Travelore News: Paris Overtourism Heats Up At Notre Dame And The Louvre

The latest symbols of overtourism are two iconic Paris attractions known worldwide. Notre Dame Cathedral has been overwhelmed by visitors since reopening after a destructive fire and the Louvre museum, home of the “Mona Lisa,” is a crumbling gilded palace, forced to close its doors due to crowds.

Notre Dame Cathedral

Since the December 2024 re-opening of Notre Dame Cathedral, the visitor experience has changed. While always a popular attraction for visitors to Paris, visits were more manageable prior to the fire of 2019.

Crowds have grown considerably, creating long lines of people standing in the forecourt outside the entrance. The average number of daily visitors to Notre Dame currently stands at 29,000, a nearly 20% increase since the re-opening. Depending on the day of the week and time of day, wait times range from 15 minutes to more than two hours.

Strategies for shortening wait time include going first thing in the morning or booking a 30-minute free tour with a timed entry ticket reservation online or via the app. Slots for party sizes up to six people are only available a few hours prior to entry and sell out quickly. Opening times at Notre Dame are normally 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and until 10 p.m. on Thursdays. The Saturday and Sunday hours are 8:15 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Three daily masses are celebrated at 8 a.m., 12 p.m., and 6 p.m.

Louvre Museum

At Musée du Louvre, the world’s most-visited museum, the doors were shuttered on at least one day last week, prompted by exhausted staff refusing to take up their positions.

CNN reports, “The Louvre welcomed 8.7 million visitors last year — more than double what its infrastructure was designed to accommodate. Even with a daily cap of 30,000, staff say the experience has become a test of endurance, with too few rest areas, limited bathrooms, and summer heat magnified by the pyramid’s greenhouse effect.”

“Roughly 20,000 people a day squeeze into the Salle des États, the museum’s largest room, just to snap a selfie with Leonardo da Vinci’s enigmatic woman behind protective glass.”

Tickets are required. Tours ae available in Engish, French, Spanish, and Italian. The Louvre hours are Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Extended hours to 9 p.m. are on Wednesday and Friday. Ticket prices are 22 euros, with free admission offered with proof of I.D. to everyone under age 18 and those under age 26 as a resident of the EEA (EU countries plus Norway, Iceland, and Lichtenstein). Additional free admssions are extended to disabled persons plus one, certain art instructors, and journalists with required credentials. Free admission to all is offered on the first Friday of the month after 6 p.m., except during July and August.

https://libertepress.com/author/laurie-jo-miller-farr/

What Nobody Tells You About Your Favorite Tourist Attractions

We've all felt the blow of a travel letdown and ridden the high when a place far exceeds our expectations.

Before your next visit to a major tourist attraction, brace yourself -- for better or for worse -- by learning what you're really in for.

The Great Wall of China is STEEP.
One trekker recalls ascending 4,000 stairs just to get to the lowest possible entry point for a walk along the Wall. Sure there’s a gondola, but that’s beside the point -- we would just wish someone had told us what a monster the thing was before we decided to hike it. 

There's a Pizza Hut at the Pyramids. 
...and it's right on top of a KFC, which means the views of Giza are priceless. Watch out for the camel handlers outside, though: they've been known to pitch a modest price for a ride, then make you pay exorbitant amounts to get down from the camel. 

The "Mona Lisa" plays hard to get. 
A line divider keeps visitors far from the painting itself. Stuck behind hordes of camera-wielding tourists, you'll be even farther.

You can touch stuff at Pompeii.
If the "Mona Lisa" is so off-limits, you'd think ancient ruins would be encased in a massive glass box. Yet you can touch, stand and sit on many of Pompeii's remnants. 

Dead Sea salt will fry your eyeballs.
"Fry" might not be the correct medical term, but it will indeed burn like crazy. The Dead Sea is one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world, so you should avoid shaving your legs a few days before your dip and make sure you don't dunk your face -- it'll hurt. And "if you swallow seawater, request help from the lifeguard."

Iguazu Falls can be... brown?
When imagining "one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world," cascades of turquoise blue likely come to mind. But be warned: the water is closer to the tone of rich Brazilian coffee in some spots due to deforestation and during times ofheavy rainfall. 

There's a quicker way up the Eiffel Tower.
Ascending the Parisian jewel is no easy experience: it's not unusual to wait hours for an elevator. Sneaky shortcuts include buying tickets online to pre-book an arrival slot or climbing the stairs to the second level instead of taking a lift from the bottom like most tourists.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa isn't "leaning" as much anymore.
"Straightening out" is the more appropriate verb -- the tower recovered almost an inch of its vertical incline between 2001 and 2013. Visitors also complain that there's not much to do in Pisa itself (though some would disagree). Most guided tours drive you in, let you snap some photos, and bus you right back out.

Lady Liberty is exclusive.
You must reserve a spot ahead of time to enter the Statue of Liberty's headpiece. There's a maximum of four crown reservations allowed per order and only one reservation per person during any six-month period.

The Gardens of Versailles are better than the Palace.
This isn't the dinky plot of flowers behind most castles -- the gardens and park spill over almost 2,000 acres of fairytale-ish fountains, grottoes and pathways. Don't skip them!

You can't just "go see 'The Last Supper.'"
Da Vinci's famous painting is in the refectory (aka dining hall) of the Santa Maria delle Grazie convent in Milan, but don't you dare think it's possible to just saunter in. You'll need to reserve a visitation time up to two months in advance, and you can only stay inside the refectory for 15 minutes. If tickets are sold out, risk it by going standby, or consider joining a guided tour that includes the painting as a stop.

Old Faithful isn't very faithful.
You could wait around for almost two hours before that big guy erupts. 

Photos are forbidden in the Sistine Chapel.
Even sneaking a shot is near impossible.

The Grand Canyon doesn't take drop-ins.
It's a stunning sight from the rim. But if you're craving more, don't count on a casual jaunt to the Canyon floor. The National Park Service warns there are no easy trails into or out of the Canyon: "the difference between a great hike or a trip to the hospital is up to you." Day hikes exist, but can be long and might include unpaved trails, icy conditions or a total absence of water stops. Don't forget thatcoming up takes twice as long as hiking down.

Solo shots at the Trevi Fountain are RARE.
Photos come easy for Lizzie McGuire, but you'll have to fight for yours. Do you SEE those crowds?!

 |Contributed By Suzy Strutner,The Huffington Post 

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