< Introducing Paris
Paris Through the Year
The colourful Foire du Trône, Bois de Vincennes
Paris is a delight in the springtime, when blossom covers the trees, but it can get very busy at this time of year. The autumn colours are equally beautiful and the sun is usually still warm enough for lunch outdoors. Big events such as Bastille Day, Paris-Plages and the end of the Tour de France fill the summer, though the city is at its quietest in August, when Parisian families take their holidays. Restaurants and shops in some areas close, but there are hotel bargains to be had. Finally, winter is a sparkling affair in the “City of Light”.
Spring
This is an excellent time to visit Paris with children, as the spring flowers, the cherry blossom and the lengthening days bring the city’s parks back to life. It is a good time to explore on foot; sunny spells and breezy days are the perfect weather for city sightseeing before the warmer summer days to come. Bring an umbrella, as the chance of an April shower is high; the air can be chilly, too, so pack clothes that can be layered. Spring is the most popular season for visiting the city, so book well in advance.
March
A big draw for children in the period up to Easter is the mouthwatering array of chocolate creations on display. Paris boasts some of the best chocolatiers in the world, and this time of the year gives them the chance to show off their skills. The shops are full of chocolate bells, Easter eggs and April Fool’s Day fish. No bells are rung on Good Friday or Easter Saturday. Legend has it that all the church bells fall silent on Good Friday and fly off to Rome, only to return on Easter Sunday. On Saturday night, children place nests on their balconies and in their gardens. They wake to find them full of chocolate eggs that are said to have been brought from Rome by the bells.
Hunt for Easter eggs in
Galeries Lafayette or in the grounds of the lovely
Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte just outside Paris, which has lots of special Easter events for children. On Good Friday, the Archbishop of Paris walks from the bottom of Montmartre up to the cathedral of
Sacré-Coeur as he performs the Stations of the Cross. Bear in mind, most shops and many restaurants will be closed on Easter Sunday and Monday, although not usually Good Friday.
The big family attraction this month is the opening of the giant funfair, the
Foire du Trône, in the
Bois de Vincennes, which begins at the end of March and continues until late May. It has its origins in a festival over 1,000 years old. There are plenty of rides, candy floss and fairground fun.
April
A victim of April Fool’s Day, on 1 April, is known as a Poisson d’Avril (April Fish) in France. Kids make paper fish and try to stick them on the backs of as many people as possible without being caught. And shop windows glitter with shoals of silver-foil-wrapped chocolate sardines.
The
Paris International Marathon, raced from
Place de la Concorde to Avenue Foch, takes in many of the city’s major sights so, wherever you are in Paris, you are likely to see fancy-dressed charity runners and toned elite competitors pounding out the course. Bring a picnic to a course of a different kind at
Dimanches au Galop (Sundays at the Races). There are pony rides and behind-the-scenes tours, as well as the thrill of the horse races, at the hippodromes d’Auteuil and Longchamp, and admission is free.
May
For culture vultures, the museums stay open late during
La Nuit des Musées one Saturday in mid-May. For sports fans, the
French Open, at
Stade Roland Garros is an unmissable, star-studded Grand Slam tennis tournament. There is a lot of family fun at the
Fête du Pain bread-making festival, during which a giant oven is set up in front of
Notre-Dame. This is the busiest tourist month of the year but also the one when the city lives up to all its loveliest movie clichés.
Summer
Summer months are full of festivities but, just as the season reaches its peak, the city empties out while the locals take their holidays. It is a good time to visit with kids as the streets are at their quietest, although some restaurants and shops close during August, especially in residential districts.
The big attraction for kids is
Paris-Plages – spots along the Right Bank of the Seine are transformed into sandy beaches, where it is possible to build a sandcastle with a view of Notre-Dame.
The city can feel like a huge, open-air museum, but there is a rare tranquillity away from the tourist hot spots. July and August can get very hot, so be sure to reserve a hotel room with air-conditioning, but August is also the wettest month of the year, due to occasional short, sharp thunderstorms.
June
On 21 June, Paris celebrates the summer solstice with the
Fête de la Musique, when music is played in the streets, in cafés and in bars.
Les Pestacles, meanwhile, is a music fest just for kids, held from June to September on Wednesdays in the Parc Floral of the Bois de Vincennes. A huge draw for kids is the annual funfair, the
Fête des Tuileries, which runs from end-June to end-August in the
Jardin des Tuileries. It offers a giant Ferris wheel and fairground rides. There is more fun to be had at
l’Eté du Canal, along the
Canal de l’Ourcq and at the Bassin de la Villette from July to August. There are shows, boat trips, exhibitions and games for families.
July
It is party time from now until mid-August, at Paris-Plages along the Seine and by the Canal de l’Ourcq, when fine sand, deck-chairs, parasols, “beach” cafés and street theatre replace the traffic.
On 14 July –
Bastille Day, as France’s
Fête Nationale is usually known – Paris celebrates the French Revolution with a huge military parade down the Champs-Elysées, a fly-past, street fairs and late-night fireworks. Make sure to get a place on the route in good time. Later in the month it is the turn of bikes to whizz down the Champs-Elysées, at the finish of the gruelling
Tour de France race. At a slightly slower pace, waiters bearing trays of bottles and glasses race off from the
Hôtel de Ville for the 8-km (5-mile)
Course des Garçons de Café in late June or early July.
Approaching the finish of the Tour de France, on the Champs-Elysées
August
This is the ideal time to cruise along the river or picnic in a park. It is also a good time to take day trips out of the city, as many commuters are on holiday so public transport and roads are less crowded.
At the end of the month, the
Fête au Bois de Boulogne offers more family fairground fun, and during
Le Cinéma en Plein Air,
Parc de la Villette becomes a free open-air cinema showing everything from cartoons to classics. Bring a picnic, and a blanket in case the evening turns cool.
Autumn
Festivals and events abound now, as Parisians return home with a burst of renewed energy and prepare for La Rentrée, as the “Back to School” season is known. It is a great time to visit with kids as the sun is still warm and one can comfortably eat outside at lunchtime. In October the city is a riot of autumn colours, perfect for strolling along the banks of the Seine and in the city’s parks.
On weekdays in autumn, the city’s hotels get very booked up with trade and fashion shows, but there are bargains to be had at the weekend, especially in September. Queues at museums and other sights are much shorter and there are plenty of activities for kids during October school holidays.
September
On the
Journées du Patrimoine (European Heritage Days) all sorts of normally inaccessible buildings are open to the public, including the
Palais de l’Elysée, the official home of the French President. The other main cultural event this month is the
Festival d’Automne, a celebration of modern music, theatre, ballet, cinema and art. In complete contrast,
Famillathlon is a lively family sports day, staged in the
Champ-de-Mars one Sunday towards the end of the month.
October
During the
Fête des Vendanges, the wine harvest is celebrated in the tiny vineyard of Montmartre, while honey takes centre stage at the
Fête du Miel in the
Jardin du Luxembourg.
On La Nuit Blanche, in the last week of September or the first week of October, museums, monuments, cinemas, parks and even swimming pools stay open all night. Mon Premier Festival, a children’s film festival, has showings in all Paris cinemas, while, for budding scientists, there is the Fête de la Science, which takes place at a different institution every year.
November
On 11 November 1918, the guns of World War I fell silent. To mark the date, blue cornflowers are worn and the President lays a wreath at the
Arc de Triomphe.
Now’s a good time to explore the city’s museums but, if out and about in the cold, kids can warm up with a cup of rich hot chocolate, while the grown-ups might enjoy a glass of Beaujolais Nouveau, launched on the third Thursday of the month.
Winter
The skies may be grey but there is plenty of tinsel in town. There are skating rinks, Nativity cribs, fairy lights, Christmas trees, magical window displays and an array of seasonal food, such as bûches de Noël (chocolate logs).
It is a fun time to visit
Disneyland® Paris, which has lots of special events, but be sure to wrap up warm. Many restaurants close on Christmas Day, so opt for self-catering or a hotel with its own restaurant. The French enjoy their blow-out meal late on Christmas Eve, feasting on oysters and foie gras.
December
Get into the festive spirit by taking to the ice. Paris’s two most thrilling outdoor rinks are at the Hôtel de Ville, especially when it is lit up at night, and on the enchanted terrace on the first level of the
Eiffel Tower, with wonderful views of the city 57 m (187 ft) below.
The 11pm Christmas Eve carol service at Notre-Dame is a magical event. On New Year’s Eve, make merry with the crowds along the Champs-Elysées.
January
In the run-up to the Fête des Rois (Epiphany) on 6 January, pâtisseries sell a sweet puff pastry pie, a galette des rois, with a tiny porcelain figure inside. Whoever gets it in their slice wins the right to wear a gold crown (sold with the cake) for the day, and be king or queen. For Chinese New Year, in late January or early February, parades, dragons and firecrackers fill the streets of the 13th arrondissement.
February
The Carnaval de Paris has been brightening up the late winter since the Middle Ages with music, dancing and lots of fun. The parade departs from Place Gambetta at 3pm for the Hôtel de Ville.
Chalkboard announcing the arrival of the new Beaujolais, Café de l’Industrie
Events in Paris
For a full list of events, visit:
French school holidays
Though staggered, holidays are always two weeks in Feb; two weeks in Apr; all of Jul–Aug; two weeks in Oct/early Nov; and two weeks over Christmas. During school holidays, few museums have extended opening hours. Some museums and galleries host activities on Wednesdays, when primary school kids have time off.
Public holidays
New Year’s Day (1 Jan)
Easter Monday (late Mar/Apr)
Labour Day (1 May)
VE Day (8 May)
Ascension Day (6th Thu after Easter)
Pentecost (2nd Mon after Ascension)
Bastille Day (14 Jul)
Assumption (15 Aug)
All Saints’ Day (1 Nov)
Remembrance Day (11 Nov)
Christmas Day (25 Dec)