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WHAT CHANGES IN FRANCE

On the Agenda: What’s happening in France this week

From the start of a new French school year to train travel deals, a political protest and the closing ceremony of the Paralympic Games, here's what is happening in France this week.

Published: 1 September 2024 08:23 CEST
On the Agenda: What's happening in France this week
Pupils wait outside on the first day school in Marseille, in 2022. (Photo by Clement MAHOUDEAU / AFP)

Monday

La rentrée – Pupils return to the classroom on Monday, September 2nd, after the summer holidays. There will be some changes in store for pupils this year, including a test ban on smartphones. The start of September also marks the ramping up of politics, as well as the rentrée litteraire, which is when the ‘big’ books of the year are published.

READ ALSO: What to expect if your child is starting school in France

Mont-Blanc tunnel closure – The tunnel running between France and Italy will close to traffic for three-and-a-half months on Monday for the first phase of test renovation work. It is set to reopen on December 16th. 

SUV Parking – The cost of parking an SUV in Paris is set to triple from the start of September, following a citizens’ referendum. In the first to the 11th arrondissements, the cost will jump from €6 to €18, while in the 12th to the 20th it will increase from €4 to €12.

Airport rules – European airports are bringing back the 100ml rule for liquids in the cabin because of problems with new 3D scanners. More info here.

Wednesday

Train deals – Over 200,000 tickets for both high and slow-speed (Grande Vitesse and Classique) Ouigo trains will be sold for under €19 on Wednesday and Thursday.

READ MORE: Deals and discounts: How to save money on train travel in France this September

Friday

Reopening of Musée Jacquemart-André – After being closed for over a year, the fine and decorative arts museum in Paris will reopen on September 6th, inaugurating an exhibition devoted to the Galerie Borghèse in Rome.

Football – France is playing against Italy in the Nations League on Friday at 8.45pm at the Parc des Princes on the edge of Paris.

Saturday

Political protest – Left-wing political party La France Insoumise (LFI) has issued a call for protests on Saturday, September 7th, after President Emmanuel Macron slammed the door on the hopes of left-wing prime ministerial candidate Lucie Castets.

READ MORE: Calendar: The strikes and protests to take place in France this autumn

Sunday

End of the Paralympic Games – The Paris Paralympic Games will run until Sunday, September 8th. The closing ceremony will take place at the Stade de France from 8.30pm to 11.30pm. It will be screened by France 2 TV.

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WHAT CHANGES IN FRANCE

What changes in France in September 2024

From festivals to wine sales, returning airport rules and bad news for anyone planning a road trip into Italy, here’s what changes in France in September. 

Published: 26 August 2024 13:19 CEST
Updated: 1 September 2024 07:20 CEST
What changes in France in September 2024

La rentrée

Most of France takes a holiday over the summer and cities become noticeably quieter as everyone heads to the beach. The general return to work is known as la rentrée – the return – and happens at the beginning of September.

It’s not all post-holiday blues though, you may well be invited to rentrée social events as people catch up with friends or colleagues and swap holiday stories.

La rentrée scolaire/politique

Schools also return in September. This year’s back-to-school-day is on Monday, September 2nd, so expect to see lots of nervous-looking children with new backpacks throughout the day.

READ ALSO What to expect if your child is starting school in France

There’s la rentrée politique, when ministers return from holiday and – usually – start clogging up newspapers and TV stations with their big ideas for the new political year. This year is slightly different, given the summer impasse following July’s snap elections.

There is currently no firm date for the return of MPs to France’s National Assemblee this year, but the Constitution indicates it must resume by October 1st (a Tuesday, this year) at the latest. So, somewhere between now and then…

There’s also la rentrée litteraire – September and October is traditionally the busiest time of the year for publishers. The ‘big’ books of the year tend to be published at this time, ahead of France’s biggest literary prizes which are awarded in November.

Paralympic Games

The Paris Paralympic Games will go until September 8th. You can enjoy the festivities from a fan zone, or you can watch on television or online. As for tickets, you can find more info here.

READ MORE: How to watch the Paris Paralympic Games on TV in France

Lane restrictions

The lane restrictions operating in Paris for the duration of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will end on September 11th.

READ ALSO How Paris’s Olympic and Paralympic carpool lanes work

Mont Blanc Tunnel closure

The Mont Blanc tunnel between France and Italy closes to traffic for three-and-a-half months on September 2nd for the first phase of test renovation work. It is set to reopen on December 16th. A second test phase is planned for 2025.

Heavy goods vehicles will be diverted to the Savoyard Fréjus tunnel, mainly heavy goods vehicles, while light vehicle traffic will be divided between the Fréjus tunnel, and the Grand and Petit Saint-Bernard, Mont Cenis or Montgenèvre passes.

At the end of the two test periods the governments of France and Italy will discuss plans for the complete renovation of the tunnel – options available include total closure of the tunnel for up to four years, or shutting the route for four months every year for 18 years.

READ MORE: Mont Blanc tunnel to close for several weeks

School curriculum

A number of changes, here. Primary schools in France will include pet and animal welfare classes as part of the Enseignement Moral et Civique, or EMC, syllabus from September 2024. 

Meanwhile, pupils in their first two years of college will be streamed for maths and French classes for the first time, while those entering their brevet year need to be aware that the exam at the end of this school year counts for 60 percent of their final mark, while continuous assessment makes up 40 percent of the total – a reversal from recent years.

READ ALSO Smartphone bans and uniforms: What changes in French schools in autumn 2024

Strikes

It wouldn’t be France without a strike. Teaching unions, for example, have called for primary school teachers to walk out on September 10th, in protest at plans to introduce annual national assessments for pupils from CP onwards. Meanwhile, the CGT has unveiled plans for a ‘mobilisation’ at the end of September. There’s no confirmed date yet – and it could end up being the beginning of October, but be aware that there’s the possibility of other protests and industrial action as the new school year kicks off.

READ ALSO Calendar: The strikes and protests to take place in France this autumn

Parking

The cost of parking an SUV in Paris is set to triple from September 1st, following a citizens’ referendum. In the first to the 11th arrondissements, the cost will jump from €6 to €18, while in the 12th to the 20th it will increase from €4 to €12.

RER

Good news for users of the RER A in Ile-de-France – the busiest local rail line in Europe, which transports some 1.4 million passengers per day. Trains will have more carriages to ease passenger over-crowding from the start of the new school year. 

Airport rules

It disappeared at the beginning of the year, but the 100ml rule for liquids in the cabin at European airports returns from September 1st because of problems with 3D scanners intended to make travel safe.

READ ALSO What return of liquid limits at airports means for travel in France

Foire aux vins

More and more French vineyards are beginning their grape-picking season in August, but the harvest usually continues into September. Linked to this is the annual wine sale in supermarkets and caves known as the foire aux vins.

This is essentially a discounting exercise where wine-sellers make room for the new season’s wines by selling off old stock, and it’s a great place to pick up a few special bottles at bargain prices.

TV shows

Fans of the long-running Un si grand soleil series need to know that it will be on France 3 from September 9th, rather than France 2.

Heritage Days

Friday, September 20th, Saturday, September 21st and Sunday, September 22nd mark the Journées du patrimoine – heritage days – when some of France’s most famous venues fling open their doors and welcome visitors.

READ ALSO 12 places to visit on France’s 2024 Heritage Days

Visits are free but must be booked in advance for most venues. A full schedule is usually released a couple of weeks in advance.

READ ALSO Festivals and events: What’s on in France this autumn 2024?

Gas prices

The Commission de Régulation de l’Énergie (CRE) recently announced a one percent reduction in the benchmark natural gas price for September 2024 – an indication of the ongoing volatility of the market, following an increase in August.

Sexual health

Screening for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) will become more accessible from September 1st. It will be possible to get tested without a prescription for four additional STIs, in addition to HIV. This test is fully covered for those under 26.

Talking France returns

The Local’s Talking France podcast has also been on its summer break, but it returns this month. In the meantime, you can catch up with the entire back catalogue here.

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