Paris museums

Get a Museum Pass at the airport or train station when you arrive. RS suggests entering the Louvre through the Carousel du Louvre underground shopping mall.

Probably not. Although, I'm not sure why you wouldn't want to buy a pass. I found mine EXTREMELY useful. It could be used almost everywhere I went. P.S. I enjoyed Musee d'Orsay MUCH more than the Louvre. And if you like modern art, be sure to check out Pompidou!! (which is also covered by the museum pass.)

Yes you can buy in advance single tickets for each museum, for example at a FNAC store (locations smack dab in the middle of the Champs-Élysées, near St Lazare train station, at Odeon and at Bercy. They are big computer/CD/video/bookstores. Just look for the "Billetterie" signs when you get in the store and then go to the counter. There can be a bit of a wait, Just depends on time of day etc. you'll pay a service fee of a euro or two for each ticket. Well worth it in my opinion to avoid the lines! Make sure you've researched WHERE the entrances are at each museum for people who already have tickets ("munis des billets"). One ster recently missed the special entrance at the Orsay and waited in the main huge line!

While I plan to buy a Paris Museum Pass, because of various schedules issues, I don't plan to use it on a Thursday evening (after 6pm) at Musee d'Orsay. I need to buy a regular Thursday evening ticket at d'Orsay. Facing the front of the museum, where do I get in line? (I presume that I cannot buy a Thursday evening ticket for d'Orsay at one of the stores mentioned previously.)

If you go when they open, you'll avoid long lines. Or if you go after 6pm on a night where they're open late. That said, the pass is a great value if you're going to go to one other place covered by the pass.

Orsay is especially difficult because they do not have as much public plaza space as the Louvre-so their line is "bulky". It can actually be difficult to approach the Pass door there during peak visit times. I'll admit that sometimes I've entered the pyramid lobby without much wait, and gone to a coin-operated ticket machine with only a short wait. But why take the chance? Perhaps like you, I'm dubious about paying now for future benefits. But if you evaluate two to four museums you want to go to, you'll quickly see that the Pass is a good value, not just a way to avoid lines. Every pass in every city of the world is an entirely different product, and you should not use experience in one city to judge the Museum Pass in another. You have to match your needs against what the pass provides. The "line" benefit it huge. Do you want to have to plan your day around stealth entry times, or have a local school holiday or huge tour group spoil your plans for an efficient entry? Your time has value-after paying for air tickets, hotel, etc.

Having been to the Louvre over a dozen times over last 5 years, including just this past August, it is easy to avoid long ticket lines. Its so easy that I can't believe more people don't do it. I actually walked into the courtyard of the Louvre to show my friend the long line at the Pyramid entrance,, then we turned around and did this: Enter through Caroseul shopping mall entrance off Rue Du Rivoli. Go downstairs( there is an escalator). Now you can buy from ticket machine, or, as in this summer when we found them out of order, simply go to the Tabac shop ( about 40 feet down corridor, turn right) there is even a sign that says "purchase at Tabac shop) . Purchase one day ticket or pass at the Tabac shop. We waited for one lady to pay for her postcards, then viola, we had our tickets. Orsay is trickier, it requires a tad more planning, buy your ticket from the window on far right( as you face front) it is ONLY for those purchasing tickets to be used on any OTHER day then day of purchase . The pass is great, but you don't NEED it, you need to do advance planning or a little knowledge ( given here, lol )

Thanks for all the helpful responses. I think it would be best if I get a pass.

Remember , most museums close on either a monday or a a tuesday, so if buying a two day pass plan carefully.