Any ideas on the best day of the week, time to see the louvre and how to avoid the lines? We will be in Pris mid June of 2007.

Thanks! Karen

Avoid the lines by either using a museum/monuments pass, or enter through a side door.

avoid the one free Sunday each month - now THAT will be crowded. Otherwise just go in and explore . . . . .

Well, if you can get a group of five or more people, you might be able to go to the group entrance and bypass the long lines. Make one person the group leader and have that person do all the talking.

Where are these side doors at the Louvre? I have been several times and I have never found these supposed doors.

Avoid weekends. Go late in the afternoon.

My sister told me that there is an entrance to the Louvre off of the Metro that has shorter lines.

I have always waited more than an hour when I went on Saturday before noon.

Groups do have priority. Sign up for one at a tourist office. (It is also nice to have a guided tour with a knowledgable person who can show you the most important works. Otherwise, you could spend two weeks in the Louvre looking at all the art.)

Artificial Art Official

The Louvre is open late on Wednesday nights. It less crowded, but still crowded around all the biggies and of course don't get stuck behind a tour - or do. It was a nice time to visit because we went in while it was still light out and then departed at night when everything was lit up. We had the museum pass, so could go right in, but honestly the line to get tickets was maybe only 10 people deep. This was mid September.

I went the Louvre the week that the Da Vinci Code opened and there was some really big huge line to some side entrance but I just walked straight through the glass pyramid entrance and there was no waiting whatsoever.

&quot;<i>Where are these side doors at the Louvre? I have been several times and I have never found these supposed doors.</i>&quot;

www.louvre.fr/llv/pratique/venir.jsp?acces=1 shows the entrances for individuals (there are add'l entrances for groups and disabled)

Usually the only entrance w/ long lines is the Pyramid/main entrance. if one enters through the Carousel, the Richelieu wing or the others there is seldom a line at all.

Thanks all. We will have a group of five. A tour might be a good idea. Anyone have a good guide, someone who can make it interesting for us and our 0 year old?

Thanks. Karen

Break in after closing time. Although my God, even then there will likely be SOME sort of a crowd (and not just the cops who will bust you for breaking and entering!)

Five is not a &quot;group&quot; if by that you meant you might use one of the Group entrances. You'd just enter by one of the normal entrances.

They do have guided tours - but I don't think they are really necessary. You get a printed guide/plan/gallery description when you enter and can then go where ever you like. And even better - you can split up and let each individual see what interests them. Then meet up a a set time under the Pyramid or someplace else you pick.

Going to a museum w/ 5 people glued at the hip is hard because everyone has a different &quot;museum style&quot; - some want to read every plaque/description, some want to sit in a gallery and people watch as well as great art watch, some want depth and some want a high speed overview.

Check the website to make sure the things you want to see will be open the day you go. They close certain rooms on a daily schedule which is posted on the website.

Hire Micahael Osman for the day.

The best way to see the Louvre is to start by preparing yourself. This course from The Teaching Company will help:

Museum Masterpieces: The Louvre $39.95

(12 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture on DVD) Course No. 7175

Taught by Richard Brettell
The University of Texas at Dallas
Ph.D., Yale University

http://www.teach12.com/ttcx/coursede...75&amp;id=7175

After you, your children and friends are finished you can donate it to your public library or school system for a tax deduction.

We had a museum pass. I had read all about all the more hidden entrances, but we couldn't readily find them, so we just waited in a short line at the metal detector, then went right in. Our goal was to go straight to the Mona Lisa, then tour from there. Even though we got turned around a little, we were in Mona's presence by abou t20 minutes after opening time and were in the room with only one other couple. We looked all we wanted, with no crowds or time pressures. I'd say if you go when it first opens and have a PLAN (rather than wandering), you'll do pretty well.

The museum also offers daily &quot;highlights tours&quot; check the website for times

The Rick Steves Paris Guidebok has a Louvre Tour which is helpful for the first-time tourist. It covers the highlights for the novice art historian and for an older child.

I agree that the Louvre needs preparation because it is so huge even when compared to other very large art museums, like the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

I find that after about 3 hours, I am saturated and need a break. The last time I visited the Louvre I did not follow my own advice. I went to the big masterpieces first, like Winged Victory and Mona. The throng around Mona was so huge that I only caught a glimpse of her over people's heads. My wife worked her way up a little closer and, fortunately, she is tall enough to see over the heads of most people.

Then after a short lunch we started wandering around the Denon wing. I soon got to the glassy eyed stage and decided that I had seen enough when all the Italian paintings started to look alike.

I want to go back, and when I do, I think I will structure my time in Paris so that I can do two short periods at the Louvre of about 3 to 4 hours each.

The Michelin Green Guide is a good starting place. Be advised that not all wings are open all the time. So if you choose X on Wednesday, it just might not be open.

if you can get a personal tour guide, do it. We hired Michael Osman and we had a great experience. I think we were there first thing Monday morning and yes there were already lines, but not too bad. The great thing about a tour guide is that he/she knows the museum well enough to navigate you through. The Louvre is a challenging museum to find your way around because of its size and layout of different rooms. My husband and I loved the Louvre and I think one reason is because Michael effortlessly took us around to see the highlights with very engaging explanations of the art.

I would just take the tour given by the Louvre. If your French is good enough take the French tour- except on school holidays usually fewer people. Now when I go to the Louvre, I never go to more than 1 gallery..just too much and it tends to spoil it for me. I must admit that I have the opportunity to visit frequently though. For first timers, th museum highlights tour will hit the &quot;biggies&quot;.