Alice9

We'll in Paris the last 5 days of May. I've been hearing that I need to book many things ahead. On previous trips (the last one was pre-pandemic), I would book a day or two ahead. Has that changed? I'm thinking that the Eiffel Tower, Musee D'Orsay might need to be booked earlier. What about the Rodin Museum (one of my favorites)? I'm not sure about the Louvre this trip but I'll assume that would be on the list as well. I would assume it would be best to book directly with the place, and it's basically to get in the 'quick' line, is that right?

Thanks for your help.
Alice

Travel_Nerd

If you want to head to any major site, and I'd count Musee Rodin among them, it is advisable to book in advance. If there is availability for any of these sites now, I'd do it asap. Some landmarks release time slots in stages (Catacombs, for instance, a week in advance, others open up earlier).

Admittedly, I have not checked to see if timed entry is available for Musee Rodin but given that it is such a small museum, they may require/recommend it for crowd control.

If you at all might think about Louvre, it may be advisable to decide sooner rather than later.

FWIW, my friend and her son traveled to Paris the last week of May 2023 and did not heed my advice to book. They had to miss the d'Orsay as a result. YMMV

Alice9

Thanks Travel_Nerd, I will get busy and book. It's sort of a shame, I'd rather plan when to go where based on the weather - I hate to spend a beautiful day inside, but it is what it is. I'll spend some time figuring out where we want to be each day, and book our timeslots.

Thanks so much for your help.
Alice

Christina

Rodin Museum doesn't have reserved time slots. You can buy a ticket but it's good for a year or something. the only reason to buy online (which you could do day before) would be so you wouldn't have to stand in line at the box office when you got there.

On the other hand, they have a combined ticket to the Rodin and Orsay but you can only buy it in person. If you have that, you don't need to reserve the Orsay, there is a separate line (it's treated like the Paris Museum Pass in that regard). It is cheaper than buying the two separately.

You have to reserve Eiffel Tower in advance. That's the main one that would be weather dependent. I think they release some closer to the date even if they look sold out far in advance. I guess the Rodin if you care about the gardens. In short, you don't have to reserve the Rodin so can go when it looks ok, or reserve online shortly before when you trust the weather if that's the issue.

raincitygirl

I would book as soon as possible and be prepared for lots of crowds. My friend was just at the Louvre April 7 with pre booked tickets and still had to stand in a huge line-I guess for the security check. She said buses were constantly pulling up and dropping people off. The photos she took of it showed insane numbers of people.

Alice9

Christina, thanks so much. Helpful to know about a combined Rodin/D'orsay ticket I can get when we're there. Sounds like I should get the Eiffel Tower one now (all the times we've been to Paris, we've never gone UP the ET). Still deciding whether to go to the Louvre, we only have 5 days.

Alice

Alice9

raincitygirl, I was afraid of that. There's really no shoulder season anymore.
Thanks, Alice

raincitygirl

Yes it's so true Alice, no shoulder season anymore, despite the crowds my friend had a very good time in Paris.
Another friend was just in Italy for 3 weeks from end of March: Sardinia-no crowds, Rome-very crowded, Venice-loads of crowds, Florence-very crowded - in those 3 places they felt they were in a giant herd of people. However, they ended their trip on the Amalfi and wonder of wonders it was not crowded and they loved it.

Alice9

Christina, I looked at the Rodin Museum online, and you can only buy the combined pass in person. So we could do that when we got there. We DEFINITELY want to go both there and to Musee D'Orsay, so that seems the best way. I'm not sure the Museum Pass will be worth it for us, I have to see how many museums we're going to.
Alice