THE LOUVRE
How to get into The Louvre in under ten minutes.
1.) On Metro Line 1, there's a stop called "Palais Royal - Musee du Louvre" - take that one.
2.) Bank an immediate left off the train it takes you directly into the Carrousel du Louvre. This is the shopping area of the Louvre.
3.) Stay to the right when you go through the turnstyle, and go through the doors on the right to enter the Carrousel (they might have caution tape on them if they are still broken)
4.) There's a security guard there who will want you to open your bag. Do his bidding, prepping your bag beforehand - and pass by him.
5.) Take a right - you're headed towards the Tabac, where you will purchase tickets. The Tabac is close to some stairs and below the McDonald's, on the right.
6.) If you go early, there won't be a line (get there by 9:30ish) or since the Louve is closed on Tuesdays. you may not have to deal with a huge line if you go towards the closing time at 6pm. There's a really cute guy named Julian that works there. :-) He's a dear-heart.
7.) So you wanna buy your ticket BEFORE you get on the entrance line, because that way you can bypass the long wait. But you do want to enter the Louvre from the outside because it's awesome, and you'll feel like VIP with your tickets already in hand.
8.) When you walk out of the Tabac, go straight, walk through what looks like a desolate, long, wide hallway. There's an old stone wall on the left and a few spaced out benches on your right.
9.) Keep walking toward what looks like an abandoned information circular desk. And you'll see stairs and statues, and probably a guard. The guard is just checking people coming in the museum, so you don't have to show him anything because you are leaving, so just walk past him.
10.) There are two staircases right behind the guard, take the one on your right. Go up the stairs, through the doors, and then outside.
11.) To your left is the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. To your right is a GREAT PARK where I highly recommend you go back to chill in, if you want a break! (See picture)
12.) Anyway, the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel is directly in line with the Louvre, which is across the street.
13.) Cross the street and head towards the big pyramid. There are gonna be Lots Of People there, but you're looking for the 1st umbrella you see. Not the umbrella jutted up close to the Pryamid, but the first umbrella that is farther away. That is the line for "ticket holders".
13a) Find the umbrella that does NOT put you in a twisty line. The line you want is straight.
14.) Keep your tickets in hand, hold them up and walk through. Past the guards, who at that point ONLY WANT TO KNOW YOU HAVE TICKETS. Since nothing has any signs, all the guards do at that point is direct people.
15.) When you pass the guards and go straight towards the pyramid, there might be another guard close to the building that will want to look in your bag, just hold it open for them. Or if security is tighter, and you have a bag, you will have to put it through the machine that looks at bag-guts.
Then, when you finally get inside, under the pyramid, the escalators are on your right.
Go down! And then go to the big pole in the middle of the huge room created by the pryamid. Look UP!