I understand that Nov 1 is a national holiday in France (and Belgium). Does anyone know how that effects museums, sights, dining, shopping, entertainment, etc.?I know that the Eurostar has some reduction in service.
Posted by
Santa Rosa, CA, USA
355 posts
Several years ago, I was traveling by train from France to Italy on November 1st. It seems to me that it was quite a significant holiday - lots of families, lots of crowds. Also, if you are looking at this coming Nov 1st, it's important to note that it falls on a Tuesday. In France, there is expression "faire le pont" or making a bridge. If a holiday falls on Tuesday, Monday will also be a holiday.
Posted by
Fontainebleau, France
893 posts
Check the websites for the particular museum(s) you are interested in. Many smaller museums will close on that day. Any place that has a separate schedule for holidays (jours fériés) such as the train will be on the holiday schedule. Shopping will depend. Some businesses will stay open, others won't. Some will post a sign on their door letting you know a few days in advance, others will just assume you know what they always do for the holiday. It is a 4 day weekend for most businesses, and the end of a period of school vacation for all schoolchildren. (Other vacations such as spring break are staggered for different regions of the country) I would expect a lot of traffic that day.
Posted by
Phoenix
25 posts
We picked up a rental car in Paris a few years ago on Nov. 1 to travel to Germany. We were delighted at how light traffic was that day. It was a huge break for us as traffic we had seen in Paris was pretty frightening.