Buy tickets in advance?
 

Hi,

For those hot sites, I know I'd better buy tickets before arrive.

I heard people might have to hours to get in Louvre. From its web site, I find out I can buy in advance from some department stores or major train stations.

Can I buy it in the Gare du Nord station (Eurostar from London)? Or any stores close to Louvre? or do I have to get it in advance?

thanks a lot!

Hi jz-

I'm not quite sure which ticket you are planning to buy.

You can either buy:
Single ticket to Louvre
or
Musee Carte (for 1, 3, or 5 days) which allow access to multiple museums & monuments in Paris + environs

For the single ticket, from Louvre's website, it looks like you can now buy it in advance via a ticket agent. For a € 8,50 ticket, the ticket agent charges $ 13.92 if you want it to be sent to you in the US. The website also lists a number of department stores in Paris where you can buy the ticket in advance. With the advance ticket, you can jump the queue at Louvre.

For the musee carte, you can purchase it at any metro stations.

You can buy the Paris Museum Pass in the departure lounge at Waterloo staion before you get on the Eurostar. That's where I usually buy it and use up some of my last £ before heading off to euro land . . . . . .

You can also buy them on line and they come in the mail to your house in just a few days. I did this in March. The following is copied right from their website (www.louvre.fr, wait for the introduction to finish and you can choose "English", then in the column on the left is "buy tickets" option):

"To jump the queue in front of the pyramid or at the ticket offices, all you need to do is to buy your ticket in advance. You can either choose to receive it by mail, or collect it from one of the shops belonging to the chain where you ordered it.

Tickets sold in advance are not available at the Louvre. The entrance ticket to the museum is valid for an unlimited period of time.

Those holding tickets allow you to enter the Louvre Museum without waiting, via the entrance in the passage Richelieu (between the Place du Palais Royal and the Cour Napoléon, the Place of the pyramid, 9am-6pm), or via the shopping area Carrousel du Louvre (access through 99, rue de Rivoli or the Carrousel garden). You can then proceed directly to the checkpoint at the entrance of the collections.

Home sending A commission is added to the price of the ticket to cover running costs. You can have tickets sent to your home by paying an extra postal fee. Please note that tickets will be sent by TicketWeb (payable in US Dollars) within North America only. Tickets sent by FNAC or TicketNet (payable in EUR, also tickets for temporary exhibitions) will be sent from Paris (France)."

Enjoy your trip.

topping

Just got back from Paris. Bought the Musee Carte at a metro station. It was great--free admission plus you just go to the head of the line. I used it at Ste. Chappelle, Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, Pompidou, Conciergerie. Plus, my kids who are under 18 and therefore eligible for free admission just came right along with me. No waiting at all. --Leslie