Our family of 4 will be arriving in Paris the morning of July 14. I read celebrating Bastille Day could last days & places maybe closed or close early. Does anyone have information about this?
Posted by
Chicago
8059 posts
Parade in the morning on the Champs Elysees, fireworks in the evening near the Eiffel Tower so it closes early and the area is jam packed. Other than that not much is affected. The fireman's balls are mostly on the 13th although there may be some on the 14th. Louvre is free that day (at least it was when we were there a few years ago on Fete Nationale).
Posted by
Paris
2466 posts
Some cafés and restaurants near Place de Trocadero will probably close, or close early. Some might also close around Champs de Mars.
Some Metro stations will be closed for security reasons - mostly around the Champs-Elysées and Eiffel Tower. Other station closures might be announced.
14 July only lasts one day - but it will be a very long day.
Posted by
OP
13 posts
We were thinking of going to the Louvre that evening since it was a Friday & suppose to be open late. We arrive in France from US in am & we're trying to come up with something to cross off our list to see but would also be easy to recover from jet lag & lost of sleep.
Posted by
Paris
2466 posts
If it were me, I'd forget the Louvre because for one thing, the place is enormous and is likely to be crowded.
I'd rather deal with jet lag by your favorite method, then head to the Eiffel Tower for the concert and fireworks. Concert begins around 21h, I believe. Fireworks normally begin around 23h40.
Prépare to walk back to where you're staying or wait awhile until the Metro calms down. Perfectly safe to walk home, you'll have lots of company.
Posted by
Chicago
8059 posts
The only time I went to the Louvre on Fete Nationale, it was practically empty; tourists didn't know it was free and locals had better things to do. And it is usually not terribly busy at night. It is one way to keep busy waiting for the magnificent fireworks.