Best way to purchase FastPass for museums in Paris and Eiffel Tower.

As far as museums go, the Museum Pass gets you in with out standing in line to buy tickets, you just show it and go in. Most museums have security checks, and there is no way to skip those.

Most museums especially the crowded ones like the Louvre, Orsay, Orangerie have special security lines for pass holders and ticket holders so there is a 'a way' to avoid the longest security lines. In my experience, the Carrousel line at the Louvre is faster than even the designated security line at the Pyramid so I use that even if I have a ticket.

The Eiffel Tower sells timed tickets about 92 days out; they go quickly. If you want to walk up to the second floor, you will usually find shorter lines for that. You buy the 7 Euro ticket at the base and can buy a combo ticket that includes the elevator from 2 to 3 for an additional 6 Euro. The prices are all going up a lot at the Eiffel Tower, so this may be higher by the time you get there.

thank you for your responses. Just to clarify.. is a Museum Pass the same as a Fast Track pass? Where is the best place to buy a Museum Pass.. online or at the local Tourism office in Paris?
thanks!

Fast track pass? Only in Disneyland. The Museum Pass is what you want. It will enable you to bypass the ticket lines. The Eiffel Tower is not part of the Museum Pass and tickets best purchased through their website as far in advance as possible, especially if you want to go to the summit.

I don't bother with ordering the Paris Museum Pass online because you have to pay shipping. It is just as easy to purchase it in Paris. You can get it at one of the museums that has less of a line or you may be able to get it at a Tabac shop near your hotel. I had usually gotten mine at Les Invalides because there is rarely a line there but in Sept my travel friend suggested we stop at the Tabac at the end of the street and we were able to get both the Paris Museum Pass (2, 4 or 6 days) and our Navigo Decouverte (Paris Metro transport pass). You may also be able to get a Museum pass at your hotel. The hotel I usually stay in sells the 2-day passes but not the 4 or 6 day passes.

You can also get it at a Tourist Information office.

http://en.parismuseumpass.com/

Keep in mind what Janet says - the pass gets you out of the line to purchase tickets but does not allow you to skip the security line. Some museums have separate security lines for pass-holders while others do not.

Just to clarify.. is a Museum Pass the same as a Fast Track pass?
Where is the best place to buy a Museum Pass.. online or at the local
Tourism office in Paris? thanks!

Never heard of a fast track pass. And I've never heard of a fast pass outside of a Disney park. The only way to expedite your entry into most sites is with a pre-purchased ticket or (if you will go to enough sites covered by the pass to justify it's cost) the Museum pass. The Eiffel Tower is not included in the pass. You can buy the Museum pass at any of the included museums or at the TI offices. But don't buy it at one of the busier museums - you'll just end up standing in the long line that you're trying to avoid. We bought ours at the Pantheon, because it was right beside our hotel. No line at all there. I'd recommend that you buy yours at a smaller, less popular site close to where you're staying. Buy your Eiffel tower tickets online, as early as possible.

The only line that you can skip is the line to purchase tickets. As previously stated, there is also a separate entry line for pass holders or holders of pre-purchased tickets at many sites. These are usually shorter than the other line for those who purchased their tickets on site. NO ONE can skip the security lines. But they move quickly.

Can't help you with tour company names. We did Versailles just by taking the RER train there. And we did Giverny and the Normandy beaches by car. But not as day trips.

Best place I have found to buy the Museum Pass is at the TI at CDG when I arrive.
There is one at most of the terminals as you exit the baggage area.

Generally no lines and knowledgeable service.

Also to make best use of your pass be aware of the museums that have late hours. Louvre, Arch de Triomphe and the Musee d'Orsay are especially empty during those late hours.

I'll second that - we bought ours at the airport upon arrival at the Tourist info desk.
We bought the 7 day pass and didn't scratch off the start date until the first day we used it.

Bought our Museum Pass at the Tabac in the Louvre shopping area below the food court. Went right up to the cash register. Easy.

"Also wanting to do day trips to Giverny and Versailles and Normandy. Hotel suggested Euroscope Tours? Any one have experience using them?"

No personal experience with Euroscope Tours, and I haven't visited these places.

But for Giverny and Versailles, Rick Steves Paris has exact directions for how to do these on your own, which will be cheaper and allow you to spend as much or as little time at the attractions as you want. You can of course take an organized tour if you prefer.

For Normandy, that's a lot harder to do in a single day from Paris, due to the distance, as it's several hours from Paris each way. Even on an organized tour, you'll just hit a few things. When most North Americans say "Normandy," they're thinking of D-Day related sights; even these are spread over a large area. So, before trying to do this as a day trip, look carefully at where a tour goes and make sure it's what you want to see. If the area really interests you, you'll probably do better with at least one overnight. Many report that Bayeux makes a good base, as there are lots of day tours from there that can be more comprehensive than day tours from Paris (while still having to be selective).

I highly recommend you get Rick Steves Paris; the 2018 edition is already out, and it's even on sale on this website: https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/paris-guidebook. It will not only answer your questions about museum passes and day trips, but all kinds of other things you didn't even know to ask.