My cousin swore by those 'skip the line' passes for the Louvre, but I think he was totally off base

He pushed me hard to buy the timed entry tickets for 25 euros each, saying the regular line would waste half a day. I got there in Paris last month at opening, went to the underground mall entrance, and was inside in maybe 15 minutes. The main pyramid line did look long, but the other entrance was a ghost town. I saved 50 euros for my partner and me, which covered a nice lunch later. I felt pretty smug, not gonna lie. The whole 'hack' felt like paying for fear. Has anyone else found that the most pushed advice for big spots is often the biggest waste of cash?

3 comments

3 Comments

angela_carter2mo ago

Honestly, the Louvre line thing gets talked about like it's life or death. Tbh, a bit of basic research on the museum's own website shows the other entrances. It's just a queue, not a survival situation. People get so scared of waiting they'll pay anything.

burns.richard6d ago

The Pyramid entrance at 9am on a Tuesday isn't even that bad, I've done it twice now. I get your point about the website, but not everyone has the time to dig through museum pages when they're planning a trip in a hurry. You're acting like a 40 minute wait is nothing, but when you only have 3 hours total in the Louvre before you have to catch a train, that time really matters. Plus those skip the line passes include other stuff like the audio guide, so it's not just paying to avoid a line, it's paying for a better experience overall.

gavink952mo ago

Wait, you got into the Louvre in 15 minutes at opening? That's basically a miracle. Most stories make it sound like a war zone. Your cousin must be kicking himself for that bad tip.