We are heading out in a couple of weeks to Paris with our kids and I noticed on the US Embassy page that they are advising government officials and travelers to stay out of Paris tourist areas on the weekends. We are staying in the 9th arr. and I'm wondering if we're in an area where they have been protesting a lot? Can anyone tell me the areas they tend to be in and is it mostly in the evenings? Would it be advised to stay in another area instead? Thanks!
Posted by
Chicago
8560 posts
Protests are a fact of life in Paris; if you don't want to observe one, then just walk the other way when you see the obvious signs of police presence etc. It is truly not something to worry about.
Posted by
2790 posts
I was there last month when there were protests. The direct metro from where I was staying into the center was shut down as a result and I had to go an alternative way. As a tourist, I did not notice anything else.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA ☔️
6792 posts
Here's a thread anyone should read if they are feeling skittish about "protests" in Paris (or most places in Europe):
Safety in Paris with yellow vests
You're welcome.
Posted by
Eugene, Oregon, USA
959 posts
Lots of protests all over France. I feel for people that rented a car, and they found that they got stuck. We could walk anywhere, even right through the protest lines. . So the protests where interesting, yet not a problem for a tourist unless you were trying to drive someplace.
Posted by
Loire Valley
824 posts
Thats nothing... you should see the travel advisories that other countries have been giving for the USA for the past 30 years :)
The 9th is quite a large area, but none of it is terribly controversial. The only demo I have seen in the area was transgendered sex-workers protesting for equal rights.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Last place I’d look is the US embassy page .
Posted by
Paris
10214 posts
The protests have really died down. In fact I don’t remember hearing anything about the Gilets Jaunes this past weekend. Maybe the embassy just forgot to update its web page. The situation has changed enormously in the past few months.
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
14752 posts
I agree with Kim. Over the last month I was in Paris for 2+ weeks then a few extra days at the end. I was there over a couple of weekends and no protests had an impact on me. One weekend the ecology folks were blocking cars near City Hall (Hôtel de Ville) but it had no impact for me. They were letting pedestrians through with no issues other than trying to raise awareness on climate change (I think that was the issue).
Protests are usually in the daytime.
Posted by
South Florida
776 posts
The only problem you might have is with buses through protest areas being rerouted but chances are you're relying on the metro which should present no problems. The site below will give you infomation
Posted by
South Carolina
26 posts
I had similar concerns about an upcoming trip to Paris and I looked at the US State Department website which is likely the same info as the US Embassy in Paris. The threat level is 2 (exercise increased caution) and has not been updated since April of this year. I plan to keep an eye on it to see if it changes given recent world events and since Paris has been a target in the past. Safe travels!
Posted by
Tennessee
51 posts
Stayed in Paris in May for 5 nights in the Place de la Concorde area and walked all over (took the metro once). Never saw a single protest - that was from Monday to Friday. Can't say what happened over the weekends.