I have plenty of time to buy a ticket for a late Oct performance at Paris' Garnier Opera House: True or False? (The opera is either Tosca or La Traviata, I've forgotten which--the other is at the Bastille.)

I don't plan to seek a premium seat, as I mainly want to enjoy basking in the glory of "the house." I've taken a look inside the empty bldg but never seen an opera there.

Is there a "best" place to buy tickets online with a minimum of fuss and surcharges?

Merci.

I purchased our tickets to the last ballet of the season last summer directly through their website. I received my tickets in the mail about one week later. There must have been an English translation, as I'm not a French speaker.... No problem whatsoever. I bought inexpensive seats as I was there for the experience of seeing the Chagall ceiling, the marble staircases, the excitement of it all. And it lived up to my expectations. I would purchase the tickets now for your Oct. visit as that can be a very busy time of year. Why be disappointed in case it sells out or... only very expensive tickets are left. Enjoy!

Thanks, but when I tried to purchase at the Paris Opera website, I was surprised to find tickets were on sale only through July performances--not October, even though the Oct/Nov/Dec schedules were posted elsewhere on the site.

We are waiting to purchase for a September Tosca experience and internet tickets (which are the first available) don't go on sale until July 4th. It is at Bastille of course.
Last time I got up at 3:00 am (9 am Paris time) and got through after a few tries. We had wonderful tickets center, main level. The experience was worth every sou and we certainly scored wonderful tickets.
Same day tickets can be had but I guess there is some risk and you have noted that location is not all that important.
Best and first place to get them is website. Register ahead so you are all set and go through the process (pretend) especially if your French is as bad as mine.

The only place to buy tickets without a surcharge is their own website. Sometimes they won't sell the real cheap seats online, either, but they do cheaper ones.

Thanks. Good advice to pre-register, which I guess means opening an acct and taking a password.
How can I find out the precise date that tickets will become available for the week of October 28, any idea?

Exactly for registering.
Going to www.operadeparis.fr
You go to calendrier
change in window to Oct 200t
Click on La Traviata

The following comes up:
Première 15 oct. 2007 19h30
Représentations 18, 21 (14h30), 24, 27, 30 oct., 2, 5, 8, 11 (14h30) nov. 2007 19h30
Prix des places 160€, 160€, 110€, 65€, 39€, 21€, 10€, 7€
Ouverture des réservations individuelles
La Traviata dans votre abonnement 07-08 >>>
Internet 4 juil. 2007, Correspondance 4 juil. 2007, Téléphone 27 août 2007, Guichets 10 sept. 2007

Those dates at the bottom are the dates for availability of tickets by mail or internet
telphone
ticket sellers
(so Jul 4 for internet)
You have a choice of €7 to 160 (I think €7 are standing)
I had trouble finding a seating plan and the seats are not numbered as we are used to in NA, but I guess you go by price and faith, remembering that whatever and where ever, you are going to have a wonderful time

Thanks for both your efficiency and your optimism, robjame.

Bastille opera is said to be the only opera theatre that has no "blind" seats Maybe that's why they don't number them ..because in each range of price the view is more or less the same.