A palace turned museum
Before it became a museum, the Louvre was home to the kings of France for centuries. People come for the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo, but the Egyptian antiquities, the great French paintings and the Napoleon III Apartments are just as worth the visit.
Choosing your moment
Mornings at opening time and the late-opening evenings are the quietest times. Book your time slot online before you set off: it is the best way to avoid the queue.
From the hotel
Walk down rue de Richelieu, cross rue de Rivoli, and passage Richelieu takes you straight to the Pyramid (a pedestrian passage: you enter the museum through the Pyramid or the Carrousel). Handy for splitting the day into two visits and stopping by the hotel in between (allow for two tickets: once you leave the museum, you cannot go back in).