Paris Museum pass for convenience
 

We arrive in Paris Friday May 2 and leave May 12. It looks like many museums are free on the first Sunday of the month which is great. My guess is we will do the Rodin and Orsay that Sunday. I understand that the museum pass needs to be used on consecutive days. I know we won't want to go to a museum that first day. We are planning a day trip to Reims (bus tour that only goes on certain days but takes us to a couple champagne houses) and one to Versaille. All that to say that I am having trouble figuring to have two days in a row in Paris for museums. Is it really a great convenience to have the museum pass in terms of avoiding waiting in line? I know we will want to go to the Orsay, Orangerie, Rodin, Notre Dame and Pompidou. We have done St. Chapelle, Louvre, Marmottan and Orsay before.

I'm not sure the museum pass is ever worth it but I don't like to do too many museums in 1 day.

You can buy a combined ticket to the Orsay and Rodin (must be used in the same day) on line for 13.60 euro. It's good for 1 year from the date of purchase. You can do either an eticket or have the tickets sent in the mail.

When I went to the Orangerie there was no line around 2:30 - 3:00 when I left the museum.

I am pretty sure you can use the pass for Versaille. I am wondering the same thing about the pass re: skipping the lines.

Very worth it. Waltzing past the long lines is wonderful. When at Notre Dame, go have a peek at Ste.-Chappelle.

So, it sounds like you're asking if it's worth getting the Museum Pass for:

Pompidou
Orangerie
Notre Dame

Since you mentioned you're going to Orsay and Rodin on the free Sunday.

There will be a line at Orangerie - you can buy a ticket in advance at an FNAC shop, I believe. Or, you can consider going later in the day (I think one day of the week it's open late) to avoid the crowd.

For Pompidou, I don't think there's usually a line.

For Notre Dame, I assume you mean the Towers. There's no line-jumping with the Museum Pass.

So in your case, it probably is not worthwhile for you to get a pass and then try to cram everything in 2 days.

For Versailles, you can get the Forfait Lorsiars (?sp) ticket, which includes r/t metro & RER, admission, and audioguide. You can jump the line with the Forfait Lorsiars ticket.

I would <u>definitely</u> re-think going to the Musee d'Orsay on the free first Sunday. That is what everyone else will be doing. It is very crowded just about every day, but on free days it is VERY, <b>VERY</b> crowded . . . .

I think the museum pass is very much worth the cost. You can use it for Versailles, too. I'd guess we saved at least 30 minutes at the Orsay as far as waiting in line goes. There were no lines at the Orangerie, but long lines at the Pompidou, as well as at the Louvre and the Orsay. We were there for 8 days and got the 6-day pass. It was great being able to pop in at, for instance, Napoleon's Tomb and the Arc de Triomphe and not have to debate about going or not, since we'd already paid. You can buy the pass at CDG when you arrive. I would economize in other areas in order to have the museum pass.