COPY LINK

TRAVEL NEWS

The 22 unique things that happen in France every summer

As France begins les grandes vacances you need to be prepared for some of the unique aspects of the French summer, especially if you live here and you're not lucky enough to be on the beach, writes British writer in France Jackie McGeown.

Published: 8 August 2018 17:20 CEST
Updated: 9 July 2022 05:45 CEST

The 22 unique things that happen in France every summer

France takes a unique approach to summer, with a huge number of businesses shutting up shop for the whole of August (and sometimes even July), and the number of French people in cities dwindling to a handful as they make their escapes to the beach or mountains.

Jackie McGeown, who runs the blog Best France Forever has created a list of some of the defining features of a French summertime to help clue you in.

These will no doubt strike a chord with anyone who is left behind in a French city when it seems like the whole world has gone to the beach.

1. Everything closes in August. As a newbie you might ask, Pourquoi? and have the reply, “Because it’s August.” Try countering this with the observation that August happens literally everywhere without closing an entire nation and then you will be introduced to C’est comme ça as the ultimate argument ender.

2. But your favourite boulangerie seems to be closed longer than anything else. By September you’re basically sitting on the doorstep, rocking back-and-forth, money clutched in your hand, muttering une baguette, s’il vous plait, madame to no one.

3. And if you do get sick in August you can’t see your usual doctor, so end up getting an appointment with the only doctor available. Definitely don’t have a baby due in August. That’s CRAZY-bad timing. (I did.)

4. On the upside, since no one is going to work you can finally get a seat on the Metro!

5. Until they start running fewer trains and closing lines for works, and then you’re back to standing again.

6. It’s so hot outside that you have to keep your shutters closed all day, then experience the irony of being in darkness when it’s super bright outside.

7. You step outside and are hit by a wall of heat like when you get off an airplane at your holiday destination. Except you live here and don’t have a swimming pool, an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet or a minibar.

8. You take your kids to the park then realise they can’t play on any of les jeux because everything’s so hot you could probably fry an egg on them.

9. You remember that brumisateurs are genius inventions.

10. Everyone starts having barbecues. You smell them everywhere and they either make you very hungry (so much deliciousness) or very angry (‘cos it’s your neighbours and the smell goes right into your apartment).

11. And rosé-drinking season begins – hubba hubba!

12. Which means that supermarkets start selling bottles at 2 for the price of 1. So it would kinda be rude not to take them up on their offer…

Manual widget for ML (class=”ml-manual-widget-container”)

13. The TV news stations start doing silly reports from holiday destinations which inevitably includes a shot of a topless woman.

14. And the TV weather starts reporting the sea temperature, AKA is the most exotic thing ever.

15. Everyone suddenly gets better looking. The streets are filled with total hotties not wearing many clothes. You’re all, “Where were you hiding all winter, pretty people? Were you all busy being in music videos?”

16. And you get serious dress envy walking down the street. Where do French women get work-appropriate summer dresses? I NEED to know.

17. Paris Plage happens! It’s a cute way of giving a taste of a better life to people trapped in a sweaty city. Like when Clarice offers Hannibal Lector the chance of holidaying on an abandoned animal-testing island in Silence of the Lambs. We know it’s not St Tropez but it’s better than nothing.

18. Les Terrasses become packed to the point you can’t move elbows, knees or neck.

19. It’s the same in all the parks.

20. Basically anywhere outdoors with a bench, a pigeon, and a view of a tree is summer-time picnic gold.

21. Tourists, much like grey squirrels, force out the native inhabitants and run wild (as do brides doing photo shoots on Parisian bridges).

22. You find yourself wondering, “Where are all the French people?” The answer is that they are stuck in a traffic jam on the motorway en route to another part of France.

But in spite of the heat, the suspension of normal life, the changing populations, you realise that summer in France is the greatest and there’s nowhere else you’d rather be.

Jackie McGeown runs the site Best France Forever. Follow her on Facebook here for regular updates and you can read the original blog post on 26 things that happen in France every summer here.

Member comments

Anonymous - 9 August 2018 at 21:19 CEST

Bonjour
Some thoughts about summer in Paris.
My sister and I love the month of August unless the weather gets very hot for a prolonged period of time. Remember very few places are air conditioned !
The traffic is very much lighter and the buses are almost empty. But you may have to wait longer.

It is not true that all restaurants are closed. If you subscribe to “The Fork” or « la Fourchette » (same thing), you can choose a restaurant that is air-conditioned, make a reservation on line and you are all set. You may change or cancel such reservation easily, but make sure that you do. Finally, there are often discounts if tourists are few, as it was a couple years ago after the terrorist attacks. « Charlie » then the multiple attacks including the « Bataclan » and then Nice did scare people.

Yes, you may have to walk more to get your baguette but some boulangeries are open. Don’t forget to shop the Sunday outside markets. Some of them are outstanding. Open from 8AM to 1PM with delicious fresh produces.

Paris plage is always fun. It is time to explore
DrKmW .
Anonymous - 9 August 2018 at 21:35 CEST

Shopping for dresses?

Okay it may be a little tricky. All sales of summer clothes are usually over in stores like the Printemps or Les Galeries Lafayette. However, some smaller shops carry nice summer clothes at excellent prices. I found great sandals and dresses Avenue des Gobelins (75013). Walk around and you are bound to find your pleasure. But it is best to stay away from touristy spots, such as Rue de Rivoli

Become a Member to leave a comment.

Explained: How dangerous are French heatwaves?

A recent report highlighted the potential risks to athletes’ health if this summer’s Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games take place during a heatwave. The report, backed by climate scientists and athletes, warned of the potentially fatal risks of high temperatures at this year’s Games.

While most people are unlikely to be trying to break a 100m record during a heatwave – or any other time in fact – high temperatures bring with them serious risks to health.

Mercury rising

Any temperatures in France are getting higher, the country has endured a series of record heatwaves in recent years.

The all-time temperature record for Paris is 42.6C, set during a heatwave in 2019. It’s entirely possible this record won’t last long – 2022 was the hottest year on record in France, with a record 33 days meeting officially defined heatwave conditions: five in June and 14 in both July and August.

Vérargues, in the southern Hérault département, holds the highest recorded temperature in France – 46C set on June 28th, 2019.

The highest national average temperatures in France were recorded later in the year: August 5th, 2003, saw an average national temperature of 29.47C, followed by July 25th, 2019, when the average daily temperature was 29.4C.

And remember – air conditioning is not standard in French homes.

Health risks

There is no question that heatwaves can be fatal – some 400 people died in France in a two-week heatwave in August 2023 when new local temperature records were set around the country, according to public health data.

Over the whole of last summer, some 5,000 excess deaths were recorded between June 1st and September 15th, 2023, of which 1,500 were attributed to the heat.

Over the same period, nearly 20,000 heat-related emergency calls were recorded, according to a report by Santé Publique France published in February this year, and 10,600 additional hospitalisations followed a visit to the emergency department during periods of high temperature.

The risk is highest among the elderly or people with chronic health conditions, but also at risk are outdoor workers and people exercising – including hiking – during the hottest part of the day.

The government issues weather warnings – ranging from yellow (be aware) to red (potential risk to life) during heatwaves and we would strongly advise people to take notice and follow the advice, even if you come from a hot country.

Climate trends

And it seems that the situation is not going to get better soon, even if the response has improved.

“By the end of the century, heatwaves will be more frequent, more intense, and spread over a period from May to October,” warned France’s Haut Conseil pour le climat (High Council for the Climate) in a report in 2021.

Around 80 percent of the French population will experience 16 to 29 abnormally hot days each year over the three decades to come, as climate change takes hold according to a 2022 study by national statistics institute Insee – with Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and Occitanie the most affected regions.

It estimates that more than 9 million people will have to endure more than 20 extremely hot days each year in the years to come. Nighttime temperatures will also rise, with some areas seeing up to 19 abnormally hot nights each year, compared to seven between 1976 and 2005.

The phenomenon of ‘tropical nights’ – where the temperature does not drop below 23C even at night – is linked to sleepless nights and heat stress, as the body does not get the chance to cool itself.

Meanwhile, Santé Publique France’s figures underline the impact of high temperatures during heatwaves, it said, and confirmed the need for measures throughout the country, and for a reinforced strategy of adaptation to climate change, to reduce the impact of heat on health.

The unusual Pentecôte public holiday in France, when many people work ‘for free’ by donating that day’s salary a government ‘solidarity fund’ for the elderly, was introduced in 2005 following the disastrous 2003 heatwave, when more than 15,000 French people, most of them elderly, died in the sweltering temperatures.

Heat islands

The particular problem with Paris – and other major conurbations – is that it is a noted ‘urban heat island’, where temperatures can be up to 10C warmer than in the surrounding countryside, due to a combination of human activities, concrete surfaces that reflect heat, and heat pollution such as air conditioning units and cars.

The phenomenon also leads to significantly warmer nighttime temperatures, as heat accumulates during the day but cannot escape in the same way it might in a less dense environment – making for sticky nights that make it hard to sleep and increase the effects of heat stress, especially among the elderly or ill.

Emergency plans

One thing that has improved in recent years is how France deals with its heatwaves.

After 2003’s fatal summer, the French government introduced new protocols to protect the public whenever the temperature rises above a certain threshold.

Today, when the temperature soars, the government issues health advice on staying safe, which includes: drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated, staying indoors during the hottest part of the day (afternoon and early evening), keeping in the shade, exercising only during the coolest parts of the day (early morning and late nights) and eating regular meals.

Most cities now have heatwave plans. Parks stay open at night and ‘cool rooms’ open up to give those in at-risk groups a chance to be taken somewhere they can cool down.

Fire risk

Extreme temperatures and long periods without rain also increase the risk of wildfires.

The year 2022 was the worst on record for wildfires in France. In total 72,000 hectares, or an area seven times the size of Paris, burned over the summer.

Overall, 90 percent of fires are caused by humans – either deliberately or accidentally. But while casually throwing away a cigarette is objectively dumb, heatwaves can – and do – increase the risk of fires.

Where weather conditions do have a major effect is in turning what would perhaps have been a containable fire into a wildfire that devours thousands of hectares of ground and prompt evacuations.

High temperatures make it more likely that fires will start, but drought conditions cause these fires to spread – parched vegetation with no moisture catches extremely easily. In the height of summer, large parts of the south of France are particularly at risk of wildfires.

This is far from a new phenomenon. It’s why there has always been a wildfire ‘season’ in the hottest months of the year and why wildfires are much less common – though not unheard of – in winter.

In October 1970, 11 people died in a wildfire near France’s far southeastern border with Italy and in 1985 an inferno in the same area killed five volunteer firefighters.

Deaths are more unusual today, thanks to improved techniques and technology, but the fires themselves are getting more common, bigger and occur over a wider geographical area.

Poor air quality resulting from wildfire smoke can be a serious health risk to those with respiratory conditions.

If you live in an area where wildfires are common, make sure you sign up to the government emergency text alert system so you get the latest advice on whether you need to evacuate. You can also keep track of the risk of wildfire in your area by checking the government’s forest fire map, which is updated daily.

And you have legal obligations, too, relating to keeping your property as clear as possible of fire hazards during key wildfire periods.

SHOW COMMENTS

Url copied to clipboard!