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Reserved time slot for visiting Sainte-Chapelle & Conciergerie

I’ve purchased 48-hour Paris Museum Passes for a trip in mid-April. I’ve reserved my time slots for the Orangerie and the Louvre. When I went to do that for Sainte-Chapelle, I saw that I could choose just Sainte-Chapelle or I could choose combined Sainte-Chapelle and Conciergerie. Under each heading, there was a place to click “I already have a ticket.” (The Paris Museum Pass website instructs that this is where passholders click, to get their time slot). Since we want to see both, I chose the combined Sainte-Chapelle/Conciergerie option.

Success, I have the time slot I want--3:30. I know that entry of sites, when a time slot is reserved, has to be within a half hour after the reserved time. But I don’t know how this works since it’s two sites. I thought the confirmation of my time slot would have instructions such as "Enter either site between 3:30 and 4:00 and enter the other between 4:00 and 4:30," but there is no such guidance. My print out of the reservation reads: “Combined ticket – I already have a ticket – Valid on [date] at 15:30.”

If we go to Sainte-Chapelle first, right at 3:30, do we have to make the visit short because we need to enter the Conciergerie before 4:00? Or does the combined ticket let us enter either site between 3:30 and 4:00 and then they’ll let us into the second one when we tell them we've just come from the first?

Did I make an error by not just doing this as two separate bookings, one for Sainte-Chapelle and one an hour later for Conciergerie, so that we're not rushed in Sainte-Chapelle, needing to squeeze both entries into a half hour slot?

If I do need to enter the Conciergerie by 4:00, is that enough time in Sainte-Chapelle? I know they are a 1 minute walk apart.

Posted by
534 posts

I visited St. Chapelle several times but they were all pre-COVID and pre-timed entry. Not sure how that all works for these two sites and how to answer the main question about entering the 2nd site. However, worst case if you have to be at the 2nd site by 4pm you could do it. St. Chapelle is just one room (that is amazing) but I would think 20-25 minutes would be plenty of time to take it all in.

Posted by
3777 posts

I’ll be following this thread as we will be in Paris April 14 for 9 days and I am just reserving all my sights. We will have the museum pass.

Posted by
13808 posts

I agree with prioritizing the Sainte-Chapelle. I would spend as much time as you want in there based on what time the Concergerie closes. It looks like the Concergerie is open until 6P with the last entry 45 minutes before that. I have been to the Concergerie a number of times and there is never any line there so I think they are just thinking you will walk over there after you finish with the chapel.

BTW, on my first visit to Sainte-Chapelle I was on a RS tour and the guide told us to do something I do every time now. You enter on the lower level and then take a circular stair up to the Upper Level where the stained glass windows are. As you get to the top of those stairs, keep looking down and walk out to the middle area of the Nave, THEN look up. The stained glass hits you in the face from that view! Gorgeous.

Posted by
869 posts

We visited Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie in December 2022. We did not have to rush from S-C to the C. You can stay as long as you like at S-C and then move on to the C as long as it's not near closing time, of course. This was just a few days before Christmas and Paris was teeming with museum visitors. Orsay was swamped, as was the Louvre even more than other months that I've attended. However, Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie were not. There were few there--even fewer at the C. Maybe at other times they are very busy, but I couldn't understand the need for a timed ticket.

Posted by
87 posts

Vickie, I hope you had/are having a wonderful time! Just wondering what you found when you got to Sainte-Chapelle/Conciergerie...

Posted by
1473 posts

You are misunderstanding. There is a combination ticket to both sites that you can purchase. The timed slot is to Saint-Chapelle only. You can enter Conciergerie at any time, before or after. There is no time constraint for the Conciergerie other than opening and closing time.

I have a timed entry to Sainte-Chapelle at 3:00 pm. We will go to the Conciergerie in the morning, eat lunch, walk around and the go to Sainte-Chappelle at 3:00.

Posted by
454 posts

We decided we’d go into Sainte-Chapelie first, getting in that line at 3:30, which was our chosen entry time. And after we’d spent as much time in there as we wished, we’d head over to the Conciergerie, without worrying too much about what time it might be by then. The line marked “Sainte-Chapelle” was long. It had three lanes.. An employee was helping every new arrival determine which lane they needed to be in. We were in the line for people who had a ticket and had an entry time and whose entry time was 3:30. No one from our line was admitted for about a half hour because they were still working on the 3:00 line. While we were in the line I saw a sign that suggested that the Conciergerie be visited first, snd Sainte-Chapelle second, because the Conciergerie closes first. We ignored that. We got into Sainte-Chapelle-after about 20 minutes in the line. We stayed inside for about 30 minutes, then went into the Conciergerie. There was no line there. We just needed to show our museum passes and past though security. It was a bit tricky to find the signage for the entrance door to the Conciergerie.

Posted by
13808 posts

Vickie, I am glad it worked out for you! Did you enjoy the Gastronomy exhibition at the Conciergerie? Some interesting things there, lol. To me the only hold up at Concergerie is coming down the steps to the security booth!

Posted by
2 posts

Hello,
I've bought combo tickets for Sainte Chapelle and Conciergerie on the official website of Centre des Munuments Nationaux. I picked a date and time to access the Sainte Chapelle.
My question is: do I need to book a time slot for Conciergerie too now? If so where?
Or after visiting the Sante Chapelle at the chosen time, I can head straight to the Conciergerie?
Many thanks

Posted by
454 posts

To s.giossi, that's correct, you don't need to reserve an entry time for the Conciergerie. After you've spent as much time in Sainte-Chapelle as you wish, just move to the Conciergerie, showing your combined ticket at the entry point, where you also go through security.

Posted by
2 posts

Vickie, thank you, really appreciated!
I won't need to contact the customer support then :)

Posted by
10 posts

I believe that your timed entry is for Sainte Chappelle and that you can go into the Conciergerie at any time with your ticket.