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Making the most of your time in Paris requires a bit of scheduling prowess. That's because the city's most highly-prized tourist attractions—museums and restaurants—are closed on certain days of the week. So before setting off on a Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday, check to see if your 'to-dos' can in fact be done.
Closed on Sunday
A large number of restaurants are shuttered on Sunday. (Find the main exceptions listed in my earlier blog post "Sunday in Paris.") Shopping is also very limited—most magasins are closed outside of the historically Jewish Marais and the touristy Champs-Elysées. Bakeries and markets are open in the morning but shut down around 1:00 p.m. The good news: The city's museums are all open, making this a great (if slightly crowded) day to get your culture fix.
Closed on Monday
A number of restaurants are also closed on Monday. Call to check and reserve before crossing town). The following museums are closed, too.
Musee d'Orsay (Impressionists hung in a renovated train station)
Musée Rodin ("The Thinker," and other statues)
Musée du Quai Branly (a collection of artifacts, such as masks, totems, and fertility statues, from cultures all around the world)
Fondation Cartier (contemporary art)
Palais de Tokyo (more contemporary art)
Maison Européenne de la Photographie(international photography since 1950)
Fondation Henri Cartier Bresson (gallery of France's most famous photographer)
Musée Carnavalet (city history)
Closed on Tuesday
Restaurants are rarely closed on Tuesday, but the following museums are:
Musée du Louvre
Centre Pompidou (contemporary art in the building that made architect Renzo Piano famous)
Musée National de l'Orangerie (by the Tuileries gardens, built to house Monet's Water Lillies)
Musée National du Moyen Âge (Cluny) (the national museum of the middle ages)
Maison Européenne de la Photographie (this museum is closed on Tuesdays, too)
Musée Picasso (gallery of works mainly by the Spanish master)
EARLIER
"Sundays in Paris"
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Great post Meg! This info should be stapled into every traveler's passport when they enter France.
Posted By Zach on April 20, 2009, 5:27 PM
Great resource for all traveling to Paris. How about a post on what museums are open after hours?
Posted By Pascale Bernasse on June 4, 2009, 11:14 AM
There is a very simple explanation to that.
All museums which belong to the city of Paris are closed on Monday, and all national museums are closed on Tuesday. You have to know in which category the museum you whish to visit falls.
Posted By berna on July 19, 2009, 2:23 PM
2 friends and I are planning on driving from Nice to Paris, we have no time limit and none of us have ever been in France. Any recommendation on which routes to take, we love anything to do with the water, mountains,flowers, history. Thank you. From Los Angeles, CA , USA
Posted By Becky Wing on July 30, 2009, 7:09 PM