Paris Museum Pass - Value in less wait time?

If you visit those places at peak times, then a pass may definitely save you 15-45 minutes in line.

A nice side benefit of the pass is being able to pop into a museum you just stumbled upon. You might skip it if you have to shell out 10 euro, but with a pass you might give it a shot.

They can definitely save you time in line - but you still have to go through any security lines. I always get one when I go to Paris - it's nice to have it all pre-paid and I pop into lots of places I wouldn't otherwise stop for. It's just kind of liberating to have a pre-paid pass - I'm a big fan of them.

From my experience, the ticket lines are not the issue, it's the security line and the Museum Pass does not help with that. Last I heard, it does not help with the line to climb the tower at Notre Dame or the security line at Sainte-Chapelle and those are the two longest lines for wait times (over an hour) that I have experienced in Paris.

It definitely won't help with Notre Dame and it will help bypass the ticket line at Versailles but not the security line, which can get very very long depending on day and time that you go. The only thing that really helps with Versailles is to purchase a tour.

Another nice benefit is that when you are looking for a restroom, all you need to do is find a museum close to you. The restrooms are free in museums and are very clean.

What Yosemite said -- very important when traveling with a small person. In my recollection, skipping the ticket line at St. Chapelle was worthwhile even if the security line was long.

The MP does help skip the long general security line at the Orsay.. there is a separate entrance for those with a pass.. It is labelled too. ( cant recall the exact words but its around the other side of the entrances).
When we used it at St Chapelle it did let us bypass the long line for security. Perhaps it has changed?

With Notre Dame Towers.. you must arrive a good 30-45 minutes BEFORE it opens.. there is just no line skipping there ( it is a steep narrow and winding climb.. most kids are ok with that.. but you know your child best)
With the church part.. the line looks stupid long.. but it moves quickly so don't let that discourage you.

I would not buy a pass for the whole time.. maybe just a 4 day pass and see the long line places on those days.

Versailles.. buy the Kings Apartment tour online.. or arrive with your Museum Pass in hand and BEFORE it opens.. at least 45-60 minutes so you can be first group in.. Versailles is VERY unpleasant for small children.. my 11 yr old saw nothing but elbows butts and backsides in the palace. The grounds and Marie Antionettes Hamlet were however a huge hit with her.

The MP is not supposed to allow you to bypass the security line at Saint Chappelle but I have heard before that in 2013 there was as guard on duty who let people holding the pass move to the front of the line causing a lot of outrage from the non-pass holders in line who knew that the guard was making an error. I would not plan on that happening but it might. I agree with the person who noted that Versailles can be unpleasant for children. I took my children in 2011 and vowed never again until they are adult sized or adults, whichever comes first. They too loved the gardens but the crush inside was frightening for a 6 year old who (along with I and his father) thought that he was going to be trampled at more than one point. Are you planning on getting a four day pass. If you decide to go the Musee d'Orsay and don't have a MP, just buy your ticket online for a small additional cost, print it yourself and you can enter through the entrance described above and bypass the ticket line.

St. Chapelle varies as to the guards. Sometimes those with dual Concierge tickets or passes bypass and sometimes they don't.

Orangerie has a separate line for pass/ticket holders. D'Orsay has a separate security entrance and this is a big deal as this is the most reliably mobbed up place. It can save a couple of hours in high season. At Versailles you only skip the ticket line, there is a common security line. And I agree that for anyone smaller than an older teen the chateau is a misery. It is sort of a misery for adults but at least they can see a bit. Many smaller museums don't have significant lines.

I remember the Pompidou having a bypass for passes as does the Louvre but we need to hear from someone with recent experience of that. The Louvre used to allow passholders to use the Richelieu entrance but now I have heard they have a special line at the Pyramid. There is a members bypass in the Carousel, I can't remember if it also includes passholders.

One of the best things about the pass is that it allows multiple entries to places like the Louvre where two or three shorter visits are a lot more rewarding for many than one long marathon. I had a membership for several years and we enjoyed being able to drop in for a couple of hours and focus on one collection at a time rather than feeling we had to get our money's worth by spending a whole day there.

I was moved to the front of the security line at Sainte Chapelle once. They had stopped allowing people into the ticket line due to the lenght of the ticket line but came through the line and pulled out those of us with the pass to go on in so.. that was worth it. I have heard they do that other times if the line for the ticket window reaches a certain point. That's not an automatic and I generally have to stand in line (and there is always one jerk who is convinced he/she can force thier way to the front waving the pass until the guard sends them back LOL!)

Personally I get it for the ease and the ablity to go someplace else. for example you are walking around the Latin Quarter it's easy to pop in to the Cluny. (Heck I went some science museum not far from the Marias just to use the bathrooms!)

And it saves you time at the Louvre. Even after you wait in that long security line you skip another long line for tickets. (A friend of mine waited about 45 minutes in that line since she refused to even consider the museum pass because she wanted to save money... IMHO time is money when on vacation :) )

The cost to me was worth it just to get in to the Louvre in less than 10 minutes. The line for non-pass holders was very long (certainly more than an hour) in the hot sun, and we went in quickly. Other places included Sainte Chappelle were helpful, though we didn't really experience crowds (in June 2015) at l'Orangerie or the Rodin in the middle of the day. If you get even a few shorter lines with a young one along, I think it would be worth it. Bon voyage!

Thank you all for the thoughtful replies and great advice! The MP sounds like worthwhile purchase even for our "museum light" itnenery. We will skip Versaille!

Slightly off topic: I relied on the advice of RS forum members nearly a decade ago when planning trips to Italy and France (without a child) and I'm pleased the forum is still going strong! What a wonderful community of like-minded travelers! Thank you again.