Louvre tickets

This should work but no one has experience with this yet so keep alert to new information. The incompetence of Louvre management in this whole process means everything is unpredictable. But you did what you are supposed to do; it should work.

je

We're going in October, too! I pre-purchased our Museum Passes online from City Vision that have to be picked up in Paris. When I went to reserve our entry time for the Louvre, I wasn't sure what to put in the blank either. I ended up typing in the voucher number from the email receipt & it went through.

Update: Specifically for those who want to book a timed-entry ticket online PRIOR to actually buying your PMPass:

I reserved my first set of tickets just a few days ago. I made a second attempt today to reserve 2 tickets because I didn't trust the way I did it the first time (printout was generic-looking--although from the official Louvre website--no barcodes, neither of our names, etc.)
Indeed, I got completely different-looking tickets this time. I don't think my first "tickets" would have been valid.

When went into the FAQ section on the Louvre's website (www.louvre.fr) it states that in order for tickets to be valid, each ticket MUST state the ticketholder's first and last name clearly, and also show a barcode. (My first tickets had none of this--in hindsight, it looks like it was just a printout of my in-process order showing what was in my "shopping basket" ).

Here's how I booked them the second time-- at no charge, with both of those requirements and without having our PMPs in hand:

First, make sure when you create your personal account on the Louvre website that you include your telephone number on the page that asks for your basic info: name, address, etc. --even though there is no asterisk indicating that this number is required.

Once your account is set up and you are ready get your timed entry ticket, go to home page and click on "Buy advance tickets". Scroll down to "Paris Museum Pass holders" option. (Don't click on "Individual Tickets" option, which won't get you what you need and requires payment.) Go directly to the "PMP Holder" option--even if you don't intend to buy your pass until you get to Paris.

Then pick the date, time, and number of tickets you want. Then they'll ask you for the first and last name for each ticket holder, as well as a "N de Series". Obviously without having your pass in hand yet, you won't have a series number to enter in there. But when I put my cursor in the empty box, I noticedto the right of the box was a little head with a down arrow. When I clicked on that, the only drop-down option was actually my cellphone number, so I clicked on that, which it accepted.

I was then able to proceed to submitting my ticket order. I downloaded and printed out tickets with our full names and barcodes on each one. These tickets will then be scanned along with the presentation of our PMPs. Which we will actually have when we get to the Louvre!

Hope this is helpful to someone out there .I just happened to go into the site to see if there were any changes, and in going through the motions again, completely stumbled into being able to submit my order without a PMP serial number.

Now I worry that the serial number on my timed entry ticket (which autofilled as my cellphone number--the way I was able to purchase it at no charge in my post earlier today) won't match the actual serial number on the Museum Pass I will purchase in Paris--obviously the PMP serial number will be something different.

I understand that after you go through security, you go directly to the wing you want to start in and scan your ticket/passes there for entry to the museum itself. Maybe these will have to match? We'll have photo IDs with us, so hopefully it will all cross check okay.

Aside--is the Carrousel entry still the best, most expedient one to go to for the initial security line?

Suzanne, I will try this and will be there a week later. Please post if it works for you so the rest of us will be forewarned. Thanks for all the information.

Laurie Beth-- I am still mulling over the viability of how I acquired the tickets, despite the barcode and name identification they each have. Depending on whether anyone else tries this in the next 2 or 3 weeks and reports that it works, I may backtrack yet again and just cough up the 17 euros apiece to get the timed tickets--without trying to utilize the PMP at all.

Although mkzoomer bought the PMP from CityVison ahead of time and will pick their tickets up in Paris, I looked at City Vision site and neither of their pick up locations (2) and opening times are convenient for us, especially as we want to use our PMPs first thing in the morning on the first day we are there (an hour before the pick up locations open).

Having them shipped to my home ahead of time costs 24 euros plus 7 euros (some other fee)---this is still an option, I guess, and I would have them in hand and be able to use the actual serial number of course. But the cost is so irritating. So as you see I'm still in limbo. I thought about contacting the Louvre with my questions, and that just seems like a giant rabbit hole and communication nightmare.

I received a reply to this topic from someone else who stated they were having a lot of trouble even setting up their Louvre account, and had to attempt this over and over again to successfully submit their info. I too had trouble with this, but after 5 attempts I was able to submit my info by selecting "Ms." as the identifier before my name. I don't think this had an asterisk next to it, making it a required field for input, but regardless, that did the trick for me. Might be a clue to the trouble they were having. Sigh.

Suzanne, I think I have been successful in setting up my Louvre account as I got an email from them. On TripAdvisor I found a discussion that said the serial number is required. They quoted an email they received from the Louvre. I have been many times before and may just chance hoping I can get online tickets when I arrive at Gare duNord and buy my pass and have the serial # (for later in the week), but my sister and BiL are going on their probably one and only trip to Paris and I think I will advise them to bite the bullet and just buy a timed ticket. If they can also get a timed ticket after they arrive in Paris and have the museum pass in hand, they'll just have the opportunity to go twice. I usually went for more than one short visit in the past as you could with the museum pass, but I guess those halcyon days are over.

Suzanne, I have created my account successfully but when I am not seeing that drop down with my phone #. which browser were you using? it is simple box for me with *. ( N° de série: *)

anyone else who is successfully able to to book time slot without PMP at hand?

I have also successfully obtained a reserved time slot, albeit without a PMP and using my cell number, from the web site. (I figure that I'll attempt to obtain another reserved time slot when I've actually purchased my PMP when I arrive in Paris.) The e-ticket I received states that I enter the museum via the Pyramid entrance. Does anyone know whether access to the museum via the underground mall entrance can be used with the PMP and the reserved time slot ticket?

All
I picked up the museum pass as the Orsay, yesterday with the very clear advice that you need to prebook attendance times.
The attendance reservation uses the same payment engine as ticket purchase, but obviously having a null euro value.
While these were executed , and creating an account is necessary, with the museum pass number( white font, black background) not the PMP number ( red font white background) required. My thoughts are that next time , knowing this that I would organise the louvre either at the start or at the end, and just buy the tickets outright, as I now have an active account. Though my view is Passes are for their Skip the line value, extra museums being available a pleasant bonus.

I will also say, creating accounts when on line purchasing is the rule rather than the exception, so Louvre is no different.

Regards

BG--When setting up your account, you should get 3 separate lines asking for info: 1) first name, 2) last name, 3) "No.de serial" (the serial number on your PMP). The little head and arrow with the drop down of my cell phone # was in the right-hand side of this box--at least when I did it. There is not a separate box asking for your cell phone #. That was already entered in an earlier stage of setting up your account.

I use Safari as my search engine, and then I think either Google or Bing got me to the official Louvre website. Hope that helps!

A friend and I both were able to book a time as well by entering our 10 digit phone numbers in the spot for the PMP serial number. Both of us will be picking up our museum passes when we arrive in Paris. Hopefully our reserved times will be honored.

I have been dealing with this new requirement for two weeks and here is what I learned. First I ordered two Paris Museums Passes online and selected the option to retrieve the passes when we arrive in Paris. Then I went online to the Louvre website and ordered tickets for a timed entry with the Museum Pass. It required me to enter a series number from the Museum Pass but since I did not have the passes I entered the number from the purchase receipt thinking all was well. However to be on the safe side I contacted both the Paris Info office where I purchased the passes and the Louvre to ask if that would work. Both of them told me very specifically that I must wait until I received my passes and enter the series number (the number that appears below the bar code) in the space for the no. de series or I would not be allowed to enter the Louvre with the Museum Pass. I then contacted the Paris Info office again ask them if they could give me the series numbers from the passes. They could not because the passes are selected at random when they are retrieved or mailed but they said I could cancel my order and place a new order and have the passes sent to my home address so I would have the series numbers from the passes to enter in the application for the timed entry tickets. It cost 24 euro to have the passes sent to a US address but it guarantees that you will have the correct numbers for the timed entry tickets.
I I agree with someone said the management was not very efficient in handling this change but it appears that they intend to enforce the new requirement by checking all Museum Passes and timed entry tickets to make sure they have matching numbers.

BTW, I forgot to add that it the passes where sent from the Paris Tourist Office the next business day by DHL and I received them four days later. Here is a copy of the response I received from the Louvre when i contacted them about the correct number:

Hello Edward,
Thank you for your message
You need to use the number below the bar code, the series number.
To be able to access the Louvre museum, you must now book the date and time of your visit free of charge, once your have received your Paris Museum Pass.

Thanks edwardf1939. as there will be no guarantee that slots are available when we reach Paris and buy PMP, i guess best to buy separate ticket now for Louvre.

Well, as some posters indicated, this has been an evolving and confusing situation for many over the last two weeks. Edward's very pertinent and up-to-date information is more than I could discern two weeks ago when it wasn't clear that you needed your actual PMP in hand to make your timed reservation. Hitting "submit" with my cell phone number and having it go through felt like a small victory at the time :)
I will be purchasing our PMPs through the official Paris Tourist Office, have them sent to my home, and reserve our timed tickets with the real-deal serial numbers.
I appreciate that Edward took the additional steps I wasn't ready to take in contacting both the tourism office and the Louvre and getting the unqualified answer that can direct the rest of us! I am sorry if my temporary solution mis-lead anyone....it worked in the moment, and there just weren't clear answers. Now we know...!

My wife and I (and her sister) are flying to Paris 8/28 and were planning to buy 6-day PMPs and see the Louvre the next morning. I did that last June and it worked just fine, but with this silly assigned entry time thing... We've gone round and round about buying tickets online in advance and signing up for 8/29 - but at this point I can't help but wonder if it wouldn't be a better idea to just get to the Louvre at 0800, buy tickets, and enter! Then buy 4-day PMPs for the rest of our stay.

So- does anyone know how onerous the lines are first thing in the morning? We'll be in an Airbnb within a mile's walk...

Suzanne, since seeing the Louvre was so important to my sister (she is certain this will be her only trip to Paris), I went ahead and ordered the museum passes. They were ordered on a Tues, delivered on a Fri, so very quick and since we needed 3 the price for mailing divided among all of us wasn't too bad. We then went in using the serial number on our pass and got our free timed ticket. I just wanted to give you an update on what I ended up doing.

It is outrageous that an American tourist would be expected to pay 24 Euro extra to get the passes in order to go to the Louvre. totally outrageous. I'd just buy the timed ticket on line and bag getting passes altogether. It seems clear that a decision has been made to make the passes less attractive -- maybe they are going to phase them out. NOte that the Pompidou also requires a timed ticket now and of course you cannot get a timed ticket with the PMP at Versailles.

Janet, I agree. I only went through this exercise because my sister so badly wanted to go to the Louvre. I think this will be the last trip I buy a museum pass and it is such a shame because it used to be so wonderful. I would go to the Louvre for short visits several times in a week, I would go to smaller museums just to pop in and see what they had. Lucky for me I have seen about all the Paris museums now.

Laurie Beth, I too just received my PMPs by mail (yes, I paid the ridiculous 24 euro mailing fee) and will be using them to book our timed entries to the Louvre. I agree it is very annoying to do this....I also dislike timed entries as it reduces flexibility in your itinerary (due to weather, etc. ). But, in our case, we are in Paris for 6 days and plan to visit so many of the sights/museums the PMP includes, it is still worth it for us.

Simply, I did the math, and in the end will save just a few euros with the pass, and despite the additional 24 euro mailing fee. For those who will just be buying the pass after they get to Paris, the savings will be that much more. Obviously, I think the only way to determine the value of the PMP for anyone is to lay out your itinerary and add up the costs with vs. without the PMP. But here are a couple of side advantages: It's nice for things like Versailles, which without the pass would require purchasing various tickets for different areas of the palace and grounds, depending on what you want to see. As you do not always know ahead of time what your energy/interests will dictate in this regard, especially for something as vast as Versailles, it's nice to have an all-inclusive pass that covers just about all of it in one fell swoop.

One other advantage IMHO is that the PMP encourages popping into "lesser" museums covered by the pass (or less talked about ones, shall we say) --if you had to pay to go into some of them, you probably would not. An example of this, for me, is the Architecture and Monuments Museum (across from the Eiffel Tower), which we will plan to do after the ET. The more I read about this amazing museum (and spectacular views of the ET to boot), the more excited I am to see this place. I probably would not have known about (or seriously considered it) if it weren't covered by the PMP. .

Janet, I just went on the Pompidou's website, and it did not say anything that I could find about a timed entry slot. Maybe I'm missing something. It is covered by the PMP (both the museum and the "view from the top", but not the temporary exhibits.) I was hoping to go, if only for the view from up top and to see the architecture. Alas, the day that we have planned to be in the Marais area is a Tuesday, and it is closed that day. It may be a blessing though, because we're thinking of taking in both the Picasso museum there, and then the Rodin on our way home (near our apartment). Pompidou would probably put us over the top. It is open until 11 pm every other day, though, so perhaps we could do it another time.

Ashley, I so appreciate the information that clarifies the entrance point at the Louvre for PMP holders with timed entry. Other valuable info about the Louvre is also on the link you handily provided. Even though it's in French....I put my rudimentary language skills to work and could decipher a good deal of it.

Ashley, the two links you provide to the Louvre are most helpful! (the original in French and the second you posted in English). Thank you!
They differ--quite a bit, which is interesting. I advise anyone going to the Louvre to look at both of the the links. In my estimation, I am finding that each has valuable information, in terms of the wing/gallery layouts, and "must-see" art --and I am looking at both of them as a way to navigate the overwhelming Louvre.
As the Mona Lisa has moved to the Richelieu wing temporarily, I'm hoping it will ease the Denon wing a bit. Having seen the Mona,
I'm okay with passing on it (Mon Dieu!)