timjstark

Hello!
Against my better judgement, we are going to be in Paris for the day on July 14th.

We have CDG hotel reservations that night in advance of a 2 PM flight back to the States on the 15th, but we have decided to spend the final day in Paris. We are coming in to Gare de Austerlitz at around noon.

My questions revolve around a few concerns:

1. Can I leave my luggage at the Austerlitz station; that is, are there lockers or is there a baggage claim area with a human?

2. Where would be a good place to spend the day/early evening? Is there a central celebration place and fireworks? Is this a celebration akin to NYC Times Square that I might want to avoid and simply find a cafe at a distance to absorb the festivities? Is there a place to avoid?

3. If I choose to take a taxi to my CDG hotel at say 9PM, is this something that will be available or will everyone be off work and celebrating?

Thank you in advance!

lp_nyc

I was in Paris for a few hours on Bastille day about 10 years ago (I was enroute to Portugal). So I don't know if my experiences still hold true but

1. Baggage check- My travel companion and I tried to check baggage. There were no lockers available. We went finally found a baggage check w/a person in attendance. She was extremely rude and informed us it would be 44 french francs to check one bag, and we had to unpack it and repack it in her presence. --needless to say, we schlepped our bags with us.

2. As for a place to be--we didn't even realize it was Bastille Day until we were walking along the Champs Elysee and a squadron of fighter planes flew over the boulevard in formation. Two mounted armies approached from either side of the Seine to join in. It was an awe inspiring sight. We had to board the train around 2pm that day, so I don't know much more than that.

Have fun! And hopefully some one else, who has had more recent experience with Bastille Day in Paris will respond to your post.

Jamingo

We were in Amboise on Bastille Day in 1999. The fireworks were unbelievable and went on forever. The one thing that was surprising to us was there are no safety controls in place. In the U.S. you are a safe distance away, in France, the fireworks were directly overhead with debris falling around us and people throwing firecrackers at our feet. It was a little scarey.

Steffen

topping

timjstark

Any other thoughts on this topic?

evanolan

I've read that it's great to be on the Champs Elysee for the flyover--really spectacular. Also, many people have told me to pack a picnic, take a blanket, and spend the evening on the Champs de Mars, which is the best place to be for the fireworks around the Eiffel Tower. My family will be in Paris for this, and we are really looking forward to it.

Christina

I've been there several times on that day so can make a few comments, but I don't know if they'll help. I didn't say much because I don't particularly like national holidays in general, and have no particular interest in them when they aren't even my holiday. I usually avoid these kind of holiday festivities everywhere, even in my own country. I think you should just avoid what feels to you like you want to avoid --probably due to crowds, it will be obvious what feels bad to you.

Anyway, as for Austerlitz, yes it has left baggages services, manned and automatic.

Paris is very busy on that holiday with a lot of visitors and people who have the day off work--so there are lots of people just walking around the central area sightseeing. There are fireworks in the evening, but you aren't going to be there anyway if you leave at 9 pm. They start around dusk which is later that night (around 10) from the Trocadero. YOu can see them from around that general part of Paris, lots of folks are in the Champ de Mars park near the Eiffel Tower. The military parade is in the morning on the Champs-Elysees (from the Arc going down it to the east, I think ends around the rondpoint FDR), ends around noon. After that, you can walk around the parks, Champs-Elysees or whatever you want.

It does get very crowded when viewing the parade and then for the best fireworks viewpoints. Have you been to any event like this in your own country? Those kind of national day fireworks events tend to be fairly similar everywhere, it seems to me.

I think you can get a taxi to CDG okay but never tried it that day. I'm sure everyone is not going to stop working that night, cab drivers never do. I personally might take the RER back to CDG rather than a cab.

AnthonyGA

It's best to stay home (or at one's hotel) or at least away from the festivities on July 14. There are many drunks out and about, especially as the day and evening wear on, and huge, unregulated firecrackers are a constant safety hazard, for both ears and eyes. Many places are extremely crowded and the largely drunken and young crowds can get quite rowdy.

All of this also applies to New Year's Eve, by the way.