Paris in August: the city empties out, and that is a good thing

Legend has it that Paris shuts down in August. The reality is more nuanced: the major institutions, the monuments and most restaurants in the centre stay open. It is the neighbourhood shops and chef-led restaurants that take three weeks off, often between the 1st and the 20th.

What really changes is the pace. You get a terrace table at eight in the evening, walk into museums without booking, and cross the city by bike without a second thought. The Parisians who stay know it: this is the month when the city belongs to them again.

Two precautions: check the day before when the places you care about are closed, and avoid outdoor visits on heatwave days. Our four apartments have standing fans and shutters — in a Haussmann building, that is almost always enough.