Paris Museum Pass

My friend bought her's at the Cluny last month. Find a smaller museum that you are interested in near where you are staying. Buy it there vs. say the Louvre to avoid lines and spotty inventory. Not sure what museums are covered that are near your accommodations? Google Paris Museum Pass points of sale. Can also be purchased at the airport. Remember the clock starts ticking the day you write into your pass. Spend the first day or two doing things other than what is covered on the pass. Also, remember you get to skip to the front of the line or look for a separate entrance.

We bought ours at the Rodin Museum. Any smaller, uncrowded museum that is on your list of early sights to cover will likely be a good choice. It is also purchaseable at the airport and at FNAC stores. As Marie pointed out, it is not validated until you write the date on the back of the pass and so you can buy it and not use it for a day or two. In addition, note there are several places where you cannot skip the line with the PMP: Notre Dame's towers & Sainte Chappelle being two. The PMP doesn't cover the Eiffel Tower. It is very useful for the Louvre, Versailles, and other sights.

go to any fnac store and buy it there, no museum lines to deal with or get it online

Ditto the suggestion to buy it at a small museum. We bought ours at the Delacroix Museum, then walked across the Seine to the Louvre and used it there. You can also use the pass at the Arc de Triomphe. We were able to skip a huge line there.

We bought ours at the airport (CDG). This link shows you other places where you can buy it and the list is on the left of the screen: http://en.parismuseumpass.com/rub-the-pass-points-of-sale-3.htm

Yes, get the pass at a smaller museum. We regretted getting the four day pass-completely overdosed on seeing so much in a short time. I am sure I can never enter the Pompidou again except to dine at Georges. The Louvre was ridiculously crowded so do your homework on what are your must sees there. We had not been to the Louvre in ten years and on the last visit noticed how many people insisted on taking pics of paintings and expected others to back away to allow this.

Susan raises a good point about cameras. Now that everyone has phones with cameras and video capability, they expect to take pictures of everything they see, and that others will stand back to allow a clear shot. This has added significantly to congestion at museums and other transactions. I used to try to be courteous and hold back to allow fellow tourists a clear shot, but it has become impossible. If you want a two minute video clip of the Mona Lisa, you're going to get me in the foreground...

I was in Paris in June - okay, 2 years ago. Anyway, I fled from the Louvre at midday on a Friday because of all the school groups (very loud, especially the teens). I went back around 7 pm (open until 9.45) and the highlights were almost deserted. There was no one at all at the Winged Victory and at around 9 pm there were maybe a dozen people in front of the Mona Lisa.

I have to share my funny experience. The first location I went to when I arrived in Paris was Notre Dame and I thought I would ask at the "Information Desk" right inside the front door. I heard that you could purchase passes these since you need it for the tower.
I got up to the front desk and asked the lady where I might purchase a museum pass and she looked up at me over the top of her glasses, raised her eyebrows and said" I don't know, in a museum?" I then found out that "information" desks are not the places to get information! I can still hear her voice, I love love love Paris though - and that woman just made me laugh! We purchased our pass at the TI just outside of Versailles by the way and used it a lot - paid for itself a few times over.

I believe we bought our pass at the Gare du Nord after arriving in Paris by train. The young woman at the counter was great..patient and helpful, and it took all of 2 minutes.

What a wonderful variety of suggestions! Thanks to all who replied. I know now to buy the PMP at a small(er) museum and visit those larger museums later in the day. It's nice to know there are so many helpful "friends" on the ETBD site! Thanks everyone!

Chani makes a good point - we always go back to the Louvre in the evenings...it's almost like you've got the place to yourself! And it's good to be somewhere with so many different languages being spoken - if someone thinks I'm going to give them 2 minutes with their video camera and a Giotto crucifix or Mona Lisa, all of a sudden after the first 30 seconds or so I don't speak their language...