August. An ideal time to be in Paris, as long as you don’t expect endless days of sunny hot weather or being able to work on the perfect tan. Yes, as the current season has shown, Parisian summer weather can be unpredictable! Being in Paris in August is still fabulous (and my favorite month of the year by far), as long as  you don’t need to:

•    Receive medical attention of any kind…
•    Get a haircut
•    Order furniture
•    Perform administrative tasks
•    Renovate your apartment or fix a small leak

Picnicing at La Villette before a movie

As of July 1, the French are either on vacation, planning vacation or dreaming of vacation. When August 1 rolls around, they are pretty much all truly en vacances (if not physically, at least mentally).  Nothing serious is possible in Paris before September and la rentrée. One must know this and plan accordingly.

You can forget about ordering the new couch you’ve been coveting anytime between July 1 and Sept 1. “Oh là là Madame… the factory where the couches are manufactured is closed until the end of August! Zut, alors the 6-8 week delay will bring you to at least mid- October before delivery can be made.”

You can try to get to the dentist to repair the filling that inconsiderately fell out over dinner. Another chorus of “Oh là là Madame, ze dentist is on vacation and will be back September 1.”

Strolling on the Canal St Martin

Summer flu? Need a doctor? “Oh là là Madame le cabinet medical is closed until further notice.”  Note: Don’t expect forthcoming referrals or sympathy.

Need a haircut and color… “Oh là là Madame…” you get the picture.

That said, once you are familiar with the rules, you can plan accordingly and then relax, knowing you won’t get anything serious done in Paris in August anyway. Just make sure not to fall ill or need root canal surgery. **

Notre Dame and tanning along the Seine in the sun

Visitors to our lovely city may rejoice in the fact that, since they are blessedly on holiday, they don’t have the day-to-day worries of living in Paris and not being able to accomplish anything in August, and thus can jump right into all the fabulous Paris August activities.

Here are some suggestions for not-to-be-missed culture and entertainment events happening in Paris in August: (Please note these are 2011 dates and will vary slightly in following years)

St Sulpice

August festivals

• La Villette, July 19- August 21 -Picnic galore and free movies as soon as the sun sets.
• Clair de Lune, August 5-22 –  Free movies all around Paris based on where they were filmed
• Paris Quartier D’été. Culture, danse, music… It’s too late to catch this great event in 2011, but mark it in your 2012 calendar now! It runs every summer from around mid July until the end of the first week of August.
• Paris Plage, July 21-Aug 21
• L’Eté du Canal summer festival – another Paris plage in  the hip Northern Paris area just beyond the Canal St Martin, June 25- August 28th.
• Theater and music in the gardens and streams of Chantilly, every weekend from July 16 – August 18.
• Les Grandes Eaux Nocturnes in the gardens of the Chateau de Versailles. This spectacular water festival takes place every Saturday evening starting  9 pm from June 18 – September 3.
• Carnival in the Tuileries gardens through August 21st.

La Villette

All major museums and tourist attractions remain open in Paris in the summer. You will also find that many food shops, restaurants and boutiques are open as well. You will not go without baguette, red wine or culture when visiting Paris in August!

** Please note: I am slightly exaggerating above. You CAN, with a bit of ingenuity and persistence find that random Frenchie who IS working in August. For the record, I successfully secured a haircut appointment the first week of August, found a handy man to fix my semi-broken fuse box with two days notice, went to the doctor AND managed to have my two new arm chairs re-upholstered and delivered last weekend, just in the nick of time before Monsieur le tapissier went en vacances!

Paris Plage Canal de L’Ourcq

Related links

• Do it in Paris also has some great tips on what to do in Paris in August
• Paris by Mouth has a list of restos that are open in August
• Jadis chef Guillaume Delage opens a new restaurant in the 6th

Written by Erica Berman for the Hip Paris Blog. All photos taken by Erica Berman. For our amazing rentals in Paris, Provence & Tuscany check out our website Haven in Paris.

Sunbathers in the Parc des Buttes Chaumont. Photo by Tory Hoen

You may have heard rumors that Paris empties out in August. As it turns out, the rumors are largely true. But before you start envisioning a Parisian ghost town—tumbleweeds rolling down the Champs-Elysées—take it from us: August is a wonderful time to be in Paris. As many locals head to the coast and many businesses close up for the month, you can feel the city’s pulse slow down. Traffic decreases, picnickers multiply, people become friendlier, they linger in parks and enjoy balmy evenings on café terraces throughout the city. In August, Paris settles and simply enjoys itself.

In the past, many tourists have avoided the month of August, deterred by the fear that many restaurants and businesses might be closed, or that Paris in August is not the “real” Paris. Nowadays, there is no need to worry about such things. While the “August atmosphere” is more relaxed and unhurried, there is plenty to do during this wonderful month; and many locals believe it’s actually the best moment to take advantage of the city.  In addition, visitors can often find special deals and lower rates at this time of the year.

Photo Erica Berman – Park in Paris in August

Restaurants & Food: Neither locals nor visitors go hungry in August. While some restaurants close for part (or all) of the month, many stay open to receive tourists and locals alike. If you have a specific restaurant in mind, it’s always best to reserve ahead. If you’re not pressed for time, stroll around and see what you stumble upon! Some of Paris’ best food can be found in restaurants that are slightly off the beaten path.

August is also a wonderful time to take advantage of fresh produce by cooking for yourself. Open-air markets (such as Place Monge and Blvd Raspail) maintain their regular schedules. And famous food streets (rue Mouffetard in the 5^th, rue Cler in the 7^th) welcome hungry visitors. Some food shops may close for select days in August, but in general, they will coordinate their closings with other shops in the neighborhood, so as not to inconvenience the locals. If you do find that your favorite boulangerie has closed for the day, chances are you won’t have to look far for another. August is a great time to discover culinary secrets that you would have otherwise missed!

Shopping and Museums: While some small, privately owned boutiques may close during August, Paris’ large department stores (BHV, Le Bon Marché, Printemps, Galeries Lafayette) remain open, as do most larger boutiques and international chains. All major museums such as the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, and the Rodin Museum maintain their regular hours.

Statue in the garden at the Musée Rodin. Photo by Tory Hoen

Culture: The number and variety of cultural events provides another great reason to head to Paris in August. Film buffs will want to take advantage of the warm weather by attending Paris’ two major open-air film festivals, Cinema en Plein Air and Clair de Lune. Cinema en Plein Air takes place in Parc de la Villette from July 15-August 16. Clair de Lune screenings take place in different neighborhoods around the city between August 5^th and 23^rd. Both film series are free and open to the public. At the end of August, one of Paris’ most anticipated music events of the year rolls into town. From August 28-30, Rock en Seine takes place at the Domaine National de Saint-Cloud, just outside Paris (Metro: Pont de St-Cloud, Line 10). This year’s line-up will feature MGMT, Oasis, Vampire Weekend, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bloc Party, and Birdy Nam Nam. A 3-day pass, which will get you into every show over the course of the weekend, goes for 99€ and 1-day passes are 45€.

The Great Outdoors: Finally, we don’t have to remind you that summer is the best time to linger in parks, stroll along the Seine, and loiter along the banks of the Canal St. Martin. All of Paris’ parks and public spaces are open everyday and are entirely free to the public. No matter what your style—the dramatic Jardin du Luxembourg, the elegant Parc Monceau, the wild Parc des Buttes Chaumont—Paris has it all. In addition, the much acclaimed Paris Plages festival runs from July 20-August 20. Grab some sunscreen and spend the day at Paris’ very own beach—complete with palm trees, lounge chairs, beach cabanas and sporting activities.

Jardin du Luxembourg. Photo by Tory Hoen

So if you’ve delayed making plans for your summer getaway, it’s not too late. A low-key August in Paris is just what you need to recharge for the year ahead.

Looking for a place to stay? Check out Haven in Paris’ last-minute summer specials on vacation rental properties. For summer specials by neighborhood:

St. Germain-des-Pres / Latin Quarter: Champollion, Vieux Colombier, Ecoles, Designer Penthouse w/ Terrace, Rue du Four

The Marais: a Roi Doré, Michel le Comte

www.haveninparis.com

Photo courtesy of Momondo.com

Visitors to Paris now have one more item to add to their agendas: the beach! Paris is primed for what is perhaps the least logical—but most fun—event of the summer: Paris Plages, which kicks off July 20th. For the 8^th year in a row, the banks of the Seine have been converted into a veritable beach, complete with deckchairs, cabanas, “aqua-gyms,” pétanque courts, ping pong, fencing, picnic tables, canoes and paddle boats. The sand has arrived, the palm trees have been installed, the sun is shining, the Seine is sparkling, and all of Paris is ready for beach season to begin! 

Courtesy of cedric.westorereims.free.fr

Paris Plages runs from July 20th through August 20^th, with a variety of daytime and nighttime activities on the program.  This year, the main beach is situated along the Seine’s Right Bank between Hotel de Ville and the Bastille area (4^eme). Another stretch of beach has been constructed along the canal in Parc de la Villette (19^eme). A third Paris Plages area has been set up in front of Hotel de Ville (4^eme). The beaches are open everyday, and visitors are encouraged to come and lounge on deckchairs, picnic with friends, and spend the day partaking in the many child and adult-friendly activities available.

Activities include foosball, fencing, Tai Chi, pétanque, ping pong, boating activities, dance classes, climbing walls and aqua-gyms for those who want to get in a quick workout. Artisans and vendors will sell crafts, food, and drinks along the beach. For those who want to cool off, the famous Josephine Baker swimming pool (on the Left Bank at the foot of the Francois Mitterrand National Library) provides an urban oasis. The pool is open to the public everyday for an entry fee of 3 Euros. After a long day in the sun, visitors can stroll along the quais and catch some of the impromptu dance performances that take place on and around many of the bridges.

For many, the main draw of Paris Plages is the free Fnac-sponsored concerts that happen each weekend as part of the Fnac Indétendances Festival. This year’s 8 concerts will take place at Hotel de Ville and will feature 30 artists/groups over the course of the summer. These concerts highlight artists who are either self-produced or signed with independent labels, and they provide a great opportunity for visitors to discover new and up-and-coming musicians. This year’s line-up will include Amadou & Mariam, Neneh Cherry, the Naïve New Beaters, Joseph Arthur and Joseph d’Anvers, among others. For the entire program, click here.

Make sure to take advantage of Paris Plages between July 20-Aug 20.

All Paris Plages-related activities and events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit http://www.paris.fr/portail/english/Portal.lut?page_id=8118.

For Haven in Paris rental apartments within walking distance of the main beach:

au Roi Dore, Elzevir, Lesdiguieres, Designer Penthouse w/ Terrace, Bac Penthouse w/ Terrace, Boulangers, Champollion, Ecoles, Rue du Four, Mazarine, St. Germain Luxe, St. Peres, Universite, Rosiers, Place des Vosges, and Vieux Colombier