Traveling throughout Western Europe can make one feel like they've just been through a semester or two of art history. While it's possible to make it around the continent without visiting a museum, the experience is made much richer by at least diving into a few of the best. Even those who aren't typically museum goers generally find the experience more interesting, if they follow a few guidelines.
For me, determining the "better" museums is based on a couple of factors:
1. Quality of content