First, I know you can get a Paris Museum pass in the U.S., either to have it shipped to you or to have it delivered to your hotel. But where does one buy a Paris Museum pass in Paris? I know Rick Steves advises the TI, but he also says it has long lines. Is there any place with short lines where one can buy the pass in Paris? BTW, I have found the pass very useful although it does not work at some places, such as the Marmottan Monet Museum.
Any museum that takes the Paris Pass also sells them. Go to a non-crowded museum near your hotel and buy the pass there. We did that when we went to Paris a few years ago.
We bought ours at the Rodin, but also found there is a little kiosk at the north side of Notre Dame square, on the west side of the actual church, just south of the Hotel de Dieu. Neither one at had any lines. The website for the pass lists all the places it does work, and we ended up going to a couple simply because they were close, and we had the free pass entry.
Glenn in Tucson
Look up Paris Museum Pass online for a list of participating museums (with addresses and hours) and pick one that's near you -- we used the Cluny and it took less than 5 minutes.
It doesn't hurt to have a look at the TI as you enter the arrivals hall after claiming your luggage. Last time we found no line after arriving at CDG in the morning.
We bought ours at the Pompidou Centre, the first museum we visited on our list of six. I'll echo the other poster and say to buy the pass at an uncrowded / less popular museum. It's especially convenient if that museum is the first on your list to see.
The last time I bought one was at the TI at the airport, along with an RER ticket to get into the city. The full list of all the sights covered by the pass is on their website. Yes, you do get a list when you buy the pass, but it's so small you need a magnifying glass to read it.
I walked right up to the TI at CDG and got my museum pass. No line at all, and they sell it for the same price as at museums.
You can buy your RER ticket into Paris here too, but they do tack on a service charge. Instead of paying €9.75, they charged €10.50. Same with a carnet of tickets. Instead of paying €13.70 you pay €15.00.
The TI at Gare du Nord also sells the Museum Pass, if that is more convenient.
We bought ours at a little tabac & souvenir shop directly across from St Chappelle last May. It was very easy & no waiting to buy it. Enjoy!
Convenient non-crowded museum that takes it. Don't fill in the start date till you're ready to start the clock running.
Hi Craig, we were just in Paris 2 weeks ago and we purchased our Pass at the TI at the train station where there was no line. This may change depending on what time of the year you go, but for us, I didn't see no line. You can also purchase the pass at any museum. It worked out great for us although most of the museums we went to really didn't have long lines in early October. Have fun.
Just spent 6 days in Paris. Had the museum pass, was great being able to hit the shorter line at some of the sites. But, the sites have the option to not have a separate line to enter. For example, Sainte Chapelle Church had everyone use the same line, regardless of having the pass or not, I noticed this everyday I walked by it. Fortunately the line went quick, once you go through security then there is a ticket line, but you can pass these folks and show your pass to enter. Note, one side of the Cathedral inside is under renovation to include the Rose window. Still a stunning sight.
We had no difficulty buying our passes at the TI in the Gare du Nord when we arrived once by train. The young lady was helpful, patient, and spoke perfect English. Our regular go-to purchase spot is the Cluny Museum near the Sorbonne. I believe the official name is Musee national du Moyen Age. It is small and not nearly as crowded as others, and contains the mesmerizing Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. Enjoy your trip to beautiful Paris!