Louvre partnership
Hello. I received an email from Tauck which indicated a partnership with the Louvre however it did not list any details. I will try to call next week but I have found the operators less than helpful with the details of the specific tours beyond those listed in the original documents. The email lists 7 tours specifically. I am in the planning stages of booking a guide for our Paris days at the end of our tour and I'd like to get some insight into what Tauck provides with regard to the Louvre so I'm asking any of you who have already been on the tour what your experiences have been. I will be on Cruising the Seine plus Paris and London, which is not one of the 7 tours listed. I appreciate any help you are able to provide.
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I believe Tauck’s “partnership” with the Louvre refers to allowing guests special after-hours visits on select tours and time of year. We took this tour in 2023 and visited the museum upon arrival in Paris after the train from London. Good luck. I hope you get to visit the museum without the crowds—such a wonderful experience.
We were recently on the London to Paris land trip and on arrival in Paris in the mid afternoon had a surprise visit to the Louvre of about an hour and a half with an excellent local guide. We were divided into two groups and although the museum was very busy we were not unduly encumbered by that. Have also been on the after hours tour another time. The key is the quality of the local guide in my opinion.
I just returned from Normandy, Brittany, Loire Valley, Paris tour and the Louvre was not included at all, consistent with Tauck's new lots more free time on tour.
When we did Normandy, Brittany, Loire Valley, and Paris in 2023 only certain departure dates included the after-hours tour of the Louvre- ours did not. If the Louvre is important to you, book a departure that includes the visit or plan to visit it on your own or with a local guide during your free time in Paris. We hired a guide to take us to Saint Chappelle, the Conciergerie, and Louvre one afternoon. We left the Tauck bus near the Sorbonne after the morning bus tour. It was a short walk from there to the Saint Chappelle. From what others told us, we were able to spend more time (almost 3 hours) at the Louvre than those who went with Tauck on different departures, though it was more crowded!
We got our own tickets before hand for all three sites, but our guide knew how to get us into the Louvre quickly and how to navigate to the top attractions despite the crowds.
I think you chose well, Alan. We also took that same tour and we did get to go to the Louvre after hours. It was pretty fantastic to get to see the Mona Lisa with just our tour mates but it was a very, very short stop there. Because the museum is so enormous, hiring a guide like Alan did is best or using a good map to plan what you want to see (your feet will be happy to plan ahead). Sainte Chapelle is incredibly beautiful and I think it is a must see when in Paris.
I’ve mentioned in the past that if seeing the Mona Lisa is on your Bucket list, there is a Mona Lisa in the Prado in Madrid which is attributed to either one of Leonardo’s students or indeed the man himself. You can walk right up to it with no crowds. We have seen both and it’s a totally differently experience at the Prado where you can contemplate the painting for as long as you want.
https://share.google/IqOHA2tdV7mVU9qD2
Because of being so well preserved for centuries, the colors and details of the Prado’s Mona Lisa are quite stunning. It is presumed by historians that both paintings were done at the same time; one by Leonardo and one by a student.
The Prado has a strict ‘no photo’ policy throughout the museum which I find so refreshing.
One thing I recently learned is that some sights in Paris are implementing dual pricing with non-EU residents paying higher ticket prices. The Louvre and Versailles are for sure.
I loved Saint Chappelle, toured it and attended a string concert there, it is amazing.