mtnkaren

I have never been to Paris before, and am curious as to what the crowds will be like in the latter half of April. Will I be standing in line to get into the most popular attractions and restaurants? Should I purchase tours ahead of time to avoid the lines?

Christina

well, you rarely have to stand in line to get into any restaurant, if you do, that is your choice and if you don't make reservations. There are a couple that don't take reservations where you might do that if it is your choice. I've never done it and would never stand in line for a restaurant, and I've been there at very busy times of the year. I think I did stand in line a little at some falafel joint in the Marais (with a window, not a sitdown place).

April is probably not as busy as June-July for adults, unless you are thinking of Easter time. A lot of people may go for a holiday then to Paris andd it's busy. Easter is April 16th this year. I would avoid Easter week and ideally some time after Easter (that Monday is also a holiday, so people may get a long weekend).

And you also have school spring break to deal with. It varies across France but covers the entire month. In the Paris Region, it is the first two weeks of April, in Burgundy and some other regions, it is the last 2 weeks. In Provence and to the east of Paris (ie, Champagne, Alsace), it is the middle 2 weeks.

I wouldn't purchase a tour to avoid a line, if you want, you can purchase a ticket in advance to some site or museum where you want to go.

Robert2016

You should always purchase your tickets ahead of time, but this can be done the day before, depending on where you plan of visiting. Many Parisians (including school groups) visit museums on a regular basis, especially when there is a special exhibit. We were amazed at how large the crowd was at the Musée de l'Orangerie a couple of weeks ago for a special exhibit of American painting from "La Pejnture Ameriçain Desannees 1930", the Age of Anxiety, which had been running for 4 months. It ended 30 Jan.

You should always make your restaurant reservations in advance. Again, this can be done the day before, or weeks out, depending on where you want to dine.

WoinParis

I hardly ever reserve a restaurant and yet I eat every week.
If you want a specific restaurant a reservation can be useful but don't think for a minute that you won't find a good rstaurant without a reservation.

Ah the falafels in the marais... yes some lines some times...

greg

It depends on which are your "popular" attractions. Many of them allow you to pre-purcahse tickets, but they lock you into visiting within defined entry windows.

I don't know where you are coming from. Nicer restaurants especially for dinner, don't have a concept of waiting queue. They either have a table available for you or not. If there is no table, there is no second seating and no amount of waiting would get you a table.

Belinda

I reserve restaurants all the time. You can book online much of the time, either on the restaurant's website or on thefork.com. There are plenty of my favorite restaurants you won't get into without a reservation. But that doesn't mean you'll go hungry if you don't have a reservation.

What kind of tours are you talking about? If you mean a tour to Giverny or something, yes, book on line.

mtnkaren

What I want to know is are there long lines for stuff like the Eiffel Tower, Musee' d'Orsay, Lourve, Catacombs, etc.? If so, so the Paris Pass eliminate those lines, or does buying your tickets ahead of time eliminate them? Are the lines to pay or to get in? Perhaps local tour companies are using the threat of long lines to get you to buy their product when you're halfway around the world and ignorant. I just don't know. Because I'm halfway around the world. And ignorant. Ha!

Edward2005

The lines you sometimes see are to buy tickets, but the Museum Pass will let you bypass those lines. There may still be security lines which can't be bypassed.

Some museums will be jammed packed regardless which (for me) reduces my ability to appreciate the art. Passes can't help with that, so it's best to go very early or late to minimize the crowds.

You can bypass the ET lines by buying a ticket ahead of time for a particular time slot.

fuzzbucket

Don't confuse any other "Paris Pass" with the "Paris Museum Pass".
If you want to avoid long admission lines, this is what you should buy. You can purchase it at the first museum you visit. There are always signs marking the way for "Pass Holders", but everyone must go through Security lines.
It would be a good idea to leave backpacks and large tote bags at your lodging on the day you plan to visit museums.

I wouldn't advise buying advance tickets for the Eiffel Tower, because the platforms might be closed for inclement weather. You can usually walk right up and purchase them in person.

bvlenci

The last time we were in Paris was at the end of April, several weeks after Easter, a few years ago. It was more crowded than I expected. I had been in Paris once before at that time of year, but things have greatly changed in the past decade.

We didn't plan a trip to the Louvre, but at the Musée d'Orsay, there was quite a queue, although not a terribly long wait. We had thought of visiting Notre Dame, but changed our minds when we saw the crowd waiting to get in. (We had both been there before.) We waited over an hour to get into Sainte-Chapelle. I would have abandoned that, but my husband had never been there.

As in most major cities, there are lots of wonderful museums that don't get crowded.

We never waited to get into a restaurant, and never were turned away. But we don't seek out restaurants that have acquired a name.

We're thinking of going to Paris for Christmas this year, with the whole family (eight of us). I'd love to show my granddaughter some of the iconic sights, but I have a feeling it will be very crowded at that time of year.