May 1 in Paris
 

What to do on May 1? I see most of the museums will be closed, and I'm guessing stores and shops will be closed as well. Giverny is on my list and it's open that day, but I think it might be awfully crowded, and I'd rather go when it's as little crowded as possible. Any suggestions?

Go to the Gardens of Versailles. The Chateau will be closed but the gardens should be open and while there will probably be a lot of people, the grounds are so vast that you're bound to get some space for yourself.

It appears that Malmaison is open.

http://musees-nationaux-malmaison.fr/chateau-malmaison/

Directions: RER Line A to station "Grande Arche de la Défense" then take bus n°258 to "Le Château" stop.

Be a <i>flâneur</i> and enjoy a city with little traffic compared to normal days.

Paris will be extremely busy all weekend since May 1st falls on a Friday this year. Just go with the flow and perhaps visit some of the big parks of outer Paris: Buttes Chaumont, Parc de la Villette, Montsouris, Martin Luther King, etc.

I arrived in Paris on May 1 (last year) from the US. That morning, I walked to the outdoor market at the Bastille (Blvd Richard Lenoir)and then wandered around and explored until I crashed from jet lag.

To MmePerdu: I tried once to go to Malmaison via La Defense, but I was never able to find bus no. 258. I was so disappointed. Maybe I will try again this year!

walk around, enjoy the city, it won't be dead. So you can't go shopping in big stores or go to museums, that's all. Churches never close. If you must, the Eiffel Tower is open about every day of the year, being private (not govt). the Tour Montparnasse is usually open, also. Cemeteries are open, of course (eg, Pere Lachaise). There are a few museums that are open, actually, but not the biggies.

Just go to Paris and buy a Pariscope or l'Officiel des Spectacles at a news kiosk, it has everything going on by day.

As for Malmaison, I returned by bus 258 which is fairly easy, but I can see how finding that bus stop at La Defense if you didn't know where it was might not be easy. I just took the RER to go there, it has an RER stop. You can the take the bus or short cab drive to the chateau, it's a bit far to walk. They have a tourist train thing that goes all around that town, also, including to the chateau.
http://en.infotourisme.net/rueil-mal...tique-de-rueil

I don't know if that train goes to the RER station, it starts at the local history museum which is probably about 6 blocks away, here
http://www.napoleon.org/fr/magazine/...-Malmaison.asp