Trying to get a sense of what lines will be like at Louve and other museums the next 2 weeks.. Here in NYC, I see more tourists this week. Trying to decide if museum pass is worth it to avoid the lines. Anyone know? Tx
Posted by
Chicago
7903 posts
Any advanced ticket with a time to enter is better than just showing up to the museums everyone has heard of no matter the time of year.
Posted by
64 posts
Personal experience 2 days ago. We purchased tix from the Louvre website for 930 a.m. We walked past a couple of hundred people in line.
By tix for 9 or 930 because by 10 tour groups start arriving by the busload and the crowd at the quick entry gate can get bad.
BTW, wear very light loose clothing. It got uncomfortably hot in the pyramid and the Mona area.
Posted by
Chicago
8092 posts
Most museums in Paris do not have timed tickets and having a ticket ahead gives you access to a different security line. At the Louvre you can get a timed ticket; we don't -- we just use the Carrousel entrance and get tickets from the machines and haven't had long lines, but in peak season you will so a timed ticket is a good idea.
The Museum Pass doesn't let you avoid the security line but it does give access to what may be a much shorter one. This is definitely true at the Orsay. At the Louvre it gives you access to the ticketed line at the Pyramid which is often blocks long; when we have had timed tickets for an exhibit or whatever we have still used the Carrousel entrance rather than futzing with the Pyramid designated line.
Note that at the Louvre you don't need a ticket to enter the secure area; tickets are shown at the entrances to the wings. So the only line issue is being able to use the one designated line for pass/ticket holders at the Pyramid; all other entrances you don't show tickets. And the main line at the Pyramid requires no ticket.