I will be in Paris later this year and I am in the process of booking activities. I don't know whether to use audio tours for the big museums (Louvre, D'Orsay, etc) or go with a live tour guide. Last year in Rome we used live guides for two galleries, one was awesome and one was super annoying! We used Rick's audio tour of the Coliseum and it was perfect! Any one with some experience here have a recommendation?
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11570 posts
We like to go at our own pace thus dislike having a guide and prefer audio guides. We use the museum highlights list as a start, spend more or less time as we like.
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Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
14745 posts
To me the d'Orsay is fairly well organized, possibly because it's an old train station and is basically a big rectangle. You probably don't need a live guide or even an audio guide. Rick's tour thru here is fine or you might not even need that. IF you are interested in the Impressionist collection here, let me give you a tip from one of my RS guides. After you pass the entry doors where you show your tickets, walk straight back to the far end of the building. Go to the left around the small cafe and take the escalators that are hidden behind a wall up to 5th floor. This is where the Impressionists are, so start here and work your way down in case you lose steam along the way, lol.
The Louvre floor plan to me is very confusing in spite of numerous visits. It's an old palace with multiple floors and 3 different wings. There are so many nooks and crannies and sometimes the stairs don't go where you think they should go, lol (a little like Hogwarts!) I have to work harder to find specific things in here and sometimes I have to work harder to enjoy the artwork. I'd go with Rick's guide or if you'd like, a live guide. The Louvre has tours in English and the company Paris Walks also takes tours thru the Louvre if you are there on the day they are offered. (I think they also might have one of d'Orsay).
I've had a couple of tours of the Louvre on different Rick Steves tours with days in Paris. Some have been excellent, some not so good - or I just didn't click with them. TBH, for the Louvre I'd also not want a tour longer than about 2-2.5 hours. I usually spend about 3 hours at a time over several different days and then I need to get out of the crowds. You ~can~ spend weeks in the Louvre and not see everything.