Louvre on free Sunday?
May 26th, 2006, 10:34 AM
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Louvre on free Sunday?
As luck would have it, I am arriving in Paris from Bayeux on the first Sunday of June. Since it is the free day, I'm assuming the morning lines would be horrendous, but we would not arrive there until noon at the earliest. Does anyone have a sense of what the lines would be like by then? Are we crazy to think about trying this? We will be in Paris for 6 days, so we would have other opportunities to see the Louvre, and we are planning to buy the museum pass. I would like to make several shorter trips to the Louvre, rather than tackle the whole thing in a day. Maybe I should rephrase my question to: Which museum would be the least crowded, or your favorite for other reasons on the free Sunday?
May 26th, 2006, 10:40 AM
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If you're going to buy a museum pass, you must be planning on going to several museums. Why not go to the least popular museum on the most popular day, and the most popular museum on the least popular day?
May 26th, 2006, 10:51 AM
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SocialWorker, that is a good point. I blame sleep deprivation for not being on the ball enough to think of that myself! 
I guess there will still be some line-up at security, but maybe the problem will be crowds inside the museum rather than lines.
Tomboy, I guess I'm trying to figure out which musuems would be the least popular on the free Sunday. I'm guessing my "must-see's" are similar to those of a lot of other people: Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, Picasso, Rodin, Orangerie, Moyen Age. How to choose among them? I'm probably overthinking the whole thing.
I guess there will still be some line-up at security, but maybe the problem will be crowds inside the museum rather than lines.Tomboy, I guess I'm trying to figure out which musuems would be the least popular on the free Sunday. I'm guessing my "must-see's" are similar to those of a lot of other people: Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, Picasso, Rodin, Orangerie, Moyen Age. How to choose among them? I'm probably overthinking the whole thing.
May 26th, 2006, 11:39 AM
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Sorry, but the lines will be very long. The lines get long because they still need to xray everyone going through the queue.
If possible, get there early and don't go into the main line at the pyramid. There are several other entrances besides that one.
We were there the free day in April and it does get quite crowded. I can only imagine what it might be in June.
Good Luck
If possible, get there early and don't go into the main line at the pyramid. There are several other entrances besides that one.
We were there the free day in April and it does get quite crowded. I can only imagine what it might be in June.
Good Luck
May 26th, 2006, 11:59 AM
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Karl, thanks for your reply - it was extremely helpful! Hmmm, it does not sound like the Louvre is a good idea. We can't get there early because we are arriving by train at around 10:00 and have to take luggage to the hotel first. I think I will explore other first day options.
May 26th, 2006, 01:09 PM
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I believe it was a Sunday when we went to the Rodin late-ish in the afternoon and it was quite pleasant, and not at all crowded. That was in late June one year.
Re: timing for visiting the Louvre, there must be some info in a guide book somewhere that tells about which days and times of day are least crowded...With your 6 days, as you say, you will have the flexibility to plan around that.
Re: timing for visiting the Louvre, there must be some info in a guide book somewhere that tells about which days and times of day are least crowded...With your 6 days, as you say, you will have the flexibility to plan around that.
May 26th, 2006, 01:16 PM
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We visited the Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay last June, on the free Sunday. I think we arrived at the Louvre around noon, via metro, and went in via the entrance underground. Having never been to the Louvre, I can't make a comparison, but I really didn't think the crowds were a problem. They were less than I'd expected. The line at the d'Orsay took longer, actually. We didn't buy the museum pass, as these were the only two we could see in Paris. It worked out fine for us.
Maybe you could just check it out on Sunday. And if it's good go for it, if not, come back another day. Have fun!
Maybe you could just check it out on Sunday. And if it's good go for it, if not, come back another day. Have fun!
May 26th, 2006, 03:05 PM
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librarygirl, what part of the city will you be staying in? Or rather, is there a museum you'd like to see in proximity to your hotel? That might be the best way to decide amongst them...
Also, keep in mind that d'Orsay is the only one of the museums on your list that is open on Tuesdays - so everyone and their brother will be there on that day. If you have a non-museum sight or excursion on your itinerary, you might want to do it on that day. (We went to Chartres on a Tuesday, hitting d'Orsay on a Saturday afternoon when it was crowded but not unbearable.)
Check out www.louvre.fr for maps on entrances and other info.
Also, keep in mind that d'Orsay is the only one of the museums on your list that is open on Tuesdays - so everyone and their brother will be there on that day. If you have a non-museum sight or excursion on your itinerary, you might want to do it on that day. (We went to Chartres on a Tuesday, hitting d'Orsay on a Saturday afternoon when it was crowded but not unbearable.)
Check out www.louvre.fr for maps on entrances and other info.
