2 Days in Paris.... Louvre or Musee..

They're both Musées - do you have a coherent question regarding them? If you're asking if one should see the Louvre or the Musée d'Orsay, if one had the choice of only one or the other, I would have to say the d'Orsay - third floor, Impressionists.

There is time for both but you have to be focused, energetic, and willing. Plan it all before you leave for Paris. You obviously will get the highly abbreviated version of both Museums. Choose your periods, the works you have always wanted to see, and go straight to them. You can shop and eat well the second day. Get a Museum pass before you leave and you won't have to waste time in lines. Also, if you are a shopper, Galleries Lafayette has everything under one roof.

If I could only pick one, I'd go with the Louvre.

me,too

The third floor of the d'Orsay is THE TOPS for me along with the Van Goch museum in Amsterdam. if you then want another reasonably close but completely different, I was pretty struck with the Rodin.

If you are energetic, and willing to make an early start, go to the Louvre from early morning to about 1 or 2 pm. Then you can walk to the d'Orsay in about 10-15 minutes and spend the rest of the day there. You'll get a really good taste of both, and if you plan ahead you will probably see all you want to see in both places in one day. I have done this before, but in reverse order because I was staying within a stone's throw of the d'Orsay.

If you like the Impressionists, then, as previously said, the third floor of the d'Orsay should be your top choice. Otherwise, a Louvre experience is probably the best decision.

The d'Orsay is the way to go on a short trip. Right size and good layout to have a wonderful, stress-free experience in a relatively short period of time. Louvre is a great place, is so large and often crowded that it can be overwhelming and turn your head spinning. the layout is downright confusing to the first time visitor. Same it for a trip where you have enough time and energy to savory it properly. However, if there will never be a "next time" and/or all you want to do is peek inside and tell folks back home that you went there, then go for it.

What two days are you going to be in Paris? The Louvre is closed Tuesdays and some holidays:<BR><BR>www.louvre.fr/louvrea.htm <BR><BR>The Musee d'Orsay is closed Mondays and some holidays:<BR><BR>www.musee-orsay.fr<BR><BR>Both have late hours certain days of the weeks which might make it easier to fit both in one day.

D'Orsay is the winner!<BR><BR>OTOH, I love Impressionist works!<BR><BR>US

Orsay--you see an absolutely stunning piece of Paris history and architecture in the building itself. Then you can go directly to perhaps the best collection of Impressionists on the third floor. I agree that it is &quot;possible&quot; to do both but be sure to look at the Michelin Green Guide and decide exactly WHICH part of the Louvre suits your tastes and head directly for that.

I'll vote on the side of d'Orsay, ackowledging full well that it depends on your taste of art. At the risk of over-generalizing, I would put in a reminder that the Louvre has aspired to collect and show case the best art of the world. The d'Orsay does the same thing for the best of France.<BR><BR>You're going to France. Go see the art of France.<BR><BR>Plus, the building - - and the great opportunity to mix in a great meal in the main dining room there ought to influence your decision.<BR><BR>I'd allow 4 hours, 10:30 to 2:30 (assuming 90 minutes for lunch) - - and likewise assuming that you have two FULL days to work with (i.e., breakfast to bedtime x 2).<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

If I had two days, I would choose the Louvre. I love the Louvre and was not overly impressed by the Orsay. I know it definitely depends on your taste in Art. I would not spend the whole two days in Museums - Paris has too much else to offer!<BR>However, if you do go to the Orsay, do indulge in lunch there - it is fantastic. The dining room alone is a piece of Art and the food is terrific.

An excellent alternative in my opinion. Hire Michael Osman as your guide to Paris for both days. He can be reached at [email protected] . I believe he is VERY reasonable and he will give you more than your money's worth to actually see Paris. He is an art student so well qualified to make the museums come alive for you.

This may draw some fire. If this was my first rip to Paris and it was only for two days, I'd skip the Louvre. Even with a Musee Pass where you can by-pass the lines, it always seems to consume a huge amount of time. d'Orsay always seems easier to get in and out of and navaigate once you are inside. As said before, good food inside, historic building, good views of the river/city and a &quot;managable&quot; amount of outstanding french art.

You should go to the one that has the type of art you are most interested in seeing, obviously. This is a decision you should make based on your own preferences. The fact that you are asking others suggests you are just going to a museum because you think that's what you are supposed to do in Paris, know little about either, haven't bothered to learn, and view this as a tourist activity. In that case, it doesn't really matter if you have no interest in the art and no preference, so go to the one that fits into your schedule best.

I, too, prefer the d'Orsay. The last time I was in Paris, my husband and I did both museums in one day. We hit the d'Orsay first and spent the longest time there. Then we went to the Louvre later in the day, when admission was half-price, and saw the Mona Lisa, Venus, and the Egyptian artifacts. I find the Louvre to be very beautiful, but a little overwhelming.

For a one-day limitation,I prefer the Musee d'Orsay, but there is a way to do both. I'd get my one-day museum pass, and arrive at the Carousel entrance (underground) at the Louvre's opening. Check out this URL:<BR><BR>http://www.gettingaway.com/directory...ris/louvre.htm <BR><BR>It's a three-hour &quot;quickie&quot; tour of the Louvre. <BR><BR>And then you can walk the bridge over to the Orsay for lunch and relax and browse the third floor.<BR><BR>Or reverse the process, doing Orsay first and lunch at Louvre's Cafe Marly.<BR><BR><BR>

topping, for kendall<BR>