Report from Paris

I think you might have gotten on a non-official website for the Orsay. There is an almost identical looking website...using the Orsay Logo but is by "Walker Tours". Their cost is 47E. The actual cost on the official Orsay website is 16E timed entry plus 6E for the Audioguide. You can buy the ticket alone at the real Orsay website.

The 3rd party site has Musee d'Orsay at the top left and then in a teeny font to the right of the logo, "by Walker tours".

Hope you have a wonderful time!

Yeah. Pam is right. You were not on the Musee d'Orsay website if it gave you that price. We go all the time and pay a fraction of that. We always buy on line now.

Re the knife. Museums that confiscate knives generally give them back when you leave. My husband carries a pocket knife and has lost several over the years to security. but Paris museums have always held them and given them back on exit. But bummer to lose it.

I was in Paris in May, 2002 with my sisters. It was a rescheduled trip that was originally planned for the week of 9/11/2001 (all flights were grounded). When we went to St. Chappelle, I forgot I still had my swiss army knife in my bag, had to leave it. But, they did let me come back afterward to pick it up. At the time I was pretty attached to it, so I got it later. Alas, I don't travel with anything sharp these days.
Enjoy your time in Paris. We'll be there again in April.

Sainte Chepelle website clearly states that there will be strict security checks: https://www.sainte-chapelle.fr/en/visit/practical-information

The Sainte-Chapelle is part of the Palais de Justice de Paris. The monument is subject to the security and safety rules specific to this site and defined for its protection.

Checks may be carried out in the vicinity of the Palais de Justice, including identity checks by police officers.

For security reasons, the "Palais de Justice" bus stop is sometimes not served by the RATP.

Security checks are stricter at the entrance to the building - please respect the time of your reservation, and allow up to 30 minutes waiting time on busy days.

For your safety, the following are prohibited

Motorbike helmets

Aerosols

Knives, forks and sharp objects

Scissors

Glass bottles

Bulky luggage/bags

Scooters, skateboards and rollerblades

Pushchairs must be small and foldable in order to fit into the X-ray detection machines. Pushchairs are not permitted in the upper chapel.

Prohibited items confiscated on entering the monument will not be returned to visitors.

consider the Boillon Charpentier chain

It took me a few minutes to realize that this restaurant is the "Bouillon Chartier". :)

Posted on the official d'Orsay website...

Beware of fake booking websites.

Book your tickets on the official Musée d'Orsay ticketing website: https://billetterie.musee-orsay.fr/
The URL must include https and the .fr extension . Thank you for your vigilance.

And I see that although the Paris Metro is mostly not wheelchair accessible especially in the older parts that buses are and recommended people use those.

I do hope that you enjoyed some of Paris.

Just for comparison, here are a few excerpts from "Report from Paris" by a certain Mister Mercier, a visitor to Paris 250 years ago:

The city of Paris is profoundly filthy. Everything is nothing but stench and filth. As soon as it rains, the streets turn into veritable streams. Parisians have developed an art in the way they jump over the water, standing on tiptoe to avoid the mud. Indeed, the streets are covered in mud, formed from excrement, dust, and also water running off the roofs. It must be said that Parisian streets are very narrow and have no sidewalks.

Despite regular prohibitions, it is still possible to slaughter animals in the city of Paris, in front of butcher shops. Blood can therefore sometimes run into the street. Sometimes oxen escape and thus become a danger to everyone.

In the city of Paris, tallow, necessary for everyday candles, is produced. This process releases strong fumes into the air, which are very harmful to the health of Parisians. With streets that are too narrow and buildings that are too tall, the air doesn't circulate, and the smells from butcher shops and tallow foundries linger. The same is true of the smells from fish markets, cemeteries, and sewers.

These smells are also present in churches. The odor of the dead buried in churches spreads outside the graves.

The unsanitary air also stems from the poor disposal of wastewater and cesspools. Many must be emptied every night, spreading foul odors and nuisances. As a result, the use of well water is avoided in the city.

The practice of rendering horses is common. For this purpose, the remains of these animals are spread on empty land where an unbearable odor is emanating.

Paul, sorry you stumbled upon an unofficial website for Musée d'Orsay. Surely you can't blame Rick for that.

Even without mobility issues, I find buses can many times because better choice than the Metro.

I'm looking forward to more reporting. Enjoy your stay.

Bad luck about the Musee d’Orsay tickets.
Walker Tours is notorious for scams, it seems.

Look for small restaurants in the lunch hour, with chalkboards outside offering “Formule” menus.
They serve 3 courses for around E15-30 pp, or you choose two of the courses for less.
I had two excellent lunches in fairly non- descript places with these menus last Fall.

Do report on what things you enjoyed about lovely Paris.

• I am also obsessed with purchasing tickets online, in advance. You will save hours of valuable vacation time by not standing in line unnecessarily.

My apologies but please, it is the Musée d'Orsay, the Orsay Museum, or simply the Orsay. Writing d'Orsay is nonsensical gibberish. While I am at it, there is no letter "e" at the end of Saint Germain. Thank you.

• The Orsay can have lines in summer, but what often happens is that tickets can completely sell out during busy periods. No tickets - no lines. To be sure of seeing the Orsay, buy tickets online:

• Those with mobility issues take the bus. Every bus has a lifting platform for wheel chair users. The bus is also cheaper than the métro.

• I only dined at Bouillon Chartier once. Maybe there is a strategic advantage in finding the quality of what they serve to be acceptable, but Paris is a long way to come to settle for Bouillon Chartier. There are numerous better options. I would rather eat at the Foyer de la Madeleine and contribute to feeding the needy.

We wanted to go to Musee d'Orsay. Online it said "Ticket + audioguide - E47"

That is clearly not the official Musée d'Orsay site.

I just went on the official Orsay site and put a ticket and an audio-guide in my basket - it was 22€. (16€ for timed entry and 6€ for the audio-guide). You got on the wrong site somehow and got scammed.

I was at the Orsay in late September 2025 and it was a zoo. All I could do was take a quick peek at a painting and move on. There are just too many people milling around to allow you to stand in front of a painting for any length of time. Very unpleasant experience but at least I was able to see famous paintings that I can't see anywhere else. I had a timed ticket for late afternoon.