Let’s start by being completely honest. There is no way to avoid lines in Paris. Having lived there for six years, I can vouch that the French bureaucracy always guarantees long lines for the public, which also seems to extend to tourist attractions.
However, I must say that like any tourist city, everywhere is bound to have long lines, not just Paris. But I am here to show you how to minimize your line wait time.
I’ve been saying this for years and years. Always book a ticket to an event online beforehand.
- Purchasing a museum pass may give the illusion that you would jump the line, but generally speaking, that is not the case, so keep that in mind.
- Purchasing a tour with a guide may shorten the line, but by the time you have to get there, wait for all group members, and go in, it may not be worth the cost.
During our six years in Paris, we alternated getting annual passes to the various museums. Experience has shown me that annual passes usually pay for themselves after 2 1/2 visits. So, if you plan on going to a museum three times or more during a year, it may well be worthwhile getting an annual pass. This takes you to the beginning of any line. But unless you’re a nomad or slow traveler, this is unlikely to be your option.
General Tips
Here are some obvious things about ensuring your wait time is as short as possible.
- Go off-season.
- Go very early and wait in line, or go very late but before closing
- Do not go on the weekends or holidays.
- Do not go when there is a reduced fare, no matter how tempting it may be.
We recently returned to Paris for a two-week visit, and there were several places we wanted to revisit. I will tell you how we kept the line to under half an hour rather than the usual two-hour wait for three of these places.
Notre Dame Cathedral
Notre Dame reopened in December 2024 and is more popular than ever. The lines were always pretty bad, but now it’s unimaginable. They do have it very well organized. It was worth the visit to see this beautiful cathedral all cleaned up.
While visiting is free, you must book in advance to get in the “short line”, and I can’t tell you how difficult that can be. Slots are open for 72 hours. The trick is to go online just after midnight Paris time when the next block opens up.
Yes, it is worth staying up late to book a good time.
The Louvre
I usually do not recommend going to the Louvre, no matter how tempting it is. It’s expensive and exhausting; if you don’t have a long time in Paris, your time can be better spent elsewhere.
However, until July of this year, they had the most amazing exhibition of Louvre culture, which blended art and fashion. So of course, it became a priority.
Tip #1
Do not go to the Pyramid to stand in the various lines set up for your time slot. It doesn’t matter what the weather is; you’re outside, and it could be windy, cold, rainy, or hot. And the lines are much longer because most people don’t know there is a secondary place to enter.
That is under the Carousel area, where you will only be allowed to get into line if it is your next time slot.
Now here’s the trick. Don't go to your lineup time until the last minute. You will still probably stand in line for half an hour, but it is your time slot and you’ll get in rather than getting there earlier and waiting for over an hour.
Musée d'Orsay
This is my favorite museum in Paris, and I particularly love the fifth floor, which has the Impressionist painters' works
The Musée d'Orsay is usually unbelievably crowded, with the section on the 5th floor past the restaurant the worst because it has some of the most famous paintings in the world. However, on the other side of the floor, there are some other precious items worth seeing, and it is usually not as crowded.
Tip #2
Now the trick here is arriving at the last minute.
However, my story on this one of my recent visits is a little embarrassing. Don’t ask me how I managed to do this, but I plugged into my Musée du quai Branly instead of the Musée d'Orsay. As a result, we arrived on time but at the wrong museum (which is also a wonderful place to check out if you have time). We chose to walk a good 40 minutes to the Musée d'Orsay.
By the time we arrived, we were well past our entry time. They have the right to forfeit your entry if you are late, and you will lose your money. I wasn’t worried as we were two old ladies, and probably would’ve just cried. That said, they’d let us in without question.
They saw our tickets and immediately rushed us to the beginning of the line. Hence, being a few minutes late is not necessarily bad. You’ll have to judge what you are comfortable doing for yourself.
There you have it: my advice on reducing your waiting times based on three museums I recently visited in Paris.
Yes, it is worth staying up late to book a good time.
