I have come across several nearly dire warnings about not visiting Paris in August. However, that is the only time our family can make the trip. Considering millions of people live there, it can't be that bad...
Nonetheless, I would be grateful for any tips for how to make it as pleasant as possible.
Thank you!
Number 1 Tip: Accommodations with AC.
I think the whole “don’t go to Paris in August” thing is overblown. Yes, it can be hot and muggy but just don’t overdo it. Some restaurants and shops will be closed for vacances but overall all the tourist sites are open and so are a ton of stores and restaurants and a benefit is that room rates are a bit lower.
Don’t over book your days. If it’s crowded and hot, people are more likely to be grumpy. Take a mid-day break in your air conditioned accommodations and go back out later in the day. Always have a plan B in case your first site just doesn’t work due to crowds. Maybe splurge on an evening tour of the city by van to see the sites lit up and in comfort.
Schedule your time wisely. Know which days the places you want to visit are closed. Get advance tickets for must-see sites like the Eiffel Tower. Group your sites by geographic location so you’re not wasting time trekking all over the city. Anytime you can book tickets in advance to avoid standing in lines, do it. Wake up early and do your must-see early in the day.
Plan on stopping for ice cream every day. Maybe twice a day.
I don't know where you're from, but the business about Paris somehow shutting down in August is about as current as a French person assuming New York is almost empty in summer going by what they saw in Seven Year Itch. :)
Going by what the weather is like at the moment it'll possibly be very hot. Although that could change.
Plan one thing for the morning, get it done early, and leave the afternoon to chance. You may not feel like doing more.
I think the whole “don’t go to Paris in August” thing is overblown.
Completely overblown. This is a misconception that just seems to feed upon itself. Nor is August always the hottest month of the year. Last year, I think May was the hottest month of the year.
The French are on vacation during August and beaches/coastal areas are inundated, but that does not mean that Paris is empty. All museums are open, department stores are open, there will be fewer concerts and some restaurant closures, but unless you are in Paris a great deal, you will not know the difference.
the only thing wrong with August is possible heat. We were there in August of 2003 when it was 105F for about a week and didn't cool down much at night. We had an apartment with excellent cross draft, but it didn't matter -- it was miserable. All the usual tourist sites are up and running and you won't even notice the few restaurants or businesses that take August vacations.
We don't usually travel in summer for this reason; for years when we were working we traveled in May. If traveling in summer absolutely get a hotel with AC and read the reviews -- some hotels turn off the AC at night or have very weak AC. This is iMHO essential in August.
If you experience a heat wave then you do the things you do anywhere to cool down -- go swim in a pool, visit museums with AC (we spent 3 full days in the Louvre which even then had uneven AC but was cooler than outside.)
Most buildings with AC in France cool only slightly -- you don't get the refrigerator cooling you find in the US, but lowering the temperature to 80F from 95F is still a life saver. With global climate change, weather is less predictable and Paris is getting warmer.
As mentioned. August is not a ghost town in Paris. Even in 2008 when I was last there, businesses coordinated vacation dates to 2 weeks, so services were available for locals. So if you are in an apartment in the 4th, you can still shop for groceries or find a place for coffee and a croissant.
Heat is the thing, so AC and ice-cream. I also enjoyed gardens, as that usually came with shade. If you have kids, they may enjoy a break in the Luxembourg Gardens. The locals certainly do.
Accommodations with a/c, carry and drink plenty of water, pause in the late afternoon heat.
One irony is that if your accommodation (like my apartment) doesn't have a/c, it may actually be more pleasant outside with a breeze than inside. Keep in mind that Parisian buildings were built to retain heat in the cold northern European winters, and they do that well !!
The few times I've gone in August I had a great time! Remember the very fun Paris Plages will be on: https://www.solosophie.com/paris-plages/. Also, I try to do things as early as I can in the morning (like 8am walks), then siesta midday, then venture out after 5-6 pm, just like the locals.
yeah -- in the great heat wave of 2003 my daughter and i would go to a park and have take out coffee and pastries in the morning and then as it heated up, call my husband to tell him which museum we were heading for. Summer is a good time to plan early morning activities.
Sweating through several hot August visits, I was grateful for whatever cool air was available, even if not up to the standards of gale in North America. While your hotel windows are open to catch a cooling twilight breeze, the neighbourhood could be serenading you through their open apartment windows and traffic. While AC units may raise their own chorus, it's easier to bear than the music of the streets.
Well we are leaving tomorrow ( June 18 ) after seven days of heat ! So even in early mid June it can be hot in Paris - and muggy ! Ac is absolutely necessary June to mid sept no matter what some people think - especially if you love somewhere that doesn’t go over 85 regularly so you really notice it !
With that said, quite some years ago now I took a friend for her first time to Paris in august and told her to pack only cool clothes .
We ended up having to buy hoodies as we hit a cooler week lol - you can’t win with the weather lol
We spent a few days in Paris last August (2022) on either end of a river cruise. Before the cruise it was overcast and in the 70s, on the back end of the cruise it was sunny and 70s, and very comfortable.
We also spent some a few days in Paris in August 2019 and it was sunny and in the 70s that trip also. So it can be very pleasant in Paris in August, guess we missed the heat wave years.
We're heading back to Paris again this year for a little longer stay, picked August again because of the nice weather that we've had the last 2 trips at that time of year.
Not Paris specific, but our family has traveled to Japan (southern islands) and the south of Spain in July/August, and both trips were hot hot hot! But in the end we have such fond memories of both! We learned a few tricks…hot weather is an excellent excuse to try new cold drinks (this was particularly fun in Japan with all of the vending machines available - in addition to plenty of water, it became a family game to try a new drink or two each day). A fan (bonus points for a misting fan) can go a long way in keeping you cool(er). In both Japan and Spain we bought native fans that we used throughout our trip to cool ourselves. We are in France now and I brought my Spanish fan along! Definitely second the early morning start, and afternoon siesta…then a late dinner. In the end, just accept that it’s going to be hot, YOU are going to be hot, and don’t let it ruin your fun. That and cold showers every am/pm lol!
Two things. If it gets really hot, try a river cruise - you can see a lot of sights and it is cooler to be on the water. The other thing is what are you comparing Paris to? Staying at home? Yes, you will probably be cooler at home, but you will miss out on traveling. Is the other possibility going somewhere else in Europe besides Paris? If so, unless you are going to Scandinavia, you are liable to be hit with the same heat - I know we were in both England and Italy. Peter
