We recently pre-purchased tickets to Uffizi and were delighted to walk in at 9:00 despite the block-long line. Is pre-purchase or reservation possible at the Louvre or Musee d'Orsay?

I've never done a pre-purchase at either museum; someone who knows if that can be done can answer that question. Nevertheless, I've purchased the five-day "Paris Visit" Metro pass in the past and, unless the benefits have changed, that has gotten me into just about all museums free, including these two, thereby walking right in and not having to stand in line. <BR> <BR>If you're staying less than five days then the pass may not be economical. It's expensive, so you've got to ride the Metro quite a bit in order to come out ahead -- about five days worth.

Hi <BR>If you buy a Paris museum pass you can bypass the entrance lines. You can also order advance tickets just for the Louvre, I don't know if you can also do it for the Orsay. <BR>Check these websites <BR>www.intermusees.com/ Paris museum pass <BR>www.ticketweb.com Louvre tickets <BR>www.louvre.fr Louvre tickets and general Louvre info <BR> <BR>good luck <BR>

Anita, After posting my response yesterday I felt that I had left out something, so I checked my sounevirs from France (I keep all the junk I collect while on a trip). Well, my feelings were right -- I got the name of the card WRONG. <BR> <BR>The card to get is the "Carte Musees et Mounuments," the Paris museum pass. I've used it on two different trips. You can purchase them many places (I got mine at a metro station) and are good for 1, 3 or 5 CONSECUTIVE days. That's the disadvantageous part, 'consecutive;' the beneficial part is that you bypass all the lines and walk right in, as many times as you want. The card is good for just about every museum and monument: Louvre, d'Orsay, Arc de Triomphe, Pompidou, Pantheon, Napoleon's Tomb, Sanite Chapelle and on and on. They're pricy - the last 3-day card I purchased in '95 cost 140ff, about $22.00. But, this past December a ticket to the Louvre cost me around $7.00 for a one time visit. <BR> <BR>And the "Paris Visite?" that's still a good bargin because it's for unlimited travel.

I have just purchased the Paris museum pass on line at www.discoverfrance.com <BR>the prices were: 1 day $20, 3 days $39, 5 days $59.

<BR>The Paris Museum card can be purchased at a participating museum and in most subway stations. The charge for 1 day is 80 FF (about $12.50 at today's exchange rate), 3 days is 160 FF ($25) and 5 days 240 FF ($37.50).