Hi. I will be in Paris on Sept. 7, the first Sunday of the month, and am planning on visiting the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay for free. My question is, how crowded will the Louvre be if I get there at 9AM when they open? Or is it better to buy the Museum pass and see the 2 museums on a Monday?
Posted by
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
8293 posts
The d'Orsay is closed on Mondays.
Posted by
Coquitlam, BC, Canada
39 posts
We went to the Lourve first thing in the morning and it was fine. It does get crowded by lunchtime though mostly at all the popular works of art so try to go and see the Monet Lisa etc first. We went to d'Orsay mid day and it was fine.
Posted by
Springfield, VA, USA
283 posts
Every time I have been there, it was a mob scene. But early is better, as stated above. On the free Sunday, you can expect it to be very very busy.
Posted by
Paris, France
506 posts
I would recommend that you determine which of the two museums you have as a priority to see without a mob scene.
Arrival at 9am via the Metro stop entrance rather than the Pyramid entrance is more fluid any day - and is an advantage on free days.
If you just want to see a few things in the Louvre for example - head to the Mona Lisa first - then move on. This is where the greatest number of people congregate.
For Musee d'Orsay - same thing - if you head there first - head to the 5th floor to see the impressionists first.
Keep in mind each of these museums require a security check - minimize the baggage means minimizing standing in a line.