Day 4: Louvre Lessons and Sandwich Wins
On our fourth day, we had planned to visit the Louvre, but my friend had trouble sleeping and stayed up late, so we got a late start, closer to 11 a.m. I had the idea to grab a sandwich from our favorite café, thinking it might be cheaper than buying food at the museum. It turned out to be a brilliant move: the sandwich kept me going while we waited nearly two hours to get in. We sincerely regretted not buying tickets in advance.
Tip: Even with timed-entry tickets, the line starts forming an hour beforehand. People who arrived right on time still had to wait another hour.
Second tip: It was drafty and cold. With mid-50s temperatures and light rain, we were chilled in the same layers we’d worn on previous days. That open plaza is breezy.
Getting There (Thanks to ChatGPT’s help):
- At Ségur, take Line 10 toward Gare d’Austerlitz.
- Get off at Sèvres–Babylone (just 2 stops).
- Transfer to Line 1 (direction Château de Vincennes).
- Ride Line 1 until Palais Royal–Musée du Louvre.
- Exit and follow signs into the underground entrance via the Carrousel du Louvre.
As we stood in line for two hours, that sandwich became a lifesaver. The line was only for bag check, but it may have taken longer because our group had to wait for the ticketed visitors to be processed first.
Once inside, we bought tickets with no wait at all. It was surprising, considering how long we’d stood outside. The vastness of the building seemed to absorb the crowd we’d been packed in with, and suddenly it felt less congested, until we reached the Mona Lisa.
We made the mistake of joining the crush of people trying to get their own photo. It was frustrating to be stuck in that surging crowd. I regret not taking my brother’s advice to skip it and explore other masterpieces. We wasted nearly an hour there.
No comments:
Post a Comment