Online reservations in Parisian museums: instructions

Remember, it’s not that long ago, just five years ago: who booked their ticket before going to the museum? With the exception of tourists, who have a calculated agenda and who anticipate to optimize their stay and fit in as many activities as possible, not many people had the reflex to buy their ticket in advance. A global pandemic and a total reconfiguration of our cultural habits have now changed the situation. Today, to visit a very popular museum or monument, and even more so for a successful exhibition, almost everyone has adopted this practice. However, since the lifting of the latest health restrictions, booking a time-stamped ticket is no longer a prerequisite. With a few exceptions. National museums offering free access for all, on the first Sunday of each month, often make a visit conditional on a mandatory reservation. This is particularly the case for the Musée du Quai Branly and the Musées d’Orsay and de l’Orangerie. This is not mandatory at the Centre Pompidou, but remains strongly recommended for all visitors, including those entitled to free admission – apart from members and professionals. A more than useful recommendation because these Sunday slots are in high demand and sometimes unavailable online several days before.

Control visitor flows

For special occasions, museums may also make reservations compulsory again. “This may be the case during periods of very high attendance, such as the end-of-year holidays.”the Louvre Museum announced. “Given the museum’s proximity to Olympic sites, reservations will also be required during the Olympic Games and during the summer period, from July 1 to September 8.” This concerns all visitors, including those benefiting from free admission and cardholders. In order not to catch visitors off guard, this information has been announced for several months on the museum’s website. It is also advisable to find out in advance because the large museums, logically the most affected by the large crowds, sometimes have surprising access policies. For example, it is impossible to buy a reduced-price ticket online to access the Musée d’Orsay. This limitation sometimes discourages visitors entitled to a reduction from requesting it at the ticket office, because it is equivalent to waiting in a long queue to save a few euros. Another oddity is that you have to pay one euro more, regardless of the price and the service, if the ticket is purchased at the entrance to the Musée national de la marine. By offering a cheaper ticket online, the establishment intends to encourage visitors to book online and therefore to smooth out the crowds. Apart from these rare examples, the other sites charge the same prices for their online and physical ticketing… Except for the Musées de la Ville de Paris which charge a booking fee of 1 euro. Although it is highly recommended, booking a time slot is, in fact, almost essential for sold-out events. Without a pass, it is practically impossible to visit the most popular exhibitions in the capital. Even with this precious pass, you must also respect the indicated time because priority skip-the-line access is only guaranteed within half an hour of the chosen time slot. Or even a quarter of an hour for the most popular events, such as the “Mexica” exhibition at the Quai Branly. For this sold-out event, even visitors who already have a ticket purchased from an approved reseller or a works council must also make a free time slot reservation to guarantee access to the event. Depending on the establishment, you must therefore check the access conditions in advance to avoid any unpleasant surprises.