5 reasons to spend August in Paris (and 5 to stay away)
In August the French capital traditionally sees a big population shift - locals head for the beach or the countryside while tourists arrive. So should you stay? Or should you go?
Paris in August is a controversial topic - some feel strongly that the city is at its best during the 8th month of the year, as the usual residents (Parisians) head off on holiday, while others see it as a wasteland filled with tourists and closed-shops.
We take a look at reasons for spending August in Paris, and reasons to leave.
Reasons to stay
Pace of life
The pace of life in Paris slows dramatically in August - because a large portion of the usual residents are away, stress levels are reduced, the Parisians that are left smile at each other and have even been known to exchange small talk.
Many offices close and those workers that do remain might be found awarding themselves a slightly longer lunch break or an early finish, while schools and universities are also on holiday.
Politics slows down too - the parliament breaks for August and the president usually heads to their official retreat on the Riviera for some down time.
Extra space
While the obvious tourist spots remain busy, large parts of the rest of the city are nearly empty as locals flee to the beaches.
Think of everything in Paris that you can't do at other times of the year -- get a seat on a terrace, get a seat on the Metro, find a bit of green space in a park... the list is endless.
In August you can do all these things - not to mention enjoy the empty roads for some stress free bike rides around the city.
Discover new places and people
So your usual haunts and boulangerie might be shut. Why not consider it an opportunity to find new places you wouldn't have dreamed of going otherwise and discover some new favourite spots?
August is a great time to get out of your comfort zone and explore other parts of the city, or even just fully explore your own neighbourhood and try out a new boulangerie - you never know, its baguette might be better than your regular bakery.
Plus, with your usual friends off on holiday, August is the perfect opportunity to expand your social circle. Put yourself out there and meet new people, or rekindle friendships with old friends.
The boss is gone
Some may complain about having to work while everyone else is away, but they miss the point.
In August, your boss is likely to be on the beach, your colleagues too, so you can get away with doing pretty much 'rien'.
You can then go on holiday in September, missing the terrible month of la rentrée when all work restarts and the August holidaymakers are suffering from post-holiday blues/grumpiness
Open-air film and music festivals
Paris also has some of its best summer events during the month of August. From the iconic Paris plages, which brings the beach to the city, to cinema under the stars in Parc de la Villette and music at Rock en Seine, there are plenty of things to look forward to.
READ MORE: Paris Plages: What to expect from the city 'beaches' in summer 2023
The open-air cinema for 2023 will run from July 19th to August 20th. You can find this summer's programme here. Pack your picnic blanket, grab some friend and go enjoy a free movie.
As for Rock en Seine, this music festival is a staple of the Paris summer. This year headliners will include Billie Eilish, Florence + the machine, and the Strokes. It will run from August 23rd to 27th. For more information click here.
Reasons to leave
Heat
Paris in August is hot and is only expected to keep getting hotter each year (there's a prediction that it could even reach 50C by 2050).
READ MORE: Which Paris Metro lines have air con and which are hotter than hell?
On top of that, the city suffers from the 'heat-sink effect', making it consistently a few degrees warmer than surrounding suburbs and countryside thanks to all the concrete and asphalt, not to mention the human activities that warm the air from car exhausts to air conditioning vents.
The city has made efforts to handle heatwaves better, in part by greening more spaces, but there is still a long way to go.
The Riviera in August is hot too, of course, but it's undeniably better to be sweating on the beach than sweating on the Metro. Increasingly, people are opting for cooler destinations like Brittany or the Alps for the their summer holiday - somewhere that you may find the cool refreshing breezes that Paris is notably short of.
Tourists
Paris is a popular city with tourists all year round (an estimated 10 million tourists come here every year) but there's no doubting that August is the peak time.
If you're anywhere near hotspots like the Louvre, Eiffel Tower or Montmartre - expect them to be rammed with tourists.
If you're in the city centre you will inevitably find yourself behind map-gazing foreigners who stand on the wrong side of the escalators and stop in the middle of the footpath to take a picture of a road sign.
And don't even get us started on the people who take suitcases the size of a small house onto the Metro at rush hour.
Your friends are all gone
Text a friend to suggest an apéro, you'll likely be stung with a pang of jealousy when they respond, "I'm on the Riveria, see you in three weeks".
Depending on which camp your friends fall into in the great 'Paris in August' wars, you're likely to find you have fewer potential drinking/lunch/shopping companions around in August.
From about mid July, nights out will involve people reeling off lists of when they leave the city and how long they will be gone for. If you're lucky they might send you some holiday snaps to look at as you gasp for air on the Metro.
Closures
If you were hoping to take advantage of your boss' absence to fit in some doctors appointments or home repairs, think again. Not only will your favourite shops hang signs informing you that they will be closed for until September, it is impossible to schedule appointments.
Doctors, lawyers and plumbers will all likely be away, so if you need any of those services you'll likely find yourself on a longer wait list than usual.
Don't even think about trying to get any immigration admin done either - in the unlikely event that you can get an appointment, the fonctionnaire will likely be bitterly resentful that they're not at the beach and just looking for an excuse to reject your dossier.
Construction
August is a popular month for construction projects with many workers out of the city on holiday, offering a convenient timeline for the city to close down transport lines for works.
With Paris preparing to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the summer of 2023 has seen several lines and stations closed as local authorities seek to get transport ready to host large crowds.
READ MORE: Metro, tram and RER: The disruption on Paris transport this summer
Not only do Metro, train and train lines shut down, but roadworks are also common on the outskirts of the city.
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Paris in August is a controversial topic - some feel strongly that the city is at its best during the 8th month of the year, as the usual residents (Parisians) head off on holiday, while others see it as a wasteland filled with tourists and closed-shops.
We take a look at reasons for spending August in Paris, and reasons to leave.
Reasons to stay
Pace of life
The pace of life in Paris slows dramatically in August - because a large portion of the usual residents are away, stress levels are reduced, the Parisians that are left smile at each other and have even been known to exchange small talk.
Many offices close and those workers that do remain might be found awarding themselves a slightly longer lunch break or an early finish, while schools and universities are also on holiday.
Politics slows down too - the parliament breaks for August and the president usually heads to their official retreat on the Riviera for some down time.
Extra space
While the obvious tourist spots remain busy, large parts of the rest of the city are nearly empty as locals flee to the beaches.
Think of everything in Paris that you can't do at other times of the year -- get a seat on a terrace, get a seat on the Metro, find a bit of green space in a park... the list is endless.
In August you can do all these things - not to mention enjoy the empty roads for some stress free bike rides around the city.
Discover new places and people
So your usual haunts and boulangerie might be shut. Why not consider it an opportunity to find new places you wouldn't have dreamed of going otherwise and discover some new favourite spots?
August is a great time to get out of your comfort zone and explore other parts of the city, or even just fully explore your own neighbourhood and try out a new boulangerie - you never know, its baguette might be better than your regular bakery.
Plus, with your usual friends off on holiday, August is the perfect opportunity to expand your social circle. Put yourself out there and meet new people, or rekindle friendships with old friends.
The boss is gone
Some may complain about having to work while everyone else is away, but they miss the point.
In August, your boss is likely to be on the beach, your colleagues too, so you can get away with doing pretty much 'rien'.
You can then go on holiday in September, missing the terrible month of la rentrée when all work restarts and the August holidaymakers are suffering from post-holiday blues/grumpiness
Open-air film and music festivals
Paris also has some of its best summer events during the month of August. From the iconic Paris plages, which brings the beach to the city, to cinema under the stars in Parc de la Villette and music at Rock en Seine, there are plenty of things to look forward to.
READ MORE: Paris Plages: What to expect from the city 'beaches' in summer 2023
The open-air cinema for 2023 will run from July 19th to August 20th. You can find this summer's programme here. Pack your picnic blanket, grab some friend and go enjoy a free movie.
As for Rock en Seine, this music festival is a staple of the Paris summer. This year headliners will include Billie Eilish, Florence + the machine, and the Strokes. It will run from August 23rd to 27th. For more information click here.
Reasons to leave
Heat
Paris in August is hot and is only expected to keep getting hotter each year (there's a prediction that it could even reach 50C by 2050).
READ MORE: Which Paris Metro lines have air con and which are hotter than hell?
On top of that, the city suffers from the 'heat-sink effect', making it consistently a few degrees warmer than surrounding suburbs and countryside thanks to all the concrete and asphalt, not to mention the human activities that warm the air from car exhausts to air conditioning vents.
The city has made efforts to handle heatwaves better, in part by greening more spaces, but there is still a long way to go.
The Riviera in August is hot too, of course, but it's undeniably better to be sweating on the beach than sweating on the Metro. Increasingly, people are opting for cooler destinations like Brittany or the Alps for the their summer holiday - somewhere that you may find the cool refreshing breezes that Paris is notably short of.
Tourists
Paris is a popular city with tourists all year round (an estimated 10 million tourists come here every year) but there's no doubting that August is the peak time.
If you're anywhere near hotspots like the Louvre, Eiffel Tower or Montmartre - expect them to be rammed with tourists.
If you're in the city centre you will inevitably find yourself behind map-gazing foreigners who stand on the wrong side of the escalators and stop in the middle of the footpath to take a picture of a road sign.
And don't even get us started on the people who take suitcases the size of a small house onto the Metro at rush hour.
Your friends are all gone
Text a friend to suggest an apéro, you'll likely be stung with a pang of jealousy when they respond, "I'm on the Riveria, see you in three weeks".
Depending on which camp your friends fall into in the great 'Paris in August' wars, you're likely to find you have fewer potential drinking/lunch/shopping companions around in August.
From about mid July, nights out will involve people reeling off lists of when they leave the city and how long they will be gone for. If you're lucky they might send you some holiday snaps to look at as you gasp for air on the Metro.
Closures
If you were hoping to take advantage of your boss' absence to fit in some doctors appointments or home repairs, think again. Not only will your favourite shops hang signs informing you that they will be closed for until September, it is impossible to schedule appointments.
Doctors, lawyers and plumbers will all likely be away, so if you need any of those services you'll likely find yourself on a longer wait list than usual.
Don't even think about trying to get any immigration admin done either - in the unlikely event that you can get an appointment, the fonctionnaire will likely be bitterly resentful that they're not at the beach and just looking for an excuse to reject your dossier.
Construction
August is a popular month for construction projects with many workers out of the city on holiday, offering a convenient timeline for the city to close down transport lines for works.
With Paris preparing to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the summer of 2023 has seen several lines and stations closed as local authorities seek to get transport ready to host large crowds.
READ MORE: Metro, tram and RER: The disruption on Paris transport this summer
Not only do Metro, train and train lines shut down, but roadworks are also common on the outskirts of the city.
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