Visiting Paris

In the surrounding areas

Château de Versailles

Go and visit the greatest and most famous royal palace in France, a masterpiece that reflects the delusions of grandeur of Louis XIV, known as the Sun King.

• Opening hours: Castle: daily, 9 am – 6:30 pm. Closed on Mondays.

Parc and Gardens: everyday between 8 am and 8:30 pm.

• Access: From Paris, take RER line C heading to “Versailles Rive gauche Château.”

• Website: en.chateauversailles.fr

Enjoy the Fountains shows and Musical Gardens at Château de Versailles during the Summer

Fontainebleau

Several French kings, including François Ier and Henry IV, used to go hunting in the Château de Fontainebleau, located in the outskirts of Paris. Napoleon’s stay in Fontainebleau is also reminded with the dedicated museum inside the castle.

• Opening hours: daily, 9:30 am – 6 pm. Closed on Tuesdays.

• Access: From Paris, go to Gare de Lyon and take the train heading to Fontainebleau (45 min). A bus (Aerial line A) will take you from the train station to the castle.

• Website: www.chateaudefontainebleau.fr/en/

Shopping in Paris

Most shops are open from 10 am to 7 pm, Monday through Saturday. Smaller shops are closed on Mondays. Here are some famous places to go shopping:

• Shops on the Champs-Elysées: Metro station: Charles de Gaulle Etoile (line 1, 2 or 6)

• Galeries Lafayette Department Store & Printemps Department Store, Boulevard Haussmann: Metro station: Chaussée d’Antin La Fayette (line 7 or 9)

• Au Bon Marché Department Store: Metro station: Sèvres Babylone (line 10 or 12)

• Shops at Les Halles: Metro station: Les Halles (line 4)

• Shops on the Rue de Rennes & Rue St. Placide: Metro station: Rennes (line 12)

Luxury shops can be found on Avenue Montaigne and Place Vendôme.

Note: Summer Sales will take place from June 22 to July 19, 2022.

Special events

Paris Jazz Festival

• June 29 - September 07, 2022

• Parc Floral de Paris (Bois de Vincennes)

• Metro Station: Château de Vincennes (line 1)

• Website: festivalsduparcfloral.paris/programmation/paris-jazz-festival/

Fête de la Musique

• Night of June 21

• Streets, bars and cafes all over France

• Free event

• Website: en.parisinfo.com/what-to-do-in-paris/info/guides/fete-de-la-musique

Lively street music festival held every year all over France to celebrate summer’s arrival. One of the most popular annual events for French people. Hundreds of musicians gather in the streets, bars, and cafes, giving free performances of all kinds from jazz and rock to hip-hop and electronic music.

Solidays

• June 24 to 26, 2022

• Hippodrome de Longchamp (horse racetrack)

• Metro/RER station: Boulogne-Jean Jaurès (line 10) or Porte Maillot (line 1 or RER C)

• Admission: 31,50€

• Website: solidays.org

Annual 3-day music festival to fight against AIDS with famous various international artists.

Paris respire (Paris breathes)

Every first Sunday of the month, the streets on the banks of the Seine river and of the Saint-Martin canal are open only to pedestrians, cyclists and roller-skaters. A great way to discover the city away from busy streets!

Paris Plage

From July to August, a full-fledged beach with sand, games, cafes, and even boating will take over the banks of the Seine and, for the first time this year, the Bassin de la Villette in North Paris. Paris Plage has enjoyed enormous success since its launch in 2003 and attracted millions of visitors last year. On hot nights, sipping a drink at one of the open-air bars installed on the beach or enjoying live music is always enjoyable.

The Gay Pride Parade: June 25, 2022

French National anti-homophobic event that promotes equality and pride for people of the LGBT community and which attracts over 700 000 marchers every year. The parade is made up of about 80 vibrant, colourful floats playing music. Throughout the entire parade a noisy, fancy-dressed, boisterous crowd will be cheering, dancing and waving rainbow flags - the Pride March is a party which is chiefly about tolerance and open-mindedness, and of course, open to all.

Tour de France: July 1 – 24, 2022

The famous French annual cycling race throughout France (3,500 kilometers) with its finale along the Champs-Élysées.

Bastille Day: July 14, 2022

French National Day celebrated all over the country. In Paris, a military parade (the oldest and largest in the world) takes place each year since 1880 in the morning along the Champs-Elysées (from l’Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde) where the President, his government and foreign ambassadors stand. This is a very popular event in France, with many French people gathered along the avenue to watch (or in front of their TV). Afterwards, a private garden party is held in the gardens of the Elysée (the President’s residence). A big firework is launched at 11:00 pm from the Trocadéro gardens in front of the Eiffel Tower. Finally, some street balls traditionally organized by firemen (bals des pompiers) take place in various places in Paris at night.