It is not too late to fly to Europe in business class this summer at a reasonable price.
04.06.2024 - 09:42 / nytimes.com
Anyone who’s visited Paris in late July and August knows the word “fermé.” It adorns the darkened windows of chic indie boutiques and cozy bistros whose owners, along with other locals, have fled the city on their annual vacations.
This summer, with Paris expected to draw nearly 15 million visitors between July 26 and Sept. 8 for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, that ritual is anything but certain. Many shopkeepers, bakers, restaurateurs and tour guides — citing patriotism as well as profit — say they’re planning to stay open.
It’s a decision that comes with unpredictability. The 2012 London Olympics have cast a long shadow in Paris. Before those Games, warnings of overcrowded roads, congested transit and security concerns emptied out much of the popular city center and the West End, causing a tourism slump in those areas. Small-business owners in Paris are hoping history does not repeat itself.
The French capital is in a better position than the British capital was, insisted Pierre Rabadan, Paris’s deputy mayor for sports. Most of the events in London were held in one section of the city, he said, while in Paris, they’re taking place all over. “So when businesses have asked if they should stay open,” he explained, “we tell them we’re trying to create the conditions for this to be a real opportunity and for the city to function normally.”
With streets restricted, Metro stations closed and public transportation likely to be jammed, “normally” might be a stretch. But if you’re traveling to Paris for the Olympics or Paralympics, you will most likely find more dining and shopping options than you would otherwise see at that time of year. Here’s what to expect.
“If you want to have your ‘Emily in Paris’ trip to Paris this summer, you absolutely can,” said Olivia Grégoire, France’s minister in charge of tourism. Most popular attractions will remain open as normal, but a few closures could complicate plans.
It is not too late to fly to Europe in business class this summer at a reasonable price.
A sandy, 15-mile spit that reaches across Arcachon Bay like a protective arm, Lège-Cap Ferret, on France’s western coast, is that country’s answer to New York’s Montauk, albeit dialed back a decade or two. Cap Ferret — not to be confused with Cap Ferrat, the glitzy, southeastern French peninsula with almost the same name — is a 30-minute ferry ride from the seaside town of Arcachon and features a varied, contrary, landscape: oyster farms on the tranquil lagoon, or side, and a broad surf beach on the Atlantic side (“When there are waves, they are gigantic,” says the designer and architect Philippe Starck), which has attracted Parisians since the 1950s.
There’s nothing quite like the atmosphere of a festival. Great music, immaculate vibes, and memories to last a lifetime. But there is more to the festival scene than Glastonbury and Coachella, especially over in France. The ever-increasing prices and difficulty of getting tickets mean that people are casting their eyes elsewhere in search of a fun, memorable festival with excellent artists, an electric atmosphere, and great value for money. So whether you want to discover up and coming artists or are following your favourites on tour, pack your tents and hop on the ferry with DFDS to check out some of the amazing festivals happening in France this year.
Over the last few months the 2024 Paris Olympics has been presenting a golden opportunity for the travel industry, with short-term rental platforms already experiencing a surge in bookings. But what are the last minute opportunities left now for the travel industry to make the most of the Olympics? What kinds of challenges and even risks exist for those involved in selling Olympic related products? And with only a few left till it starts, could the opportunities really be over before the games have even started?
Tenerife, the largest and most diverse of Spain’s Canary Islands, has lined up an exciting calendar of diverse music concerts that visitors should not miss this summer. From Ed Sheeran to reggaeton and bachata, visitors to the island these warm months will have the opportunity to dance the night away with the best music and with the island’s magical sunsets as backdrop.
Paris may be on your travel bucket list, but it's bound to be packed with tourists as the 2024 Summer Olympics unfold in the City of Lights in July.
Apple Maps is making it easier to get outside this summer with updates to help travelers navigate national parks and create custom walking and hiking routes.
A version of this article originally appeared in Glamour.
The year was 1900, and a young debutante was about to enter the Paris high society. Fresh out of finishing school, she was already making heads spin with her steely Beaux-Arts ensemble and vaulted glass crown.
A new tourist fee in Bali. Higher hotel taxes in Amsterdam and Paris. Stricter rules on public drinking in Milan and Majorca. Ahead of the summer travel season, leaders in many tourist spots have adopted measures to tame the tourist crowds — or at least earn more revenue from them.
The fortified medieval town of Provins, just 92 km (57 mi) south-east of Paris, has barely changed since the 17th century. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a million tourists visit every year to admire the town which was, in the 10th century, the third most important in the kingdom of France after Paris and Rouen.
If you’ve been thinking about relocating to Germany, this new work permit might be for you.