Notre Dame Cathedral Reservations

So, I’m heading to Paris this April; baguettes, berets, and all and I thought, “Let’s be classy and book a reservation to Notre Dame.” Ha. Cute idea. Turns out, getting a spot is harder than getting Taylor Swift tickets during a solar eclipse.

Apparently, I’m not alone. The internet is full of desperate travelers swapping war stories about the legendary Notre Dame booking system. Reservations open at midnight Paris time (which is 6 p.m. here in Florida), and every time I log on, the site sweetly tells me, “Just one minute until you can book!” Lies. All lies.

That one-minute turns into twenty, the page refreshes like it’s training for a triathlon, and then, poof, sold out. Again. I’ve done this so many times I’m starting to think the reservation page is just a prank by French tech interns.

Meanwhile, I know people who just walked up, saw a line that looked like it stretched to Belgium, and said it moved quickly. But here’s the kicker: some folks are scooping up all the free tickets and reselling them as “skip-the-line” passes. You know, for the low price of your dignity.

Bottom line: Notre Dame is free to enter, but apparently you need a degree in sorcery or a Wi-Fi connection blessed by the Pope to actually get in. Wish me luck, or send croissants.