Paris in August

Paris in August is NOT a horrible idea. The city is always quite crowded but you can get away from the fray by just wandering back streets and getting a couple of streets off the main tourist drags. If you get into the right frame of mind and just expect it to be crowded in the touristy areas then you'll be mentally prepared and you can just own it!
Do expect it to be quite warm both in Paris and down in Poitiers. You may get a rain shower or a cool day here and there but it's generally the warmest time of year and often downright hot! I don't know if you're a male or female but for the wedding wedding just wear what you would wear to a summer wedding at home. I'm sure that your hosts would be more than happy to be of guidance if you're still not sure!
Don't worry about pickpockets any more than you would if you were in any other big city. Be vigilant but not paranoid. Obviously, as a female, I can get away with a sturdy purse that zips up and has good shoulder straps. I have never bothered with under-garment strap-on pockets or other such things. I've been spending weeks and months at a time in Europe over many years and have never had a problem. Others go for a week and get pick-pocketed - don't look like a victim, move with confidence, and don't let anyone get close enough to your bag to get their hands near the top or the zipper. Many guys in Europe wear over-the-shoulder bags, both large and small, so something like that could suffice as well.
I'll let someone else address the issue of the 10 Euros paid to the guide service as I have no experience with this in Paris.

Did you check the box on that asked for a response from the RS staff? They might be able to give you some better answers regarding the tour guide.

As for France in August, it's not as bad as some say. Friends chose to do a trip and we all went along. We weren't trying to do the Eiffel Tower or The Louvre, so crowds weren't an issue for us, nor were pickpockets. You can see some of the scams that people mention here, but we just side-step or wave them off, pretty much the same way we do here in cities. In my experience, whether it's April, August or Sept., the earlier you get started in the day, the better. Ironically, we were staying at a military accommodation in Paris and they relaxed the dress code for August because that's when they do the annual cleaning. It worked for us!

August in Paris is one of the lower hotel occupancy rates (74.8% according to the Paris Tourist Info website in 2013 as compared to 90.7 and 82.1 in June and July). The idea that vacation in Paris in August is "horrible" came about because it used to be that a lot of restaurants and businesses were closed. It will probably be hot and humid for sure with the possibility of a afternoon showers. Nowadays, all the major tourist attractions are open. Room rates are often a bit lower. You will find some smaller restaurants and businesses closed in August for their annual vacances but you will still be spoilt for choice when looking for places to eat. Is the wedding formal or informal? Outdoors or indoors? Evening or daytime? Those questions are more important for deciding what to wear than is the fact that we wedding is in France.

To the OP: Yes, there's even a book out there, Secrets of Paris (I think), and one of the chapters is something like "Whatever you do, don't visit Paris in August."
But since you have to go then, and if you go with lowered expectations, then maybe you will be pleasantly surprised.

But do pay the extra for a room with AC, just in case.
Wishes for an OK trip....

August is a cheap month for Paris (relatively) but be sure you have an air conditioned room -- it may not be super hot, but we were there during the great heat wave when it was 105F for about a week. The key to pickpocket defense for me in summer clothes, is that I carry almost nothing, and wear a tank with a travel shirt as a sort of jacket andput money and credit card in the zipped hidden pocket behind one of the front pockets. The alternative is a cross body purse. Either work fine.

the Paris Plage is up and running in August and that can be sort of fun to stroll by.

Re the post immediately above, "plage" is beach in French. They bring sand in and line the Seine with it. Bring your bathing suit and pretend you're on the Riviera.

In 2012 I rented an apartment in Paris for the whole month of August. I was warned that things would be closed and it would be so hot I wouldn't enjoy it. Wrong and wrong. The only two places I remember being closed were a small shop in the Marais that had the most enticing things in the window that I couldn't get at (better for my wallet) and the Berthillon ice cream store on Ile St Louis (better for my waistlline). As for hot, yes it was but I am used to hot summer weather and it was no worse than at home (either in Minneapolis or Denver in the summer). I even rented an apartment without A/C and lived to tell about it. In the apartment's defense I have to add that it was on the top floor (5th) with floor to ceiling windows on two sides (corner apt) and it was plenty cool at night.

These are just my experiences for what they're worth.

EDIT I loved the plage along the Seine, walked along there almost every evening - the people watching was priceless.

I agree with some of the posts that Paris is less crowded in August. I didn't find anything closed that I wanted to see and there were far less tourists in August than my prior trips in September. I think the weather is nicer in September, but it was much more crowded then.

I recommend wearing a moneybelt or hidden pocket under your clothes. These still work with most summer clothes.

Did you sign up with the Paris Greeter service at www.greeters.paris? I know others on the Forum have used them. Rick's book suggests signing up 5 weeks ahead, so maybe it is too early to expect a response for August.

The plage on the Seine is to beaches what a sunlamp is to the sun: A nice way to fool yourself. Have fun and forget about the water, as one look into the murky depths should tell you. Open hotel windows can admit evening breeze but also late-night noise, an added benefit to air conditioning (also artificial, come to think of it.) The one drawback of August, for me, is that concerts and other performances are out-of-season.

For a place to stay, look at this studio. Reasonably priced. We have used it for the past 9 or 10 years.

Nadine Giblin
Studio 30 sqm Paris 9e near Montmartre
E-mail : [email protected]
Website : http://locationparis9.canalblog.com