Acpme,
The faster line I was referring to is indeed through the shopping mall entrance off the Rue du Rivoli. Per my friend, who was smart enough to find the other entrance, you enter the mall, which has a big awning over the entrance, and descend the escalator, then you walk straight ahead, where you will encounter the ticket machines to purchase tickets. From my friend's experience, and others on the travel boards, the line is nonexistent. In contrast, we spent over an hour in line under the pyramid.
If you plan on hitting a lot of museums, the Museum pass will save you time and money. You can usually skip the line and go straight in with the pass. We spent about an hour and half standing in line at the Orsay. And to add to some of the other posts, the building is almost as splendid as the art. It's an old train station that was nearly knocked down for some chain hotel a few decades ago. It's really an architectural treat.
We went to Vespers at Notre Dame. I'm not a religious person but I was shocked at the disrespect of the tourists. You had people yelling during the service and shoving to get pictures of the priests. I'd avoid going during a service. I feel for the people who actually live there and attend the church regularly.
The best advice I can give you is to take time out to just sit and people watch. My friend and I ran through five countries in three weeks and there are times I wished we'd gone less distance and spent more time just people watching. I also love the trains. I would rather take a train than fly. Of course, trains put me to sleep, so take that advice with a grain of salt. I would also suggest taking a journal with you and writing down your thoughts and impressions at the end of the day. You'll enjoy rereading it when you get home and it helps you decipher all the pictures you took months later when people ask "what's that?"
My mother knitted hats for my friend and I. It became a joke. I had tons of wool things she knitted and diligently packed them all, tossing out things like underwear to make space. My friend and I wanted to make sure we took lots of pictures so my mom would feel like her efforts were appreciated. We ended up putting the hats on every statue we could find. She managed to get it on the statue of Neptune at Versailles. I was so tired at that point that I figured if they threw us out, they'd probably take us to the exit in a cart, saving me the walk. But we now have this great in joke with many stupid pictures of statues with hats. I think silly things like that make the trip memorable.
As for pick pockets, I would use a money belt or a neck pouch worn under layers of shirts. As two females traveling alone, my friend and I never felt threatened this way. God knows we had ample room to hide the pouch/belt. We carried our passports on us at all times, along with our credit cards, rail passes and ID. We'd pull out small amounts of bills and keep it in our front pocket, so we didn't have to get our neck pouch/belts out in public. ATMs are probably the best way to do currency exchanges. The rates are fair and it's the most convenient way to get cash.
Overall, we went to London, Salisbury, Paris, Interlaken, Salzburg, and Vienna and felt safe in every city. We were out very late at night and stayed in some interesting parts of town. Just be aware of your surroundings and you should be fine. Read up on the ring scam (which is rampant in touristy places like the Orsay and the Tower) and the metro bump and grab. Also, avoid backpacks. Purses are a total target. We used a small messenger back with multiple zips and locks, clutched closely to our stomachs. If you are aware of the scams and pickpocket methods, you'll be fine. I lived in Chicago for a while and used the same "What do you want" look on my face every time someone got too close. Awareness really seems to make you less of a target.
Have a great trip! It's a wonderful city and really deserves a chance from Americans.
