The Louvre: Essential, Little Known Tourist Tips

While intuition might tell you to go to such a tourist and local attraction during the week, when most people are at work, this is a time to ignore that bit of common sense.

My friend, Sandy and I had a day together in France before she left for another adventure. We had no plans, but walked from Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower. A great experience, but exhausting. We didn't think we could get into many tourist attractions, because of crowds and we were right about a couple of Cathedrals and the Eiffel Tower. (We did that anyway and I am glad we did, just the once)

We just 'knew' there was no point going to to Louvre, not on a Saturday. However, we walked by and went to see the pyramid. What do you know, there wasn't a much of a line getting in. As exhausted as we were, it was Sandy's only day to go, so in we went.

What a place. I could carry on forever about it, but this is about the lack of crowds. There were not only no lines outside, but plenty of room inside. We wondered if the city was evacuated!

The most amazing thing was the Mona Lisa room. There are other paintings there, but this small painting, dwarfed by many of the Louvre's pictures, has its own huge wall. It has a glass casing all around it and a railing about 3 to 5 feet out. But, that day the room was practically empty. So empty that we were able to stand right in front of her, well the railing, anyway. There were no people between 'she and we'. We each took a picture with her. Amazing!

I didn't go back on Sunday, thinking that Monday would be really quiet. When I went on Monday, I should have realized something was up when I saw the line, but went in anyway. What a disappointment! Tons of tourist groups with their leaders and tons of others.

The Mona Lisa room? I could barely get in, let alone stand in front of her.

The hint: Go the to Louvre on Saturday. Avoid it on the weekdays. This was counterintuitive to me, but well, I learned better.

If they took out every piece of art in the entire building, including the Mona Lisa (!) The Louvre is still well worth visiting. It would take one whole day just to see the beautiful architecture, the ceilings, the floors.

Try to take your focus from the countless pieces of priceless art and really look at the building. I know I took more pictures of the museum than what the museum holds. The picture here is of a piece of ceiling. Imagine, the very ceilings are worth going to France to see!

Number 1: Was a counterintuitive revelation for me, go on a Saturday.

Number 2: I kind of knew about the wonders of the architecture but didn't go looking for it. It was breathtaking!

Number 3: Wow, my basement doesn't look like this. I mean, my house is starting to overflow with art, but I do not have a basement with more art than there is on the walls! Well, the Louvre has that. When you pass an inner window with something that looks just a little junky, stop, look, and see the amazing things in the basement. I am told that there is more in the basement than on display!

Wow!