Kids free to most museums?

The children just go with you. I don't get why you think they are trying to get you to buy a ticket for children. If they wanted you to do that, they would just eliminate free entry for children.

At the Louvre your kids just go with you into the security line (which is different than the ticket line. Everyone must go through security.) they do not need any paperwork to get in free. The one place that I know of where they need to pick up a pass in order to get in free is Napoleon's Tomb and Army Museum. However, there is not usually a line there so it adds minimal time. I hope that helps and have a great time!

The second place where you stop at the ticket window for a free kid's ticket is the Arc de Triomphe. Not the major museums.

Kids just walk in with you in the French museums on the Paris Museum pass. Don't book on any middle man type sites -- just pick up a museum pass when you get to Paris. If you want to do the kings apartments at Versailles as a way of skipping the horrendous lines there (it has a separate reserved line) then they have to have a ticket for that as it is not free but their entry to the chateau is free while you need a pass or ticket. I believe they also need a ticket for the gardens on fountain days but will be free to the Trianon and Hameau at Versailles.

Be sure your kids have ID, particularly the 16 year old. We used a copy of the passport. Our 14 year old was never asked and just walked in with us but a child who looks like they might be 18 might be asked for ID.

If you are on a site encouraging you to book for the kids then you are on some sort of middleman site that will just make your trip more expensive. If you are looking at Paris Passes -- don't. This is a tourist trap and you will get what you need -- transport and museum pass more cheaply by just buying those items instead of buying an expensive package. They just bundle ordinary museum pass and Paris Visite transport pass and add a few other coupons and charge a fee for that.

You can book Seine cruises on Vedettes pont Neuf on line and get a coupon good any time you want to go (they are differentiated between day and evening) and save a couple of Euro (everyone needs a ticket) Everyone will need a ticket on the Eiffel Tower -- don't know if the kids get a reduced rate.

For transport your kids are adults except on weekend. Children's tickets are for those 4-9. If you are there mostly between Monday and Sunday of one week for several days then get everyone a Navigo Decouverte pass, by far the most economical and fleixible travel option; it will take you anywhere you want to go in the region including Versailles and Disneyland (not recommending that, just saying) You need postage stamp sized head shots which you can do on your computer and print before you go. (25/30 mm). If your trip falls over a weekend then this won't work well. The kids can get Ticket Juene' day passes on Saturday and Sunday for half price and everyone can use ordinary bus/metro tickets in Paris for 10 (carnet) for 14.10 If you are going with the carnet of tickets then buy 2 when you arrive and everyone has 5 -- buy another if you need it. This is just for Paris; if you go outside Paris you buy specific point to point tickets for where you are going. That costs roughly 15 Euro to and from Disney, 20 to and from the CDG and about 7 Euro to and from Versailles. (you buy two tickets for each place - to and from)

Be sure if you don't have a pass that you retain your validated ticket until you exit the station when traveling the metro, bus or RER as you can be checked at any time and the fee is huge and on the spot if you don't have a valid ticket. We average one check a week in Paris but on our last trip we did get checked 3 times in one week. So you may not be checked but it does happen

Happy travels

janettravels44
www.janettravels.wordpress.com