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UPDATED INFO on Paris, Louvre, Pass, and Eiffel Tower!

Bonjour! We are in Paris now (week of 22 July, 2019) and I can confirm that the Louvre is impossible to get into. The only way is if you have a timed ticket bought in advance online, but even those are selling out. If you are buying the Paris Museum Pass expecting to get into the Louvre, DON'T. It is a waste. Also I am sure Versailles is just as crowded and crazy, so think twice if the Pass is worth your money.

More ranting about the Paris Museum Pass: This morning at the Orsay, the line for people with passes and tickets was (at minimum) double than the line for people with no tickets! It was pretty ridiculous! I went to the Musee Orangerie and the Pompidou yesterday instead of the Louvre, and the lines were not much different than each other. The Pass line in the afternoon at the Orsay was negligible, and there was a line for the ticket-less people, but it wasn't too bad. Unless you have a good reason to get the Pass, I don't think it will end up being worth it for you. My daughter >18 is in language school most of the day, so I have enjoyed going to the museums during her school and then back again to show her the highlights. The Pass has been worth it because I can leave and come back. But I would be pretty bummed to have wasted the money otherwise. There were a lot of angry Pass people at the Louvre!

Also: Eiffel Tower update: Our advanced tickets were for next week, but we wanted to climb the Tower as soon as we got to Paris! The line to climb up the stairs was SO long. We almost left but then noticed the line to buy elevator tickets was not half as long. It went quickly and we didn't have to climb up all those stairs. So the stairs advice is not the best.
We are having an amazing time in Paris! Bon Voyage!

Posted by
2001 posts

Thank you for all "on the ground and up-to-date" info. I am so sorry to hear the Pass is not as useful as it used to be. I know I went to many smaller museums I probably would have skipped just because I had it. I think those will really suffer with these new issues and the changes taking place that were mentioned in another discussion.

Posted by
7 posts

Yes, it is a shame! I am excited to explore several of the smaller museums. However, I doubt those with the 2 day pass were able to squeeze many of those in. It seems like phasing out the two day but keeping the 4 and 6 day would be better.

Posted by
14741 posts

Thanks for posting your experience!

The pass site is also showing you can only use it one time for each museum which previously was another advantage for getting it - multiple entries to the same museum. Have you tried any re-entries? Have you noticed at the smaller museum if they are using scanners or if they are just looking a the date and letting you through?

Posted by
16895 posts

This morning at the Orsay, the line for people with passes and tickets was (at minimum) double than the line for people with no tickets!

I'm guessing, however, that those people buying tickets on the spot had to go through both lines, if one was to buy tickets and one was for security, right?

Posted by
7 posts

Today I went into the Orsay twice and yesterday the Musee Orangerie twice. Beeped green in both museums both times. I went into the Pompidou twice yesterday and it beeped red the second time, but we said I'd already been there once that day and the people nodded and just waved me in (two different checkpoints, no trouble).
Hope that helps!

Posted by
7 posts

Laura, this is a good point! It was so much shorter, though that it still might have been faster. It really is a trade off between money and flexibility versus time. I think the time saved was a huge selling point. Of course this is my summer experience. It might be really different Sept - June, because with the Louvre it is really worth it.

Posted by
14741 posts

Thank you so much for the information about 2nd visits! I appreciate your sharing - particularly since you got in a 2nd time, lol!!

Posted by
21 posts

We got into the Louvre at opening on Thursday, 7/18 with the Museum Pass. I am curious if that is not possible this week. (We did the same thing at Orsay on Friday, 7/19.)

Posted by
8556 posts

At the Orsay there are two lines - one for pass/ticket holders and one without. If the pass line is long, there is no reason to not go through the other line and when you get inside just walk past the ticket counters and into the museum with your pass.

Posted by
7 posts

That's true -- by the time I was close enough to realize the line was shorter, it was too late for me! But someone else should do this, particularly in the morning!
As far as the Louvre, it is different this week and I think next week is filling up too. I checked the online ticket availability and much is sold out already --meaning they aren't letting Pass people in!
My advice is just to think carefully about buying the Pass if you are doing it July/August, knowing you might not use it for the Louvre and it might not save you time. Happy travels, everyone!