Paris 1 May...itinerary for public holiday

I would first look at the websites for where you want to go and see if they are open on May 1.

We were in Paris on 5/1/18. Since it was our arrival day after the overnight flight, we did not mind that many attractions were closed. The atmosphere was laid back, with many families walking around. May 1st is a good day just for walking around, and you will still find plenty of restaurants open. We enjoyed hanging around Parc Monceau.

We ran into a peaceful Mayday demonstration, but also noticed that there was a heavy police presence in the city.

May 1st is a major holiday in France. Expect all museums and shopping to be closed. The Tour Eiffel will probably be open but little else.

Reserve for restaurants well in advance.

I think Americans have an aversion to calling from the U.S. to make reservations or to ask questions about hotel accommodations. I want to encourage prospective travelers to pick up your cell phone and call the entity you want to speak with. I have booked hotels, arranged for lunch and dinner reservations, and done many things long distance.

Email is great, but actually talking with the hotel staff or the wait staff in a restaurant has a way of humanizing the experience. Ask the person answering the telephone if they speak English. If they do not, try your best, but usually there will be someone there to speak with you. Don't call at mealtimes, when the staff are rushing to complete orders, but during slack times, you will find friendly and accommodating people to help you.

Yep, Louvre and all major public museums are closed. Musee Jacquemart-Andre IS open and is a very nice museum.

https://www.louvre.fr/en/hours-admission-directions

https://www.musee-jacquemart-andre.com/en/prepare-your-visit/opening-times-and-access

One very cool thing is that on May Day many places sell small bouquets of Lily-of-the-Valley. I also saw several booths set up by local ambulance groups, etc selling them as a charity event.

Thanks everyone..it’s been most helpful for our planning.
Cheers

yes, the Jaquemart-Andre Museum will be open.
You can take a Seine cruise.
Visit the St Denis Basilica or the Père Lachaise cemetary
Take a walk on the Promenade Plantee
Find a nice cafe for lunch and linger.
Buy some muguets des bois (lily of the valley) from the many, many people offering them.

Judi, you didn’t ask this but ... I’d also encourage you to watch the weather forecast for the last week or so before you travel.

When I arrived on April 27, 2017 the temp at the airport at 7AM or so was 33F. The next few days (including May Day) were really chilly and windy and I really wished I had left my long sleeved shirt in my suitcase. I’d ditched it at the last minute to save a few ounces. Lesson learned!! I did have a cardigan and waterproof rain layer but I would have been more comfortable with another layer!!

So, plan some layers and pack based on the last minute forecast.

Hi Judi. I hope you have a great time in Paris. I don’t know if you love photos like I do but since it will be your wedding anniversary I thought I’d through out this idea. We did a photo shoot with the tourist agency Localers Paris. They have a few different options. We picked the 1 hour shoot with editing and I love the photos we got. We did our shoot with the Louvre, river, bridges in the background, and more of the area around the Louvre. But you could do it with the Eiffel Tower in the background. We loved Olaf our photographer. Anyway, in such a romantic city on your anniversary it might be fun to do!

Thanks for the tip re clothing... we are travelling to Italy first, and going to Normandy which can be quite cold (aka snowing) over Anzac Day (25 April). So I am thinking layers will be my friend.

I had never thought of a photo shoot... could be fun...

Thanks again

Judi...yes Normandie can be cold AND very windy. Even more fun with Italy and Normandie in the mix!