Davinci Code Tour
 

My daughter and I are reading the DaVinci Code and are toying with taking the tour through the Louvre - Cracking the DaVinci Code. Has anyone done this? It is quite expensive- $240 for two(!!)- is it worth it? Or would we better off just touring the Louvre on our own? Thanks, emmeelle

I can think of a hundred things I rather do with $240 in Paris than to spend it on a tour based on a third-rate mystery novel. However, that's only my opinion.

If you're really enthralled with the book, and the money isn't a problem, then take the tour by all means. If it's too expensive, it shouldn't be too difficult to put together your own tour based on the novel itself and the many exigeses of it which have been recently published.

Right here on Fodors.com, in the destination section on Paris, they have an outline called the Davinci Code tour. I printed it, and visited the spots such as the Louvre, St. sulpice, etc.
Good enough-and no cost!

Is it just the Louvre? I really could not think of how this would be worth 240.00. Why not dreate your own and have a bit of fun with it.

just remember,,,,,it's FICTION!

Fiction indeed. Our family followed part of the Da Vinci Code tour provided by Fodors while in Paris in June. St. Sulpice in the 6th was particulrly interesting, what with the Rose Line right there across the floor. The church, however, has posted a small poster pointing out how much of Dan Brown's decription of the line and it's history is pure fiction.

On Yahoo's web page, today there is an article about the DaVinci code tours ....not all sites are happy about it....esp. St. Sulpice Church. FYI, Judy

"The church, however, has posted a small poster pointing out how much of Dan Brown's decription of the line and it's history is pure fiction."

Well, they would do, being a catholic church, wouldn't they!!

Well, say what you want, but I'd be more than happy to have written the "third-rate mystery novel" that sold that many copies but I don't think I'd spend the money on the so-called "tour" unless you could pay the $240 to Laverendrye who I suspect might suddenly warm up to the idea!

Just as an aside, I'm finally reading this book myself, I feel as if I'm the last American to read it.

'Third-rate' might be overly generous.

One should not be surprised that this third rate novel has been a huge financial success. As Mencken wrote, "No one in the world, so far as I know has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people."

On the other hand, as I once heard a tourist ask at Mozart's house in Salzburg, "If he was so good, why wasn't he rich?"

As for warming to the prospect of conducting a Da Vinci Tour for $240, I would have to be destitute indeed to want to take someone's hard earned cash for such a venture. However, if I had the skill to write financially successful third rate mysteries I would certainly do so. I just don't care to read them.

I'm not a fan of the book as I said, but I rush to add that if I WERE a big fan and this book (or any book) had really interested me, I might consider a 'literary' tour. Certainly a Jane Austen-oriented tour or a Stephen Ambrose tour in other locations might interest me. As to how much I'd be willing to pay, that would depend on circumstance and the depth of my interest and the description of the tour.

The DaVinci tour that fodors provides
(click above on Destinations, and then on Paris) is actually pretty good.
As for the Louvre itself, there are English-speaking tours offered every day, and they of course include Mona and the Denon wing. I don't know if they stop at the nearby Madonna of the Rocks, one of my favorite paintings,but I hope they do as I've always thought it more impressive than Mona.

$240 just to see the louvre?they should have included chateau villette/ritz,judicial palace & saint sulpice for that price.Better use the $240 to buy a cordless drill & two pick axes so you can dig a hole under the inverted pyramid. I always wanted to know if the small pyramid continues underground.

Sam

Waste of money. Followed the Fodors suggestion of the tour and really enjoyed it very much with my friends. At the end, had lunch at La Bussole in the little cobbled streets near the Eglise St Sulpice (the famous copper line). The restaurant served great food, local ambiance.

To pay a couple of American students $240 to do the Louvre-Cracking the da Vinci Code tour? No thanks. Too gimmicky. Also they are not licenced guides, but students making a living on the black in Paris.

The movie starts filiming in May and will be filmed on location. Filming in the Louvre will take place this coming May at night and all day Tuesdays when the museum is closed to the public. The female lead ("Sophie") is being kept very secret, but two actresses (from 6 potential) have been flown back for further screning; Audrey Tautou and Sophie Marceau. Cool.

Anyone have any feelings about the "Angels/Demons tours in Italy?
Is there a self guide for that? I'm about to drop $100 for a "three hour tour" for mother and daughter.

I would save the money and do the tour your selves. You can go to St. Sulpice, the Louvre etc. by yourselves and have a great time. I ended up taking my inlaws and their families last year at christmas and they had a blast tring to find things that were in the book and I know that we didn't spend $240. As other people have said the book is mostly fiction although there are some things in it that are true. Have a great time.

JustJean, Thursday NPR had a segment on the tour. To listen or read the text: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=4459002

Keith