For Free - Paris - page 90

22 places outside the city, including the châteaux at Versailles and Fontainebleau and the
Basilique de St-Denis.
One of the best features of the pass is that you can bypass the long ticket queues at major
attractions (but not always the security queues). But be warned, the pass is valid for a cer-
tain number of days, not hours, so if you activate a two-day pass late Friday afternoon, for
instance, you will only be able to use it for a full day on Saturday. Also keep in mind that
most museums are closed on either Monday or Tuesday, so think twice before you activate a
pass on a Sunday.
The Paris Museum Pass is available online as well as at participating museums, tourist
desks at the airports, branches of the Paris Convention & Visitors Bureau, Fnac outlets
( www.fnactickets.com ) and major metro stations. European citizens under 26 and children
under 18 years get free entry to national museums and monuments, so don't buy this pass if
you belong to one of those categories.
For Free
Municipal museums in Paris (eg Musée Carnavalet) are all free; many other museums have
one free day per month (generally the first Sunday of the month). Note that temporary ex-
hibits almost always cost a separate admission fee, even at free museums.
Performances
Many museums host excellent musical concerts and performances, with schedules that gen-
erally run from September to early June. Some of the top venues:
Musée du Louvre A series of lunchtime and evening classical concerts throughout the week.
Musée d'Orsay Chamber music every Tuesday at 12.30pm, plus various evening classical
performances.
Musée du Quai Branly Folk performances of theatre, dance and music from around the
world.
Musée National du Moyen Âge Medieval music performances twice a week.
Centre Pompidou Film screenings and avant-garde dance and music performances.
Le 104 A veritable potpourri of everything from circus and magic to afternoon breakdan-
cing.