Notre dame cathedral skip the line

It is my understanding that you cannot skip the line at Notre Dame because only so many people are allowed to climb the tower at a time, so the best advice is to arrive early. There is no line or fee for going into the cathedral, only for climbing the tower.

@Carolyn - you are right that there are no fees to visit the cathedral, however there is usually quite a long line (depending on when you go). I don't think there's any way to skip those lines except with a guided tour of the cathedral and I'm not sure who offers those.

The line into the Cathedral is minimal and moves very fast. We were there in May and the line looked long but took only 10 minutes. Two hours later there was no line. The real line is for the tower.

@Brian - I did say it depended on when you go. I was at or around Notre Dame several times in August a couple of years ago. Some days in the middle of the day, the lines were snaking up and down the plaza in front and I saw people waiting in line for at least 1/2 hour (maybe longer) in the hot sun. Yes, it moves faster than the lines at some other places because you don't linger inside much, just follow the assigned route through the cathedral. It's still a line and I don't know who offers tours that skip that line (or spend more time inside the cathedral).

As far as the tower line, that can be a long, long wait if you don't get there before they open in the morning. You can estimate the number of people in the line and get a rough idea how long you will wait. They let in 25 people ever 15 minutes so if there are 100 people in line ahead of you, your wait will be 1 hour, etc. For me it was worth every minute, others may not feel that way.

i actually do want to take a guided tour and don't mind paying a little extra. Would you guys know a good site to it from ?

English-only walking tours like http://www.paris-walks.com, http://www.discoverwalks.com/paris-walking-tours, and http://www.newparistours.com are usually worthwhile.

We didn't take a tour so I can't personally vouch for the quality of these but here are a few:

http://www.viator.com/tours/Paris/Skip-the-Line-Notre-Dame-Cathedral-Tower-and-Ile-de-la-Cite-Half-Day-Walking-Tour/d479-3731NOTREDAME

http://www.myparisiantour.com/tour/skip_the_line_notre_dame_bell_tower_cathedral_ile_de_la_cite_conciergerie_paris_walking_tour.aspx

http://www.getyourguide.com/paris-l16/quick-entrance-to-notre-dame-tower-and-ile-de-la-cite-tour-t10511/

I'd do some checking on the net for reviews from previous tourists. Note that only the third one has an option for skipping the towers. These are, IMHO, the best part of Notre Dame but do involve a strenuous climb.

Have you considered just going to the Sunday morning services? No lines for the cathedral but to climb the tower, go an hour prior to opening.

Thanks, all.