I have been reading that on the first Sunday of the month, many of the museums in Paris are free. I am heading to Paris in January, and I was thinking about going to the Louve and the Muse d'Orsay on that first Sunday. Has anyone been to the museums on these days and what type of crowds should I expect?
Posted by
Sacramento, California U.S.A.
10605 posts
It will be crowded. For the Louvre go in the lower entrance where the metro station is. Trust me, you will avoid standing in a very long line of people waiting to enter through the pyramid. Even though you will have a line going in the lower level it will be much smaller and you will be indoors where it is warm. We arrived about 45 minutes before they opened and it didn't take too long to get in. Try to map out what you most want to see ahead of time and know that the majority of people first head to see the Mona Lisa or Venus de Milo.
Posted by
Northern California
118 posts
Hi Ryan,
Andrea is right-on in her suggestions. Even in winter, the free museum days are packed at the two biggies. Definitely do not use the Louvre's main entrance. My French friends took me to the Porte des Lions entrance when we went on a free Sunday, and we walked right in. It's marked on the Louvre's official map:
http://www.louvre.fr/llv/pratique/venir.jsp?bmLocale=en
Enjoy Paris!
Posted by
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
353 posts
I went to the Orsay on the first Sunday in November. The wait was about 45 minutes starting around 12:30 pm, all outside. This is entirely for security; they did not appear to be limiting admission volume in any way. Also, be prepared for the galleries to start closing and to need to head for the exits no later than 30 minutes before closing.