It looks like I can buy tickets to these two museums online and print them out online. If I am thinking we will only go to these two museums while we are in Paris, is there any reason that we would be better off buying the museum pass?

No.

Well, now I don't think that the online ticket purchase will work. Is it possible to buy tickets to these two museums in advance in Paris so that we don't have to wait in line? If so, do we have to buy them at the museums? Or do they sell them at FNAC? And if so, is there a FNAC store near the Pantheon?

You can order them online thru the FNAC site and pick them up when you arrive in Paris. I never buy a museum pass because I never get my money's worth from then since after a few hours I develop culture overload.

Hi JJ,

Go to each museum the day before and buy your tickets. You won't have to wait on line.

You get them at the Musee D'Orsay at the side entrance.

We were at the Orangerie on the first Sunday in June, when it was free.

The line was about 80 people long, but moved rather quickly. Only about a 0:20 hr wait.

I looked at the FNAC site. Is there a way to look at it in English? Since I would need to go there anyway to pick up the ticket, is there an advantage to booking it online rather than just going and making the purchase there?

Anyone know if there is an FNAC store near the Pantheon, which is the area we are staying?

Unfortunately, we are a little short on time, which is why I am trying to do this in the most time efficient way. If we go to the museums the day before to buy the tickets, obviously we are retracing our steps the next day, which could be fine. Although I've been to the museums before, I can't quite recall the distance from them to our hotel.

Ira--How early did you get to the Orangerie?

I went to L'Orangerie a couple weeks ago, a weekday, we got there at about 10:00am, and no line! I think they recently started opening in the morning and the word must not have gotten out because there weren't many people in the museum either.

We were in Paris this first week of May and had no line at either museum. We went in the middle of the afternoon on weekdays. I was really worrying about that too and couldn't believe our luck.

Went to the Orangerie in mid April on one of the nights it was open until 7 p.m. Got there at 6 p.m.; there were just four people in the ticket line and plenty of walk around space inside to see the paintings.

Hi J,

>Ira--How early did you get to the Orangerie?<

About 11:00 on a day when it was free.

There's an FNAC on Blvd St Germain (at Saint-Michel). Not far at all from the Pantheon.

We bought our D'Orsay tickets at a tabac. (Would appreciate some input from others on this.) The tabac was just inside the underground entrance to the Louvre -- the entrance from the Palais-Royal metro stop. He sold us next day tickets for both the Louvre and D'Orsay...no markup.

Do other tabacs sell tickets? Or was he only able to do so due to his being in the Louvre complex?

We're back now. No line at either place! We went late morning to both museums.

Thanks for the update, jj