Entrance to the Louvre - Advice

[sandy]

If you want to avoid the crowds to enter the museum, there´s an entrance that seems to be ignored by most of the tourists, Port de Lions, on the Quai Francois Mitterand near the Arc du Carrousel (facing the Pyramid, on your right). You can enter there with your museum pass or advanced ticket, or you can buy the ticket there.
We exited through that door and it was totally empty.

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

Thanks Sandy - I don't have a map with me but I'm guessing that the exact location of this entrance would be on a Louvre map. One more reason to buy a museum pass, right?

[sandy]

Here´s the map with the entrances to the Louvre.

www.louvre.fr/llv/pratique/venir.jsp?acces=1

The good thing about this entrance is that you don´t need the museum pass, you can buy the ticket there an there are no lines.

[grunblack]

Thanks for the link Sandy, it is very helpful.

[sistereurope]

Yes, thanks Sandy!

[sandy]

The Richelieu entrance is good if you have an advanced ticket or a Museum Pass, and it´s a nice point to start the visit. The Port de Lions entrance is the best option is you don´t have an advanced ticket and want to avoid the Pyramid entrance. There´s a ticket window at Port de Lions and no lines.

[aude]

This is so interesting! You mean there are entrances where you don't go through that central underground pyramid area at all??? I thought I was such a cool insider because I go in through the Carousel du Louvre....Sounds like you guys have a system that's much better. When you say go through the gate on Rue de Rivoli, you mean the actual big gate... not through the door and down the escalator at the Carousel du Louvre entrance, right? And I didn't know about the ticket window at Port de Lions at all.... What a great tip!

[sandy]

aude
Look at the map in the link I posted. The entrance is right at street level, you don´t have to go underground.