Louvre Guide: How to Actually See It

The Louvre is enormous. It's a former royal palace with three wings, hundreds of rooms and tens of thousands of works on display. If you walk in without a plan you'll spend your time on stairs and in corridors. Here's how to make it manageable.

1. Book a timed ticket

Entry is by time slot, and slots sell out in busy periods. Book online as soon as your dates are fixed. The museum is closed on Tuesdays.

2. Use a side entrance if you can

The glass pyramid is the famous entrance and usually the busiest. The Carrousel du Louvre entrance, reached from the underground shopping arcade off Rue de Rivoli, is often quicker. Check which entrances are open for your ticket type on the day.

3. Choose three or four things

Decide before you go. The Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Venus de Milo are the usual three. Then add something for yourself: the Egyptian galleries, the Italian paintings, Napoleon III's apartments with their chandeliers and red velvet. Two or three hours on a few sections is more rewarding than six hours of everything.

4. About the Mona Lisa

It's small, behind glass, and there will be a crowd in front of it. Go early or late in the day, see it, and move on. The huge Veronese painting on the opposite wall of the same room gets a fraction of the attention and is far more impressive.

5. Plan the day around it

A focused visit takes two and a half to three hours. Give it a whole day only if you love museums. The Tuileries Garden is right outside for a break afterwards.

6. Leave your coat

There's a free cloakroom. Large bags and backpacks have to be checked, and you'll be glad not to carry them.

Flash photography isn't allowed, but taking photos without flash is fine in most rooms. With children, keep it short: pick the Egyptian mummies and a few big paintings and call it a success.