I aksed this deep in another thread in this forum, but never received a reply. Can anyone tell me what Paris is like in early August. I know it is low season when lots of locals go on holiday, but what is the city like? Are stores, restaurants, museums closed? Are there more tourists fighting for less access? Is it a more leisurely pace, read don't expect quick service, or a more harried pace because there are fewer workers?

I know that aprtment prices come down in August, do hotel prices too? Thanks for any help. Will be there with a family of 4, but can make other plans if need be?

Itinerary is land in London July 22 stay 4-5 days, Chester England(family) 4-5 days, work our way to Paris over the next 10 days flying home Aug 10, but we can change to Belgium or Luxembourg (sp?) or even Ireland but ultimately we have to leave Aug 10 from CDG.

Thanks.

Yes, August is not the best month for Paris. Still, I would go.

Pros: Hotels are cheaper.

Cons: It can be hot, and many small hotels have no A/C. Some/many restaurants, small shops are closed.

However, all/most of the bigger shops, museums are open.

My first-ever trip to Paris was in August. (I won't tell you exactly which year, but the portillons automatiques were still in operation in the métro stations.)

I had a good enough time, and it was, like most first visits to big cities, a reconnaisance trip: an opportunity to discover some of the places that I would want to explore on subsequent trips.

If your dates are set in stone and it's a choice between going to Paris in August or not going at all, it's an easy choice: Paris it is. Then, focus on the things that you can do/see (Rodin museum, a walk along the canal, the dog cemetery) instead of feeling bad about the things you'll miss (feeling the buzz of the city, finding closed restaurants/shops).

N.B.: After that 1st trip in August, my subsequent 3,774 trip have all been in other months.

Hot, humid, lots of tourists. And, I loved it! Though thats's the only time I've been, I suspect it is always wonderful!

JP

How about Paris in mid July? We are planning to be there around 14-17 July next year.

Paris can be great in August - much less crowded and hectic than the rest of the year. As other have pointed out, there are often promos on hotels, and though all of the museums and monuments are open, some restaurants and shops may be closed for the month of August.

But this has been changing over the last few years. Many French are tired of fighting the August crowds elsewhere in France and now choose to break up the August holiday throughout the rest of the year or leave in July (or even in June). Also, the last Socialist government passed legislation reducing the work week to 35 hours for many people - this means more vacation time (officially called "RTT" days - "réduction de temps de travail"). I had about seven weeks before - with the current 35 hour week I have about 8 1/2 to 9 weeks. People tend to leave more often throughout the year but for shorter periods of time. Many businesses that used to be closed in August now stay open, and many that were open are now closed - go figure!

In Paris, you will never have too hard a time finding a nice cafe, a good meal, or a wonderful monument. August can be very hot and sticky; Paris is situated in a basin and there is often a lack of breeze or fresh air in the summer months. Many places, as mentioned above, are not air conditioned. It does stay light until past 10 PM, which is nice.

Overall, both July and August are fine for visiting Paris. I do personally feel that the best time is Autumn (right now!): we are currently enjoying our third week of sunny, mild weather and the city is bustling with back to school/back to work activity (as well as auto shows, fashion shows, etc etc).

(Edit for French mistake!)


[This message has been edited by blairvanhorn (edited 10-08-2002).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by blairvanhorn:
Paris can be great in August - much less crowded and hectic than the rest of the year. As other have pointed out, there are often promos on hotels, and though all of the museums and monuments are open, some restaurants and shops may be closed for the month of August.

But this has been changing over the last few years. Many French are tired of fighting the August crowds elsewhere in France and now choose to break up the August holiday throughout the rest of the year or leave in July (or even in June). Also, the last Socialist government passed legislation reducing the work week to 35 hours for many people - this means more vacation time (officially called "RTT" days - "récupération de temps de travail"). I had about seven weeks before - with the current 35 hour week I have about 8 1/2 to 9 weeks. People tend to leave more often throughout the year but for shorter periods of time. Many businesses that used to be closed in August now stay open, and many that were open are now closed - go figure!

In Paris, you will never have too hard a time finding a nice cafe, a good meal, or a wonderful monument. August can be very hot and sticky; Paris is situated in a basin and there is often a lack of breeze or fresh air in the summer months. Many places, as mentioned above, are not air conditioned. It does stay light until past 10 PM, which is nice.
</font>

There is an article in Le Monde about how French vacation habits are changing from the traditional month-long August congé. The French indeed are slowly but surely adapting to taking shorter vacances spread out over the year.

Article paru dans "Le Monde" du 17 novembre 2001
L'art de la fugue
Rien ne semble devoir arrêter l'irrésistible ascension de ces escapades qui, dopées par la réduction du temps de travail et le TGV, ont fait voler en éclats le carcan du "samedi-dimanche".
Le week-end n'est plus le week-end. La réduction du temps de travail (RTT) l'a fait imploser. Du sens strict (samedi, dimanche), on est passé à trois, quatre, voire cinq nuits. Aussi les voyagistes préfèrent-ils parler de "court séjour". "C'est devenu une consommation régulière de clients qui vont aussi bien à Deauville qu'à Saint-Pétersbourg. En deux heures de route, ils découvrent la France ou, en deux heures d'avion, une capitale européenne, le dépaysement en plus. Et ce pour un prix moindre que s'ils allaient sur la côte méditerranéenne ou atlantique", constate Philippe Sangouard, directeur général d'EuroPauli/ Visit Europe/Visit France.

Passionnée par cette évolution, Godeleine Vérin, directeur général en charge de la production des tour-opérateurs du groupe Accor, rappelle : "En vingt ans, la notion de week-end a évolué, le mois d'août a volé en éclats, passant de deux ou trois semaines à une ou deux, ce qui a permis au court séjour de progresser. Après une pause pendant la guerre du Golfe, il reprend son avancée qui s'accélère depuis deux ans avec la mise en place de temps libre supplémentaire." Les départs s'étalent au fil des mois et des jours, d'où un "écrêtement des saisons" qui entraîne une baisse des tarifs, les hôtels ne remplissant plus en haute saison. "C'est simple quand on l'énonce, note le directeur général, mais, pour le tour-opérateur, c'est un casse-tête en termes de négociations."


[This message has been edited by francophile (edited 10-08-2002).]

Thanks for all the great info, but moi francais est tres mal. Still I won't worry so much about everybody being away pour le conge ou le week-end. Merci beaucoup.