It’s no secret that the most popular travel months are July and August. According to Going.com, travel rates reach their highest in the summertime, especially with other factors like sporting events and concerts spiking that number even higher. Perhaps one of the best Paris travel tips has more to do with timing your trip, rather than what to do in the city!
As the world’s most visited country, it’s no surprise that millions of search results for France appear in the early months of Summer.
As someone who’s traveled during all four seasons, I believe that the best time to visit Paris is in the Spring. Still, summer in Paris can be a great experience with plenty of things to see and do.
I created this travel guide in Paris specifically for travelers who want to make the most out of their summer visit. I’ll include some travel tips to get the local experience and include some of the most unique outdoor markets you can experience.
9 Paris Travel Tips for Visiting in the Summer
One of the reasons the city is so popular during the summer is that it comes alive with activity in the summer. There are outdoor concerts and antique markets like you wouldn’t believe.
Parisians lounge outside along the Seine River and enjoy long hours of daylight. The sun doesn’t set until around 10 am during the summer!
1. Find out if you need an ETIAS Authorization for France
Depending on when your trip is booked, you may or may not need the new ETIAS Authorization. The most significant travel tip for Europe this year is the implementation of the ETIAS authorization, because this will determine whether you are granted access to Europe.
In the past, we Americans were spoiled with the freedom to simply book a flight, hop off the plane, and explore Europe by our own whim. As long as our whim ended after 90 days, there were no problems. However, the need for an ETIAS Authorization will likely take place sometime in 2025.
The European Travel Information and Authorization System is not exactly a visa, but a measure to control the flow of tourists and how long they stay in Europe. Unless you’re a European citizen or have special authorization, you will most likely need to apply for ETIAS.
2. Take advantage of tax-free shopping
If you love a good designer brand, the best time to spend dough on a French brand is, surprise, surprise, while you’re in France! Luxury brands are sometimes less expensive in Paris boutiques, but in my experience, you can find a lot of gently used designer items in consignment shops.
These French brands are best to buy in Paris:
- Hermes
- Chanel
- Celine
- Christian Dior
- Miu Miu
- Saint Laurent
- Bottega Veneta
- Louis Vuitton
- Givenchy
U.S. citizens can get a 12% VAT refund at the airport, but you’ll have to ask for the correct paperwork from the sales associates, and remember to reimburse your purchases when you arrive at the airport.
Although you might be tempted to plan the perfect packing list for Paris, what you might actually need is an empty suitcase!
3. Escape to the museums
Summer in Paris is HOT. Imagine a sweltering hot day where you’re surrounded by pavement, soaking in the sun’s rays, and a whole lot of trash piling up on the sidewalks.
The fastest solution is to find a nice, air-conditioned haven, aka, a museum. Beyond the Louvre and the d’Orsay, there are around 130 museums in Paris, many of which get ignored by typical travel guides or forgotten by travelers.
We like the obscure and lesser-known museums in Paris, including even the Musée des Arts Forains, an enormous fairgrounds museum, and the Musée des Archives Nationales (the national archives). And if all that garbage above ground wasn’t too much of a turnoff, there’s also Musée des Egouts, an underground sewer museum.
4. Make a list of must-see activities
While I enjoy winging some of my experiences, Paris is a city teeming with significant landmarks, both big and small. Quite literally. An attraction might be a sky-piercing obelisk in the center of a major intersection, or it may be a tiny plaque on the side of a building.
From my experience, Paris is a city that requires observant eyes, lots of walking tours, and sometimes retracing your own steps. For this reason, I suggest browsing some of the top experiences in Paris, making a list of the things you have to see, and the things you want to see but won’t ruin your day if you don’t.
You can also check out my personally curated map of Paris. These are all the places of big and little significance that I came across during my few excursions to the French capital.
5. Know what (and where) to eat
Paris is not just the capital of France, it’s also the gastronomic capital of Europe. This city is on par with New York in terms of quality and variety. If you have a certain craving for something, no matter how obscure, I’m willing to bet you can find it in Paris.
I’m so confident about the variety of food options because I ate my way through the city on more than one occasion, and have the Paris restaurant guide to prove it!
So, please, if there’s one Paris travel tip to take away, it’s to make sure you have a saved list of restaurants ahead of time. In a city of delicacies, don’t get stuck eating subpar meals at a tourist trap.
6. Celebrate Bastille Day like a Parisian
Bastille Day is the French equivalent of the Fourth of July, so it’s a pretty huge, patriotic celebration. You can find festivities all over the country on this particular day, but the most notable are the scheduled events in Paris. Starting at nine in the morning, there’s a military flyover of the Seine River, and at night you can catch the spectacular fireworks display that sets off from the Eiffel Tower.
7. Check local and free activities in the summer
A list of Paris travel tips is incomplete without the city activities happening in the summer. There are a ton of local events happening around Paris in the summer. The daylight extends long into the evening, creating a perfect party environment that quite literally never stops.
But if you’re going for a relaxed night soaking in the magic of Paris, then follow the Parisienne way. Grab a bottle of wine, some cheese, and bread from La Grande Épicerie de Paris and have a little impromptu picnic on the edge of the Seine.
Here are a few of our favorite summer events in Paris:
- In June, there is usually a performance of professional and amateur musicians at the Fête de la Musique. It takes over the streets of Paris for live performances.
- Nuit Blanche is a wild display of art exhibits found in all the unassuming spots of the city: churches and the Seine quaysides. The subways stay open all night, so as a spectator, you can discover your own route of art!
- Artificial beaches are built all along the Seine for Paris Plages, bringing the resorts right to the city.
8. Don’t forget the outdoor markets
Paris has a great shopping vibe, but there’s so much more beyond the chic stores. As your travel guide in Paris, I’m telling you now: skip the Champs-Élysées. Instead, I highly recommend exploring the flea and open-air markets of Paris. Parisians are known for their selective eye and impeccable taste, not to mention their haggling skills when they find an overpriced item.
It’s a real treat to see locals finding hidden gems in their own city, and who knows, you may find a few amazing things as well.
Top Open-Air Markets of Paris
- Mouffetard Market
- Rue de Levis
- Marché de Saxe-Breteuil
- Marché Saint Quentin
- Marché Monge
- Marché Maubert
- Marché aux Puces de la Porte de Vanves
9. Beware of the summer strikes in Paris
Europeans are known for their audacious practice of facilitating strikes. It just so happens (definitely, 100%, not a coincidence) that the strike season occurs in the summer months. While a strike can throw a speed bump into your plans, you likely won’t be completely stranded.
Similar to Italy’s infamous strike season, the trainlines in France may also have halted service in the summer. The best travel tips for Paris in the summer include staying informed about when strikes occur. EuroNews publishes a regular update on the French transportation strikes.
