August in Paris

I am going to be in Paris the beginning of August - not the ideal time I know - what can I expect weatherwise? I%26#39;ve also heard its a mass exodus out of there that month. Are many things closed? The trip is free and dates cant be changed. I was there in November and it could not have been a more perfect trip.

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Weather in August...very warm...like Los Angeles in the peak of summer. If you%26#39;re outside, you%26#39;ll get thirsty.

Yes. Many things are closed...stores, restaurants, etc. Even more things are closed on Sundays and Mondays. Museums and monuments should be keeping their normal schedules though.

Whatever you do, don%26#39;t go to the Cote d%26#39;Azur (Riviera). That%26#39;s where everybody seems to go, unless you like being in standing room only conditions.

However, flowers are blooming. Versailles%26#39; fountains will be going on weekends. The skies will be blue. And the countryside will be full foliage.

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We%26#39;re high season/summer visitors to Paris and have been in Paris in August. Contrary to popular myth, Paris does NOT shut down and go %26#39;..en vacance..%26#39; for the month of August. It%26#39;s true that a lot of Parisians do take their vacations but this scarcely affects other visitors to the city. You will discover that many small businesses will be closed though. So if you want to visit plumbers, electricians, light manufacturers, insurance agencies, psychologists, et al, August is not the best time of year. But...for the most part all of the museums and monuments are open for business as usual. You will find that SOME restaurants and smaller shops close...but not enough to matter. If you have particular %26#39;destination%26#39; restaurants in mind for your visit, you would do well to find out their schedule.

From our experiences, the one thing that I would recommend you do is book a hotel with AIR CONDITIONING. Paris can get HOT in August and extended heat waves of several days are not uncommon. During these periods, sleeping with open windows is NO help at all and hotels do NOT provide fans (nor can you find a fan left on the shelves at Monoprix or BHV). Otherwise, it%26#39;s just %26#39;..summer weather..%26#39;--usually warm and sunny and quite pleasant. No need for heavy coats, layer-upon-layer of clothing to strip off of scamble back into. There are summer showers but for the most part, these showers simply provide you with the occasion to stop at a convenient cafe for a few minutes to rest weary legs and tired feet and have something cool to drink, while you watch Paris scurry by.

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Thanks much for the info. It%26#39;s very reassuring to hear.

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KDKSail - you crack me up! :) I agree with everything you said...most importantly, GET AIR-CONDITIONING! You don%26#39;t want to be miserable at night on your vacation. I think I%26#39;d buy meals from Monoprix and forego restaurants just to get the air. The Tuileries should be beautiful in August, also.