Only 3 days in Paris - is there a way to avoid the dreadfully long lines?!
 

Last winter I was in Paris, and ended up skipping the sites I most wanted to see because the lines were 1-2 hours long! With such a short time there I didn't want to waste any of it queueing. Is there a museum pass or something one can buy to avoid lines? I will be visiting again this mid-April and really don't want to skip the Ste Chappelle again. Thanks!

There are 1 day, 3 day and 5 day museum passes. The passes provide access to many museums and to Ste. Chapelle. You can purchase a pass at some Metro stations and at the museums covered by the pass. The pass allows you to bypass lines but you will have to pass through security at most of the sites and there is normally a shorter line there as well. We've found that it goes faster if you don't carry a purse.

Depending on how many musuems you use the pass for you can save some money but the line skipping part is what makes the pass valuable to me. I have seen block-long lines standing in the rain and I sailed right past them with the musuem pass. You can get it at metro stations as well as other places.

OK, I'm curious. When in the winter that you encountered lines that long?

I'm curious too.
1-2 hour lines for Ste Chapelle in winter? That would be odd even for the Eiffel Tower, which has the longest lines of all sights usually. I was there this past January and essentially there were no lines anywhere. Was there some special event going on?

I have bought a museum pass only once in summer because of really long lines for the Orsay and I really wanted to go without planning ahead. However, I also have never waited 1-2 hours to get into Sainte Chapelle, and I was there in July just two years ago. I think mp413 is just guessing they are that long, maybe they just looked bad and sometimes move quicker than you think. I have seen lines outside the Louvre or Orsay that were 1-2 blocks long probably, but not Sainte Chapelle.

But it sounds like the museum card is a good idea for you if you don't mind the cost and plan to visit a lot of things. I have found lines to be minimal problem when museums first open, even the Orsay in peak tourist season.

Sorry, I should have mentioned that it was over New Year's! I would imagine that's the only period in winter that Paris is that crowded with tourists. I didn't wait in the lines, so I don't know exactly how long they were - but for Sainte Chappelle they looked extremely long, and we watched for a few minutes and they didn't move at all. We also sat and drank a bottle of wine on a bench facing Notre Dame and admired the exterior rather than waiting in line, and that line, even at dusk, seemed to be over an hour long. Thanks for letting me know about the museum pass though, I will definitely be buying one upon arrival!

What time were you trying to visit different sites? We've always made a point of visiting the "must see" locations first thing in the morning. As in, they open at 9 we're there a bit before 9... Trying to get into a museum or church around 2pm or so is nver fun- or fast!
Plan to vist early and you SHOULD be ok. Sleep in and eat a long breakfast (ok, if that's what you enjoy!!) and be prepared to wait with all the other slowpokes.

We were in Paris this past week. There were no terrible long lines.
I would recommend an Access Paris, Fodors Paris or any Paris guide book that appeals to you..that will help answer a lot of your questions regarding passes etc.
Have a great time!

oh, that explains it. Yes, any major tourist attraction or museum is very very crowded on public holidays, so they are the worst. I remember going to the Louvre once as it was open on Bastille Day, and the lines were so long and it was so crowded that I felt suffocating in just a few minutes checking things out. So, I left and went to the Pompidou. Even though the line was fairly long there as it was one of the few major museums open on that holiday, I still only waited about a half hour.

Even with a pass, I wouldn't want to go to any of those places on a holiday or when it is free.

We'll be in Paris on the first Sunday of April, when many museums are free. How bad do you suppose the lines will be then? We have been to many already, so no pressure to go that day. I guess we can play it by ear since we are not making any real "plans" for the week.