Hello! I will be visiting Paris in August with my husband and 6 year old and we’re planning to go to Musee d’Orsay first thing on a Sunday morning. I see from the website that there is one line (A2) for people with pre-purchased timed tickets and a different line (C2) for people who need to buy tickets or who are free, including children under 18. I’ve seen posts here and on Trip Advisor saying families have been able to have their children walk in through the prepaid ticket line with them, but I’m not sure if that predates the system currently described on the website. I would like to take advantage of the free ticket for my daughter, but we’re tight on time that day so I would be willing to buy a standard timed ticket for her too if that would let us get in more quickly. Does anyone know how these lines are working in practice this summer?
Posted by
Panguitch, Utah
2958 posts
Buy your tickets online, take your 6 year old with you and queue in the line for those with tickets. You child does not need a ticket.
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Thanks Tocard! So we’re fine to ignore the instructions here that specifically say that children under 18 are supposed to queue in line C3? https://www.musee-orsay.fr/fr/articles/acces-horaires-tarifs-197704
Posted by
Philadelphia
100 posts
Just a comment. I found this museum to be incredibly jam packed with people. So keep a close eye on your kids if they're the type to wander.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
11172 posts
Yes, as Tocard said.
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Thanks Elizabeth! I wonder why they specifically say that kids under 18 need to go in queue C2 if that’s not the case?
Posted by
Western WA
203 posts
My guess is the under 18 applies to those entering as individuals not as a family unit. It would make no sense to split up a family to have them enter in different lines, especially with young children.
Posted by
1420 posts
I can't answer your specific question, but here was our experience sans children and not the same situation, but...
We had timed tickets for both museum entrance and a special exhibit. We arrived at the museum much earlier than we expected. We just kind of hung out. There were "customer service" people seated at several line entrances. I went over to one young woman, asked her if she spoke English. Yes! I said I just wanted to confirm which would be the correct line to get into when it was our time.
She told me to feel free to go ahead and get into her line right then. I said, it's not our time yet, so would I get turned away at the door? She said of course we would be admitted. She was very nice and helpful. The line moved decently. The slow down is you go through a screening. My point is, there will be people to ask when you are there without getting in line first.
I'm going to guess that if two unaccompanied 17 year olds went to the museum they'd need to get in line for the free ticket, but it's hard to imagine that you with your timed tickets they would not let your 6 year old accompany you without the free ticket. But, I feel like I'm similar to you; I study and analyze, evaluate, prepare don't let anything slip through the cracks, and then end up buying an adult ticket for the 6 year old because I hedge all my bets, which I truly believe is unnecessary. I agree with others who say to just get in the timed ticket line with your child!
Posted by
Chicago
9153 posts
when we went a couple of years ago with a 12 year old, she just walked in with us; we had timed tickets. but things do change and it is possible they would do it differently now, but I would be surprised if they wanted young kids alone in a long line apart from their parents. A 17 year old alone would be expected to the 'free' line, but kids with parents surely would go with their parents.