, by contrast, has to be used on the booked date or earlier. Big Bus is also the simpler choice for a short stay where you want the bus and a river cruise on one ticket.
For a couple or solo traveller with a day or two and no interest in the cruise, the difference is small. Book whichever costs less on your dates.
Tips for Riding Either Bus: Tootbus or Big Bus Paris
- Start early and ride the whole loop before hopping off. Morning buses have more free seats on the top deck, and one full circuit shows you where every stop, which is located near major Paris attractions.
- Leave a buffer before any timed entry. Paris traffic slows both companies, routes can divert around closures, and in summer afternoon buses often arrive full at busy stops such as the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides. To get somewhere quickly, the Metro is faster.
- Check where your boarding stop is on the map or app before you set out. Stops aren’t always on the most obvious corner.
- Activate your pass on a dry day. Both passes run from first use, and the open top deck is the main attraction.
- On the first Sunday of each month the Champs-Élysées is closed to traffic, and the Tootbus stop there moves to 8 Avenue Kléber.
Booking Your Paris Sightseeing Tour Ticket
For most visitors, the Tootbus vs Big Bus Paris question has a clear answer: Tootbus. It starts at a lower price and runs until 6:30 PM, and its 3-day pass and family fare give families and longer stays more for their money. Big Bus wins on flexibility. If your plans could change, its 14-day voucher takes the pressure off, and the Essential and Explore tickets include the Seine cruise with nothing extra to add at checkout.
Whichever you book, plan your hop-off stops before you board. The Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay are on both routes, and our guide to the best museums in Paris will help you decide which deserve the time.
