Where to buy the museum pass?
 

We will arrive in Brussels and then travel to Paris. I think we will buy a museum card. Where do we buy it? Online or in Paris?

Buy it in Paris. You can buy it at any Metro or RER station (where I'd recommend). They also sell it at the participating museums - though you might have to wait in line to buy it.

[This message has been edited by yk (edited Feb 20, 2004).]

We always buy it in a Metro station (from a booth attendant), but sometimes they are out of stock. I think only booths at major Metro stops have it, but they do have pictures for it on the booth windows if they do.

BillJ

You should be warned that certain métro stops seem to NEVER stock the card; Solferino, near the Musée D'Orsay is one that hasn't had them a lot, with a hand-lettered sign saying "go to another station". I just think they don't want to spend the time necessary to sell them, as it's usually manned by only one clerk. And the Musée D'Orsay RER station doesn't sell them, either.

I know that last week when I stayed a block away and used Solferino station every day, the situation never changed; be smart and get one wherever you're getting ON the métro.

If you buy it at a museum, try to find one of the lesser visited museums without any long lines. And remember , with the pass you don´t have to wait in lines to get in anywhere. Even if there is half an hour wait line outside Musée d´Orsay , you can walk right up to the front of the line ,show your pass and they will let you in.

If u go to the Louvre

1) Ignore the long lines outside (especially on a cold day... brrr)
2) Find the entrance to the underground shopping mall
3) walk by the long lines to the tourist info shop next to the Louvre entrance
4) buy your museum pass

Perhaps someone else can give good directions to the shopping mall entrance. I think it's pretty close to the Metro stop.

[This message has been edited by doglover (edited Feb 29, 2004).]

Because I'm an art historian, I ALWAYS get the most extensive museum pass possible. And I ALWAYS get it at the Champs Elysees tourist office. They don't run out there, and they all speak English if you need it. There are usually a few people in line, but in general it's pretty convenient.

The tourist office on the Champs Elysee is no more. Apparently, they didn't like the new rental costs would be.

The staff that was there was split up among several different offices. There will be a new permanent main office somewhere near the Pyramides metro station starting this summer.

Any idea what that picture looks like? I'm not taking a crash course in French, so visualizations will help me a lot!

Edited links:

http://www.rmn.fr/gb/02musees/05musees/01.html

http://www.parisparis.com/fr/musee/body.html

I notice that you can also buy them at the Fnac stores' ticket counters.

[This message has been edited by blairvanhorn (edited Mar 07, 2004).]

Current prices for the museum card at:
http://www.ratp.fr/ParisVisite/Eng/index.htm

Remember it is good for the set number of days beginning on the first day you use it.