I have been to Europe several time now and would like to attend their local church service. Expect for the very large and popular tourist visited ones, I have found none of them have unlocked doors or a posted schedule. And of course, I can not read the local paper. Any ideas?

Do you have any particular cities and churches in mind?

Never say never and never say always. But:

I'm stumped. In Sweden, France, Italy and most of rural England I've hardly ever come across a closed church that was part of the nationally dominant denomination (and in rural England, most locked churches have a sign telling you where the key is, and in urban England, practically all churches have signs outside telling you when services are)

In Orthodox Europe, they often do seem less interested in welcoming strangers than in Catholic or Protestant Europe - but that seems to be an odd (and rather unpleasant) quirk of orthodoxy. Outside the countries I travel in most, there also always seems to be a sign at the entrance to most German and Swiss villages telling you when Mass or the Protestant service is on.

There's no general answer to your question, because it's far too general. Post a specific question about a specific country and you'll probably get a more helpful answer.

Do remember though that nowhere in Europe (except possibly Poland) is church going the norm any more. So you don't automatically find church lists in the way you often do in America.

Timings of services will either be in the church, on the entrance to towns (france), tourist info or ask in local shops.

Unlocking there will be a sign or as above but normally open

You didn't say what faith. I am Catholic and always go to mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation in whatever city or village I happen to be in on these days so I can tell you how it is at Catholic churces. Find any Catholic church in town; if the church is locked and there is no mass schedule outside go in when it is open. Inside you will always find among the info literature or bulletin board a mass schedule for all the Catholic churces in that town. Very often due to a shortage of priests you will find there is not necessarily a Saturday night or Sunday mass at every church in town. The masses may be rotated among all the churches in town.

I have never had a problem finding a suitable time and place for mass even in the smallest villages. Of course if you are Catholic your search will be easier as such a large percentage of Europeans are Catholic.

Larry J

I've gone in lots of churches in Europe and have never found the doors locked. They certainly wouldn't be locked Sunday morning for church service, even if they were at some other times (like in the evening). The schedule is often in the vestibule, I think. I just don't understand your post at all, I've been in churches in many countries and they've never been locked.

I am not religious, but go sometimes just for the experience and to see how a service differs from the US. All I can say for sure is that in Paris, the most common time for Sunday masses are 9 and 11 am in Catholic churches.

Unfortunately, there are MANY churches locked most of the time in Italy, especially Rome. These tend to be the smaller, less known churches, but even large ones can close during the long lunch hour and reopen for a short time in the evening. Some churches are only open for Mass on Sunday. Some only open for a morning Mass and then shut tight the rest of the day. Some only open ONE day a year (their patron's feast day). It can be very frustrating to find these places open when you would like to visit. Of course, many churches in Italy and again, especially Rome, are closed indefinitely for restoration. There are so many treasures, both major and minor, in all these Italian churches, that it is very costly to hire a caretaker to keep watch on the church all day, every day. So, if you ever see an open church door, go in, you may never get the chance again. Oh, and for those churches that seem locked up tight; look around for a bell on a nearby building that may summon a priest or caretaker that will unlock the church.

You might find it worth asking your guest house staff if they can recommend a local church and tell you about service times? They should be able to find out for you.

It has been my (Catholic) experience, that while the main doors of a church may be locked outside peak worshipping hours, (often to avoid intentional or unintentional desecration of a Holy space,) there will usually be at least one small side door to allow the faithful in to pray or visit. You must walk around to look for it. If, when you do find it, it too is locked, it usually means that the pastors/priests are off site. You may then look for the administrative offices attached to the church and ask someone to let you in.
Most churches are completely locked at night and the heat turned down. Very few allow uncontained candles to burn overnight.

Now I feel like reading 'The Pillars of the Earth' for the 3rd time.

(Has anyone read the recently published 'sequel' ?)

My experience is that churches in Spain tended to be locked.

I assumed that they were not locked in France because of a shared ownership since the state often provides some funds for maintenance. In the hamlet where I have a house, pop. 95, outside the dominant tourist areas of the Dordogne, the church is unlocked every day during daylight hours even though there are no services there except for scheduled marriages and funerals. But it is a declared national monument, or the two remnants of the pillars in front of it are--no one is quite sure.

Unfortunately, many churches have been vandalized, leading to locked doors when no priests or staff are around.

I have always been able to find mass times and locations at tourist offices and most of the B&Bs and hotels at which I have stayed.

Lots of British churches are locked - theft and vandalism are real problems for the church. However there will usually be a sign with directions as to how to gain access.

it is a legal requirement (actually it's a requirement of the tax laws) that churches of all denominations advertise the times of their services and admit all-comers (This is why, for example, the Plymouth Bretheren and scientologists aren't a recognised religion legally)

Besides all said above, a local friend here in Geneva once said, generally speaking Catholic churches should be open all the time (Of course, today due to security reasons, things may have changed a lot.), but Protestant churches tend to be closed out of service hours.