Paris Museum Pass

I would say, "definitely yes" to both questions. My wife and I ordered the Museum Pass and combo bus/metro passes for five days in June, 2011. The Museum Pass gets you into all the major museums, plus you often get to "skip to the head of the line." Ask Rick Steves says, don't be afraid to just walk up to an attendant and show them the pass, and they usually point you right to the door. Best investments we made for the whole trip! We bought them online and they arrived about a week later. Just google "Paris Museum Pass" and it will take you to the website for the Paris Tourist office, where you can buy both that and the metro passes. Then spend a couple hours the first day just experimenting and jumping on and off the buses / metros. Also look into the "Batobus" 2 day ticket. This is a glorified water taxi on the Seine that can save you a lot of time getting to the major sights.

maybe Richard knows this . . . my impression is that one needed passport pictures to get the metro passes. True?

No photo is required for a Paris Visite pass or a Mobilis pass. A seven-day Navigo pass requires a small photo. Buying ten-ticket carnets may be better than buying a pass. It all depends on how many rides you take each day, how many days you'll be in Paris, and what day of the week you will arrive and depart. For a list of all your ticket and pass choices with links to detailed explanations of each one, go here. Buy your Paris Museum Pass when you get to Paris. It will cost more to buy it before you arrive.

Where do you buy the museum pass in Paris? At the first museum you go to?

@ Lisa, If you check the Paris Museum Pass website, all the "Points of Sale" are listed. There are numerous locations in Paris (mostly at Museums) and you can also purchase at the Airport (various locations).

Jessica,, I would say definately NO to buying the Museum pass in advance, why , to pay more in shipping,, to worry about losing it or forgetting it at home,, I have no idea why someone would bother. You can buy it at the airport ,, or at most of the museums you will use it at,, its not a bad idea to see which one is closest to your hotel, you can dump your bags at hotel on first day, go buy pass( but don't acitvate it that day, you need to just rest after long trip) and then use it next day. I have never used a metro pass,, I just buy carnets( ten tickets sold at slight discount to singles) ,, as I stay fairly central and walk alot of places. I use about a carnet every 4-5 days,, depends.

Do realize that not every museum that accepts the Pass has them to sell. So pick one up (at the airport or in Paris, not in advance) as soon as you know which consecutive days you'll want to use one. You also don't want to be buying the pass at a museum with a massive line, like the Louvre or D'Orsay ... you want to have a pass before you get there. That's a big reason you're buying the pass! Some people have reported trouble buying carnets in understaffed Metro stations. I had that problem last year, because the live agents are trying/instructed to discourage window sales, send you to a machine, and you find you don't have the right change to make the purchase - or the working machine only takes Chip and PIN cards. Also, you'll be buying a grey market, single carnet card from an entrepreneur working the brutal line of tourists if you make a low budget arrival in Paris. The train station Metro stations have long lines to buy tickets! I love having the weekly pass (and because my wife likes to minimize walking, and it's great to have no marginal cost for a short ride ...), but unless you arrive at the beginning of the week, you can't do it.

Shich Paris places are the easiest to buy a museum pass. I remember when I went some years ago, the Crypt near Notre Dame was supposed to be the best place because the line was short, but it turned out the Crypt did not have them for sale. Any other easy possibilities?

I bought my museum pass at CDG at the TI booth - and at the same time bought a single ride metro ticket into town - with a credit card. The first museum you visit will write in the date on the pass. You don't have to wait until your first "museum day" to buy the pass. The Navigo is a good deal if the dates work out. The weekly pass starts on Mondays. So if you arrive on Sunday or Tuesday, it can still be a good buy. There is an initial cost of €5 for the card and you need a passport-type photo, but smaller (2.5 x 3 cm or roughly 1"x1.2"). It is very convenient to just hop on a bus for one or two stops when you've been walking all day and you don't have to keep track of which single tickets are new and which are used. And you need a single ticket for each bus ride. Buses are often nicer to ride than the metro - you get to see Paris as you travel - and can also mean less walking. Transfering from metro to metro can involve lots of underground walking.

The Cluny sells museum passes( or did while I was there) as does Rodin,,as I said, look on a map, find musuem close to your hotel. Also, if you enter the shopping mall under the Louvre,, off Rue Du Rivoli, when you go downstairs, on the left is a ticket seller for various passes,, which is where I purchased my pass the one and only time I bothered to do so,, and there was no line at all. I usually do not buy the passes. I have never found buying carnets difficult,, but yes, to use machine you will find it easiest with cash. I usually carry a bit of cash with me,, doesn't everyone?

We did exactly what Chani did - a month ago. Bought a 4-day museum pass and 2 carnet (metro ticket packets) at the TI (tourist information) office at GDG (airport). At the same time, we bought our RER (train from airport) into Paris. they are very good at the TI and speak English. If you make your purchases here, you don't have to go hunting around for other places to buy them. When we were there, we had to get off the RER at Gare du Nord as it did not go to Chatelet. From Gare du Nord, you can find the metro line you need to ride to get to your hotel.